Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), which helps businesses identify appropriate sponsorship opportunities in the arts and provides much-needed research into the arts, has experienced a surge of new members this year, adding to the organisation’s existing membership of 150 companies. One of the new members is production company Devereux Harris & Associates cc.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many new members to BASA and look forward to supporting them in their engagement with the arts,’ says BASA CEO Michelle Constant.
New members stretch across the economic spectrum – from entertainment and tourism to retail, advertising and production. There is also a new member from the medical supply field.
Among the other new members is The Soweto Hotel on Freedom Square, which has recently launched the Kliptown Artists Impact Competition in collaboration with Soweto Post 77 with the objective of creating a visual representation of the past five decades in South Africa’s history. The iconic Rainbow Restaurant in Pinetown, Durban joins BASA as an establishment which has played home to several of South Africa’s influential musicians and also have an integral partnership with BASA Member, Prosound. Also joining from KwaZulu-Natal is the Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom.
Other new members are publicity specialists JT Communications, who are driving a much needed media resource centre for the arts; advertising agency Grey South Africa; SA design consultants, Source SA; specialist art project management company AAW!, and Think Theatre are also new members as are auditors and consulting firm, Middel and Partners, and medical supply company, Karl Storz Endoscopy.
iSchoolAfrica Youth Press Team, an initiative involving teams in more than 20 schools across South Africa using Apple computer technology to create newsworthy video content for TV, also joined BASA this year and have had teams avidly covering arts projects.
Retailers Food Lovers Market joins enlightened companies across the country in recognising the opportunity of supporting the arts. One organisation benefiting from Food Lovers Market’s strategic support is the Cape Dance Academy. BASA supported this sponsorship through a supporting grant. The Supporting Grant Scheme, funded by an allocation by the Department of Arts and Culture, provides support funding to arts-business partnerships, increasing the capacity of arts organisations or projects to leverage and activate the sponsorship partnership.
Businesses that partner with arts organisations providing in-kind support or funding are able to apply for a supporting grant.
Some benefits of membership with Business and Arts South Africa include support through many different marketing and publicity platforms for business-arts projects and partnerships that members are involved in; networking; a bespoke research service; participation (where appropriate) in the Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American.
Members also engage in volunteerism opportunities through the thriving BASA Mentorship Programme (which pairs skilled business professionals with arts organisations to provide strategic advice as well as through BASA BoardBank, an initiative which aims to increase the governance capacity of arts organisations while providing businesspeople an opportunity to become board members for not-for-profit arts organisations.
