The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) has funded more than 500 projects across the spectrum in arts, culture and heritage. At a recent meeting of the ACT Board of Trustees, support for a further 31 projects in 11 disciplines to the value of R1m was approved.ACT focuses on the following areas of development: job creation; creative skills; management skills; cultural diversity and cultural tourism marketing.
According to ACT Projects Officer, Jerome Balakistan, “Applications were referred to subcommittees comprising Trustees with experience and expertise in the fields of theatre, music, dance, literature, heritage, arts administration, community arts, visual arts, arts education and multi-disciplinary projects.”
The following projects were selected for support during the current funding cycle:
THEATRE
Road Six/Cinga Productions for “Bay of Plenty”: Based on a true story this is a play about five friends set against a backdrop of gang warfare, drugs, violence and the adversity that characterises South Africa’s townships. For more information e-mail sarab@iafrica.com
Lara Bye for “A Place with Pigs”: A physical theatre staging of Athol Fugard’s play at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival 2006 featuring Mongi Mthombeni and Jojo Hawkins. For more information e-mail larabye@hotmail.com
South African National Community Theatre Association (SANCTA) for the “SANCTA 27th Annual One Act Festival”.For more information go to www.sancta.org.za
Artscape Theatre Centre for the “Artscape New Writing Programme”: This programme supports new and established playwrights on an annual basis through a range of activities including workshops, stage readings and full scale productions. For more information go to www.artscape.co.za
Dedanizizwe Shabalala for “Prince Senie”: The project will explore African Theatre through storytelling, traditional dance, poetry and literature. For more information e-mail gbsolgemini@yahoo.com
The Baxter Theatre Centre for the “Baxter 30th Anniversary”: This programme of contemporary South African plays will celebrate 30 years of the Baxter Theatre providing world class local and international theatre for all South Africans. For more information go to www.baxter.co.za
Porteus-Xandau Steenkamp for “Bird’s Eye View”: The play describes the journey of discovery of two maleweaverbirds as they attempt to find an alternative food source for their community. It will be presented at the 2006Grahamstown National Arts Festival. For more information e-mail porteusxandau@webmail.co.za
CRAFT
Limpopo Arts and Culture Association (LACA) for “Golden Rhino Crafts Capacity Building Project”: This craft development programme will provide training and workshops in products, techniques and skills and will showcase craft products from across Limpopo. For more information e-mail lovelimpopoart@mweb.co.za
Phumani Paper for “Phumani Product and Training Workshops”: Assistance will be provided to two community ownedcraft enterprises through the development and design of consumer products for the tourist market in KZN includingtechnical handmade paper making training for participants. For more information go to www.phumanipaper.org.za
The Craft Council of South Africa for “Craft Information and Skills Booklets”: Support will be provided for the design and publication of information handbooks on craft and crafts people on a range of subjects including baskets, beadwork, dolls and pottery. For more information go to www.craftcouncil.co.za
COMMUNITY ART
The Freedom Extravaganza Group for “With Rhyme and Reason”: Combining poetry and theatre this project is aimed at South African youth to raise their awareness on various social issues. For more information e-mail freedomextravaganza@gmail.com
Lekwa Communications for “The Cullinan Diamond Maze”: The project will build a maze in the shape of a diamond to reflect the history of Cullinan Refilwe. For more information e-mail lekwa.sec21@mweb.co.za
The Magnet Theatre Educational Trust for “Community Groups Intervention”: The objective of this project is tostrengthen community theatre as an important part of the theatrical landscape in South Africa.
For more information go to www.magnettheatre.co.za
The Market Theatre Laboratory for “The Market Lab Annual Community Theatre Festival”: The project will prepare and present the work of 50 community theatre groups and present a showcase of these in a semi-professional setting. For more information go to www.markettheatre.co.za
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
Awesome Africa for “The Awesome Africa Music Festival”: This project will take the form of an African and world music festival, urban regeneration awareness programme and music education workshops. For more information go to www.awesomeafricafestival.co.za
Pulane Productions for “Kukummi: African Stories on the Wings of Wind”: This project takes the form of a play which fuses various performing arts disciplines including dance, music, singing and acting. For more information e-mail antoi@worldonline.co.za
Myer Taub for “inHERITAGE”: This project combines elements of drama, heritage, memory, performance art and publishing around Cape Town’s Heritage Trail. For more information e-mail myersuniverse@yahoo.com
MUSIC
Johannesburg Music Initiatives for “African Choral Music CD Recording”: The project will create a CD to showcase the heritage of South African choral music and will give local choirs an opportunity to hear works performed by the best South African choirs. For more information go to www.jmi.co.za
The Rotary Club of Tygerberg for “Rotary Tygerberg Youth Orchestra”: This project will promote the study of music amongst historically disadvantaged youth in the Western Cape. For more information e-mail ricks@gem.co.za
Thomas Rajna for “The Valley Song Opera Production and School Tour”: This is an educational outreach project for Western Cape Schools. For more information go to www.cama.org.za
LITERATURE
The Centre for the Book for “Turning the Page 2006”: This festival of new writing at the Cape Town International Book Trade Fair will bring several new South African writers together for a series of readings, discussions and workshops. For more information go to www.centreforthebook.org.za
Imbizo Arts for “Writing Free: 10 years of Kotaz”: This anthology celebrates a decade of outstanding work published in Kotaz Literary Magazine and will include poetry, prose, photographs and artwork. For more information e-mail iasa@tiscali.co.za
Jill Trappler for the first phase of “The Bill Ainslie Memorial Document”: This phase of the project will include extensive research, various interviews and general information gathering with a view to a final publication about Bill Ainslie and his contribution to the visual arts in South Africa. For more information go to www.jilltrappler.co.za
DANCE
Jikeleza for “The Hout Bay Youth Collaborative Project”: Arts practitioners, Sue Parker-Goodwin and Adele Blank will facilitate dance and music workshops for youth in Hout Bay culminating in showcase performance pieces. For more information go to www.jikeleza.co.za
The Dance Factory for “The Christmas Show”: A programme of six new festive dance works by local choreographers featuring students ranging in age from 8 to 20. For more information go to www.dancefactory.co.za
The Remix Dance Company for “The Bluebeard Project”: Incorporating dance, storytelling, aerial work and puppetry to retell the story of Bluebeard. This project will take the form of an integrated dance theatre performance with particular focus on disabled audience members and accessible theatre venues. For further information go to www.remixdancecompany.co.za
ARTS ADMINISTRATION
Arts and Teaching Initiatives (ATI) for ATI Workshops: The project will build capacity in arts administration through a series of workshops with 20 crafters over a six month period. For more information go to www.ati.org.za
HERITAGE
Kliptown Our Town Trust for phase one of the “San Souci Revival”: The project aims to structurally secure the ruin of the old San Souci cinema for outdoor performance and to develop township audiences. For more information e-mail bremnerl@iafrica.com
VISUAL ARTS
The Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) for VANSA Curators Workshop: This two week curators workshop to be convened on Robben Island will involve emerging and experienced South African and international curators. For more information go to www.vansa.co.za
Artist Proof Studio for “Youth Portfolio Development Programme”: The programme will train youth in print making and certify youth with accredited unit standards from the NQF Level 4 Design Learnership. For more information e-mail artistp@mweb.co.za
ARTS EDUCATION
From the hip: khulumakahle for “Integrated Professional Development Programme”: This programme contributes to the training and integration of deaf and hearing professionals into the South African theatre industry. For more information go to www.fthk.co.za
The Youth Orchestra Company for “Music Teacher Training and Capacity Building”: The project will provide 50 music education training workshops for young musicians over a 10 month period. For more information go to www.orchestracompany.co.za
The Children’s Arts Festival: This programme offers pre-primary and primary school learners exposure to the arts and runs concurrently with the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. For more information go to www.childrensartsfetival.co.za
ACT is supported by the following Founding Trustees: The Department of Arts and Culture, The Royal Netherlands Embassy; Nedbank; Sun International and The Vodacom Foundation. For more information go to www.act.org.za
