The Arts & Culture Trust Awards are handed out in eight categories
1. Arts Administrator of the Year Open to any person in cultural organisations, government, the business community or activities concerned primarily with administration, policy, funding or management of the arts and culture or any aspect of it.
Criteria to consider:
l The skills, competence, knowledge and experience of the person in the area of work concerned.
l The achievements of the person during that particular year, and in the preceeding three to 10 years.
l The national impact of the person’s work.
l The person’s contribution to general development within arts and culture outside of the particular area in which he or she operates.
2. Arts and Culture Journalist of the Year
Open to any South African radio, television or print media journalist either freelance or permanent in any part of the country, who regularly writes about/reports on the arts and culture.
Criteria to consider:
l The commitment, passion and interest of the journalist in the arts and culture (as opposed to it being just another job) or any aspect of it.
l The effects of the journalist’s writing in informing the public and in constructively criticising the arts.
l The integrity, independence and courage of the journalist.
l The choice of subject(s) and its relevance to a significant public or artistic constituency.
l The competence, skills, knowledge of the subject and research capacity reflected by the journalist.
3. Media of the Year in Support of the Arts (Electronic and Print)
Open to any South African radio or television programme or Internet service, any South African newspaper, journal, newsletter, magazine that provides information on arts and culture.
Criteria to consider:
l The consistency of quality and usefulness of the medium’s reports, reviews, information, articles, et cetera, over a period of time (as opposed to one-off programme/service).
l The breadth of the arts and culture covered by the programme/ service/publication.
l The national impact of the programme/service/publication in generating debate, providing information, developing audiences, educating the public, etcetera.
l The editorial independence, investigativeness, courage and integrity of the medium/service/publication.
l The layout, design and general attractiveness of the medium/ service/publication.
4. Arts and Culture Publicist of the Year
Open to any media publicity company, agency or department of an institution whose primary task is to generate publicity, and thereby, audiences and markets for arts and culture or any aspect thereof.
Criteria to consider:
l The consistency of the quality of the publicity generated by the agency for a range of activities/products.
l The innovation of the agency in generating publicity.
l The success of the agency in developing audiences and markets for particular activities/products.
l The respect with which the agency is held by the sections of the arts and culture community it most serves.
5. Cultural Development Project of the Year (Including Education)
Open to any projects or programmes undertaken by any formal or non-formal institution in any of the cultural, government, private or business sectors, in any arts and culture discipline, with the primary aim of developing arts (skills, infrastructure, building audiences, etcetera) or access to the arts among historically disadvantaged communities. Any agency or organisation involved in advocacy around arts and culture education anywhere in the country or any formal or non-formal education programme that imparts skills artistic, administrative, educational in the arts at primary, secondary, tertiary or adult level.
Criteria to consider:
l The organisational, management and financial soundness of the project.
l The legacy, real or potential, that the project will leave.
l The involvement of the target market in designing, implementing and sustaining the project.
l The sustainability of the project.
l The success of the project during that year.
l The educational soundness of the project.
l The quality of the tutor/prime movers.
l The innovativeness of the project.
6. International Arts Sponsor of the Year
Open to foreign donors, embassies, government departments or institutions based in South Africa or abroad, which support South Africa financially, or through training, exposure or other means.
Criteria to consider:
l The particular achievements of the sponsor during that year.
l The history of involvement and the concomitant achievements of the sponsor in the local arts.
l The national impact of the sponsor’s support for the local arts.
7. Arts & Culture Trust Best Practice Project of the Year
Open to all projects that have been wholly or partly funded by the Arts & Culture Trust and have best fulfilled all its obligations, in the 12 month period before the closing date for award nominations.
Criteria to consider:
l Proof of effect of project.
l How the project fulfilled its stated intentions.
l Why the project is exemplary in terms of the trust’s selection criteria (artistic excellence, legacy, etcetera).
l Media and publicity generated for the trust.
l Written references.
8. Lifetime Achievement Award
Open to anyone dead or alive, older than 60 years, who has spent the best part of their lives in service to the arts and culture, or in other areas supportive of the development and flourishing of the arts and culture.
Criteria to consider:
l The effect of the person’s work in developing audiences, markets for the arts and culture.
l The passion, dedication, integrity and selflessness of the person.
l The achievements of the person over a 30 to 50 year period.