Diamonds buried deep in the rich heritage of South Africa’s arts are ready for polishing. The challenge for arts projects is to bring to completion the process from a rough diamond to a polished, income-generating and community-uplifting product.
Supporting the artistic and cultural heritage of South Africa has benefits that reach far beyond pure entertainment and appreciation of beauty. Arts and cultural projects in South Africa hold the power to change the lives of the individuals and communities involved in the projects. They demonstrate not only the talent and creativity of our people, but also provide opportunities for entrepreneurship, skills development and cross-cultural understanding — all critical within the context of today’s South Africa.
Many arts initiatives and funding bodies are committed to the development of South African talent that often goes unnoticed — rough diamonds to the untrained eye. In the early 1990s Nedbank, as initiator and a founding sponsor of the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT), identified the potential of an all-inclusive arts funding body, dedicated to the many artistic gems awaiting discovery.
Although the identification of such projects may seem easy, the extraction of worthy projects from the mass of talent requires funding and clear goal setting. ACT, with its focus on improving creative skills, developing arts administration skills and understanding cross-cultural differences, has laid firm foundations for projects to flourish. Drawing on our vast artistic wealth, ACT also focuses on the creation of employment, and development of local and international markets for cultural tourism.
Nedbank’s dedication to the refinement of cultural rough diamonds via ACT is clear. The bank provides ongoing funding for ACT by making donations to the trust based on clients’ use of its range of Nedbank Arts Affinity banking products. Through this innovative and sustainable approach, ACT and Nedbank will continue to help provide social upliftment using South Africa’s polished cultural gems.
Partners in prosperity
The Mail & Guardian values its association with the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) and Nedbank as they salute South Africa’s finest cultural practitioners with these awards.
This is the third year of our partnership with the trust and Nedbank, a working relationship that has been an enlightening journey for everyone involved. This year’s event coincides with National Heritage Month and National Tourism Month. And what better way to celebrate the culture of the subcontinent than by awarding its professional and community artists with the highest accolades.
We look forward to continuing our role as media partner for the ACT Awards in the future. We congratulate all of this year’s entrants and winners — it is they who have enriched this society with their remarkable talents.
Trevor Ncube
CEO, Mail & Guardian