ACT awards acknowledge the strengths in the South African culture arena
by Robyn Sassen
During November, the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) celebrated another year of achievement and arts sponsorship at a glittering banquet and prizegiving ceremony, in the plush and beautifully designed gardens of Nedcor's Sandton offices. Reading largely as a healthy who's who in the contemporary arts, highlights of the event included a showcase performance by Sibikwa's marimba band, as well as another, by a troupe of dancers from Moving Into Dance Mophathong (MIDM).
Performance and visual arts may make for complicated bedfellows on any other level, but a democratic approach in judging the different fraternities, it seems, was exercised. While Sylvia Glasser of Newtown-based dance company MIDM was the recipient of the coveted Lifetime Achiever Award, visual arts won high-profiled merit with Michelle Constant walking away as Arts Journalist of the Year. In addition, Kim Berman and Cara Walters were awarded a prize for Most Successful ACT-Funded Project for the Artist Proof Studio.
Established in 1994, ACT, chaired by Andries Oliphant, has been key in assisting development in the arts, culture and heritage spheres of South Africa. Sponsored by founding trustees, including Nedcor Bank, Vodacom, Sun International and the Ministry of Arts and Culture, it offers mutually beneficial partnerships between the corporate and public sectors and the arts, by channelling resources to arts organisations, communities and individuals. Each year the annual awards ceremony acknowledges and rewards the selected organisations, individuals and projects it supports.
The other winners were:
For Cultural Development Project of the Year: Ikhwezi Community Theatre Festival, a Cape Town-based festival which aims to develop theatre skills and cultural awareness in the youth.
For Arts and Culture Administrator of the Year: Shadrack Bokaba, of the SA Music Education Trust, where he single-handedly made music education possible for 3000 youths this year.
For Arts and Culture Publicist of the Year: Bridget van Oerle, of Buz Publicity. Having won this award in 1999, this dynamic self-starter began in 1996, and today is an industry leader.
For Electronic or Print Media of the Year in Support of Arts and Culture: 'Screen Africa', a trade publication covering the entertainment media, with boldness and innovation.
For Radio or Television Media of the Year in Support of Arts and Culture: 'Kunskafee', a weekly Afrikaans programme on DSTV with an all-embracing focus on SA arts.
For Arts Education Project of the Year: The Curriculum Development Project/Wits School of the Arts Partnership, which has brought together a range of arts industry professionals in establishing courses, centres and resources for artists without formal or tertiary education.
