Awards Ceremony Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) Debut Programme

The Minister of Arts and Culture, 

Mr Nathi Mthethwa will host an Awards Ceremony on Friday, 22 February 2019 in Johannesburg. 

Minister Mthethwa launched the DAC Debut Fund for emerging artists at Nangoza Jebe Community Hall in Port Elizabeth on 13 July 2017, where he explained that; “The fund will provide opportunities to develop new local content and for that all important ‘break’ in their career. Linked to the funding will be a mentorship programme to make sure that these aspirant professionals have the best possible advice and guidance” said the Minister. The DAC Debut Programme is an excellent example of a creative industries’ initiative with wide-reaching and sustained impact.  

“The Debut Fund programme creates training, mentoring and funding opportunities for young artists from all disciplines making their debut. This programme has been launched through a media campaign calling for applications. In partnership with BASA, this fund will support young artists from all over the country to take their first steps as professional artists. A call for applications was made,” stated the Minister.

The DAC Debut Awards will see the announcement of the programme’s Grant winners and Special Awards recipients. The Awards will be hosted towards celebrating and recognising arts and culture practitioners from across South Africa, all of whom are doing important work in their respective provinces and communities. The programme’s 77 Hlanganisa Training participants will be at the event where nine provincial Launch Grant winners will be announced along with recipients of the programme’s five special awards.

Also in attendance at this highlight event of 2019’s arts and culture calendar will be representatives of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the Southern African Association of Youth Clubs (SAAYC), and other stakeholders.

Since launching in mid-2017, the BASA-run programme has fulfilled its vision of supporting emerging artists in all of South Africa’s nine provinces, equipping these practitioners with knowledge, skills development and funding to enable them to move from the amateur to the professional realm.

The DAC Debut Programme emerged out of BASA’s Education and Mentorship Programmes, supported by the National Arts Council and Rand Merchant Bank. The aim of these programmes was to address the development and support of the arts through structural and innovative workshops, and mentorship relationships. In a new approach, DAC Debut Funding was combined with BASA’s Education and Mentorship Programmes to create a nationwide programme that reached deep into communities in all nine provinces.

The DAC Debut Awards will see the announcement of one Launch Grant winner from each province. Each winner will receive a R50, 000.00 Launch Grant as well as mentoring by an industry professional while implementing and reporting on their venture. 

Recipients of the Special Awards will also be announced at the DAC Debut Awards. Five practitioners will be awarded R20 000.00 (with R25, 000.00 for the Social Development Award) to implement and report on their venture.

Since launching mid-2017, the DAC Debut Programme has implemented three key initiatives, each of which has contributed to the success of the programme.

·         Train the Trainer. This was aimed at upskilling and creating employment opportunities for co-facilitators in each province to assist BASA’s facilitators with logistics, coordination, facilitation and administration. This skills-transfer initiative created nine trainers who can now independently facilitate in their community and other programmes.

·         Kickstarter Training. This first layer of training was aimed at upskilling young South African arts practitioners in each province, providing them with the skills to work towards making their creative ventures a reality. The 197 participants in the Kickstarter Training had an opportunity to apply for funding through the Catalyst Grants initiative, and engage in further training through Hlanganisa Training.

·         Hlanganisa Training and Catalyst Grants. Participants in Hlanganisa Training were even further upskilled to enable the implementation of their creative ventures, with guidance from facilitators and some funding. Each of the 77 delegates was acknowledged as having successfully completing the DAC Debut Programme. At this graduation ceremony, certificates of completion were awarded and each participant was able to pitch for further funding (via the Launch Grants), as well as mentorship.

The Department is proud to host such a ceremony that will empower emerging Artists and continues to render support to ensure that arts projects in communities’ flourish.