Nominations open for ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals

MEDIA RELEASE BY ARTS AND CULTURE TRUST

08 JUNE 2011

 

Nominations open for ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is recognising and celebrating excellence in South African arts, culture and creativity.

ACT is now open for nominations for the ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals which will be presented at the 14^th annual ACT Awards. Artists up to the age of 30 years that fall within the first three years of their professional careers are eligible for nomination.

“The encouragement and acknowledgement of excellence is of utmost importance to the future of South African creativity. ACT is grateful to the Distell Foundation for sponsoring the ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals and we value the opportunity to support emerging artists and enhance excellence in the sector,” says Pieter Jacobs, General Manager of ACT.

Emerging artists at a time in their careers when they have shown commitment to and reached some professional standing in their chosen discipline may be nominated in one of four categories:

– Visual Art (Painting and Printmaking, Sculpting, Public Installations & Photography)

– Performing Arts (Dance, Acting, Musical Theatre & Physical Theatre)

– Music & Singing (Classical, Contemporary & Jazz)

– Design (Craft, Graphic Design, Fashion Design & Web Design)

Winners of the ImpACT Awards are selected by an independent panel of judges. Awards will only be presented if a satisfactory number of quality nominations are received in the various categories and the adjudication panel reserves the right to carry over such awards to the following year.

The closing date for nominations is 29 July 2011. For guidelines and nomination forms please visit the ACT website at http://www.act.org.za.

The highlight of the Awards Ceremony is the presentation of three Lifetime Achievement Awards to luminaries for their lifelong contribution to theatre, music and visual arts in South Africa. Past recipients of this accolade include Miriam Makeba, John Kani, Gcina Mhlope, Ronnie Govender, Peter Clarke, and David Koloane amongst others. Lifetime Achievement Winners are nominated and selected by the ACT Board of Trustees.

The 14^th annual ACT Awards is presented in partnership with the Vodacom Foundation, the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) and is supported by the Distell Foundation, Classicfeel Magazine and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).

 

END

NOTES TO EDITORS

 

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is South Africa’s premier independent arts funding and development agency. The primary aim of ACT is to increase the amount of funding available for arts and culture initiatives, and to apply these funds to innovative, sustainable projects that make a meaningful contribution to society. Go to http://www.act.org.za for more information about ACT including our funding programmes, criteria for assessment or to submit an application online.

 

The Vodacom Foundation

The Foundation is Vodacom’s primary vehicle for implementing its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives. The Foundation’s contributions, primarily within the disciplines of Education and Health are focused on sustainable projects aimed at countering social deprivation.

The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO)

DALRO is a multi-purpose copyright society administering various aspects of copyright on behalf of authors and publishers. DALRO’s main areas of administration are reprographic reproduction rights (photocopying from published editions), public performance rights (including stage rights for book musicals and dramas) and reproduction rights (whether for publishing or copying) in works of visual art. For more information please visit www.dalro.co.za.

The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO)

Established in 1962, with the key objective to protect the intellectual property of its composer, songwriter, and publisher members, the organisation’s primary focus is to administer the various music rights of Copyright on behalf of writer and publisher members. The collecting society, as it is known, is mainly concerned with the collection of license fees for the use of its members’ musical works by various music users, the distribution of royalties to these members, and the promotion of Copyright law. For more information, please visit www.samro.org.za

 

Distell Foundation

Distell, one of South Africa’s premier producers of fine wines, spirits and ready to drink alcoholic beverages, has actively been supporting the arts for more than forty years. Ongoing support is given to a broad range of creative arts development projects that build economic growth, artistic talent, create jobs and enhances excellence in the sector.

For more information please visit www.distell.co.za.

CLASSICFEEL Magazine

CLASSICFEEL is an award winning monthly arts, culture and lifestyle magazine that brings the best in classical and jazz music, dance, visual arts, film and theatre, as well as food and travel, to its readers. Dedicated to promoting arts and culture in South Africa the magazine speaks to a quality South African lifestyle for people with a love of the creative arts. With a clean, sophisticated design CLASSICFEEL prides itself on bringing a diverse spread of local and international arts and culture to its readers. The magazine has garnered many prestigious awards, including an Arts & Culture Trust Award, as well as several PICA Awards for excellence in publishing and the coveted Business and Arts in South Africa Award.

Business and Arts South Africa (BASA)

Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates’ commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Section 21 company, Business and Arts South Africa is accountable to both government and its business members.

Arts and Culture Trust Awards nominations

Nominations open for ACT Awards 2010

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Awards are held annually in recognition and celebration of excellence in South African arts, culture and creativity.

The ACT Awards 2010 is presented by the Vodacom Foundation, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO) and is supported by the Distell Foundation, Classicfeel Magazine and Business and Arts South Africa.

A salient element of the ACT Awards is the presentation of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award for Visual Arts sponsored by the Vodacom Foundation, a Lifetime Achievement Award for Music sponsored by SAMRO and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre sponsored by DALRO will be presented. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are selected at the discretion of the ACT Board of Trustees.

The prestigious ACT Lifetime Achievement Awards honours arts professionals whose extraordinary careers have had a profound and lasting impact on arts, culture and heritage and whose lifetime achievements have contributed significantly to the enrichment of cultural life in South Africa.

“Following the successful launch of the Lifetime Achievement Awards last year, it is a privilege for DALRO, in partnership with the Arts & Culture Trust, to honour another theatre luminary this year. As the custodian of the rights of playwrights, DALRO has a special affinity for those special people committed to bringing plays to life. There is no greater pleasure than asking one of them to take a bow and on a special day and to accept our adoration,“ says Gérard Robinson, Executive Director, Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO).

Past recipients of this accolade include Gibson Kente, Es’kia Mphalele, Sylvia Glasser, Sophie Mgcina, Esther Mahlangu and Ronnie Govender amongst others. For the first time in the event’s history, in 2008, three Lifetime Awards were presented to industry veterans and luminaries: David Koloane (Visual Arts), Miriam Makeba (Music) and Lynette Marais (Theatre). In 2009 David Goldblatt was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Visual Art, John Kani was the lifetime achievement winner for Theatre and Joseph Shabalala was recognised for his lifetime contribution to Music in South Africa.

“The ACT Awards represent the celebration of the best in the industry. As the inaugural sponsors of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Music, we are very proud to be associated with ACT. We are also very honoured to remain as the sponsor of the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for Music that will hopefully create an even further foundation for celebrating esteemed musicians who have dedicated their lives to their art. SAMRO would not be able to do what we do, if we did not have musicians like these who continuously create music that inspires those around them,” says Yavi Madurai, General Manager of SAMRO Strategy & Business Development.

This year, ACT will also be awarding four ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals, sponsored by the Distell Foundation. Talented and emerging artists at a time in their careers when they have shown commitment to, and reached some professional standing in their chosen discipline will be eligible. These prestigious Awards honour young professional artists that fall within the first three years of their professional careers.

“The Distell Foundation is proud to be involved with the ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals and we hope by giving support to young artists through these awards; it will build artistic talent and enhance excellence in the sector,” says Irma Albers, Arts and Culture Controller of Distell.

Awards will be presented in four broad arts categories with selected disciplines being eligible for consideration in each.

The categories are:

The ImpACT Award for Visual Art
Artists working in the mediums of Fine Art, Sculpting, Public Installations and Photography are eligible for nomination.

The ImpACT Award for Theatre
Artists practising the disciplines of Dance, Acting, Musical Theatre and Physical Theatre are eligible for nomination.

The ImpACT Award for Music & Singing
Classical, Contemporary and Jazz musicians and singers are eligible for nomination.

The ImpACT Award for Design
Artists working in the areas of Craft, Fashion Design, Graphic Design and Web Design are eligible for nomination.

Winners of the ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals are selected by an independent panel of judges. Awards will only be presented if a satisfactory number of quality nominations are received in the various categories and the adjudication panel reserves the right to carry over such awards to next year.

Winners of Lifetime Achievement Awards together with the recipients of the ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals will be announced at a Luncheon in Johannesburg in October 2010.

The closing date for ACT Excellence Award nominations is 15 September 2010. To submit a nomination, please go to the DOWNLOADS page on the ACT website at www.act.org.za for Guidelines and a Nomination Form.

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is South Africa’s premier, independent arts and culture funding and development agency.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Vodacom Foundation
The Foundation is Vodacom’s primary vehicle for implementing its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives. The Foundation’s contributions, primarily within the disciplines of Education and Health are focused on sustainable projects aimed at countering social deprivation.

The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO)
Established in 1962, with the key objective to protect the intellectual property of its composer, songwriter, and publisher members, the organisation’s primary focus is to administer the various music rights of Copyright on behalf of writer and publisher members. The collecting society, as it is known, is mainly concerned with the collection of license fees for the use of its members’ musical works by various music users, the distribution of royalties to these members, and the promotion of Copyright law. For more information, please visit www.samro.org.za

The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO)
DALRO is a multi-purpose copyright society administering various aspects of copyright on behalf of authors and publishers. DALRO’s main areas of administration are reprographic reproduction rights (photocopying from published editions), public performance rights (including stage rights for book musicals and dramas) and reproduction rights (whether for publishing or copying) in works of visual art. For more information please visit www.dalro.co.za.

Distell Foundation
Distell, one of South Africa’s premier producers of fine wines, spirits and ready to drink alcoholic beverages, has actively been supporting the arts for more than forty years. Ongoing support is given to a broad range of creative arts development projects that build economic growth, artistic talent, create jobs and enhances excellence in the sector.
For more information please visit www.distell.co.za.

CLASSICFEEL Magazine
CLASSICFEEL is an award winning monthly arts, culture and lifestyle magazine that brings the best in classical and jazz music, dance, visual arts, film and theatre, as well as food and travel, to its readers. Dedicated to promoting arts and culture in South Africa the magazine speaks to a quality South African lifestyle for people with a love of the creative arts. With a clean, sophisticated design CLASSICFEEL prides itself on bringing a diverse spread of local and international arts and culture to its readers. The magazine has garnered many prestigious awards, including an Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Award, as well as several PICA Awards for excellence in publishing and the coveted BASA (Business and Arts in South Africa) Award.

Business and Arts South Africa
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates’ commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Section 21 company, Business and Arts South Africa is accountable to both government and its business members.

Artslink.co.za Account:
Di Sparks
Behind the Scenes Communications
disparks@artslink.co.za
011 648 7385
073 208 8483
Arts & Culture Trust
www.act.org.za