The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is pleased to announce that applications for the ACT Development Programme are now open. Applications for the ACT Development Grant in Theatre will be accepted until Tuesday, 7 January 2020.
ACT invites initiators of professional theatre projects planned for realisation between March and December 2020 to apply for funding.
Emerging/mid-level artists and organisations are eligible to apply for one of six small grants of R30 000, while established artists and organisations are eligible to apply for one of three grants of R80 000.
Emerging/mid-level artists must have been working professionally for at least one year.
To be eligible for the emerging/mid-level ACT Development Grant organisations must have been operating professionally for at least one year and have experience in managing budgets of less than R50 000.
To be considered established, artists must have been working professionally for five or more years and have a proven track record of successful projects with budgets exceeding R50 000.
To be considered established, organisations must have been in operation for three or more years and have a proven track record of successful projects with budgets exceeding R50 000.
To apply for an ACT Development Grant artists and organisations need to complete the online application form.
Applications open Friday, 8 November 2019.
Applications close Tuesday, 7 January 2020.
Only South African nationals may apply and projects must take place in South Africa. Allocation of grants is at the discretion of the ACT board of trustees. The decision with regard to all applications for funding is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.
In 2018 the ACT Development Programme supported projects in the fields of visual art and dance, followed by literature in 2019. For 2020 ACT is looking for projects with a focus on theatre and encourages applications for interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary works that have theatre as a core component. It is also interested in the ways in which new media and new forms of art are developing alongside traditional arts.
ACT CEO Marcus Desando says, ‘With this new discipline-focused grant, we have seen a number of very interesting collaborative works come to the fore and this cycle promises to be no different. Theatre is by its nature interdisciplinary and we are excited to see how applicants put forward their projects.’
The ACT Development Programme has been assisting South African artists for 25 years, with the support of the Nedbank Arts Affinity. This amounts to over 800 organisations and projects nationwide and a contribution valued at more than R22 million. Tobie Badenhorst, Head of Group Sponsorships and Cause Marketing at Nedbank, says, ‘At Nedbank, we are cognisant of the power that lies in storytelling, not only in preserving our country’s rich heritage, but also in translating everyday experiences through performance. It is for this reason that we continue to support initiatives such as the ACT Development Grant in Theatre through the Nedbank Arts Affinity.’
Notes to editors
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. Through structured funding programmes, ACT provides support for all expressions of arts and culture, including literature, music, visual art, theatre and dance, and the support extends to festivals, community arts initiatives, arts management, arts education and arts administration. Follow ACT on Twitter (https://twitter.com/actorgza) or like the trust’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheArtsandCultureTrust).
About Nedbank
In partnership with the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) the Nedbank Arts Affinity has donated more than R22 million to support over 800 arts, culture and heritage development projects countrywide. If you would like to make a difference to the lives of talented young artists in South Africa, simply link your Nedbank Greenbacks to the Nedbank Arts Affinity and Nedbank will donate funds to ACT, at no cost to you.
For more information download the Greenbacks app visit any Nedbank branch, call us on 0860 555 111 or visit www.nedbankarts.co.za.