FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 APRIL 2022
TAKE THE ROAD TO SUN CITY TO WIN A FULLY PAID ARTS SCHOLARSHIP WITH THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Calling all matriculants, young performers and visual artists aged 17–25 years with a university exemption wishing to study towards an arts degree at a tertiary institution in South Africa.
Embark on the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Nyoloha Scholarship Programme’s Road to Sun City, which is supported by the Nedbank Arts Affinity, Sun City and Sun International, and you could win the opportunity of a lifetime: a fully paid scholarship to study at one of over 20 arts institutions across South Africa.
The journey starts with the open call on the ACT website on 26 April 2022, running for four weeks until 22 May 2022. Full details of the application process, a R100 registration fee, requirements and consent forms are available on the ACT website: www.act.org.za/nyoloha and on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. Terms and conditions apply.
The next stop is auditions (singing, acting, dancing) and interviews with portfolio presentations by visual arts candidates taking place in June 2022 via Zoom on selected dates scheduled by the trust.
Thereafter, all qualifying candidates who are successful in the audition process will continue the journey by participating in mentorship activities every two weeks from 25 June to 10 September 2022. The mentors will engage regularly with mentees and provide support. In the final week of each month the work undertaken by the scholarship hopefuls will be rated as part of the short-listing exercise to determined the 12 qualifying finalists.
The journey the takes a U-turn for students who don’t make the cut. They will continue with the programme, with their performance, commitment and body of work evaluated over the training and mentorship period, and the top three students will be selected to join the 12 finalists at Sun City as ‘wild cards’.
The last stop of the Road to Sun City is finals week, hosted at this internationally acclaimed resort from 3 to 8 October 2022. This week comprises masterclasses facilitated by industry leaders and will be attended by the 12 finalists and the three wild-card students. The event will culminate in a visual arts exhibition and showcase that will take place on 8 October 2022, when the winner of the main prize – a fully paid scholarship to study at an arts institution of their choice in South Africa – will be announced at a spectacular gala showcase event.
‘We are delighted to be associated with the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme as our brand has always been aligned to the arts – especially the performing arts,’ says Heidi Edson, Head of Socioeconomic Development at Sun International Group. ‘For the past 40 years, our iconic Sun City resort has proudly launched the career of many local performers, and through the programme we will continue to do so for many more years to come.’
Tobie Badenhorst, Head of Group Sponsorships and Cause Marketing at Nedbank, adds: ‘The goal of the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme is to graduate global citizens in the arts who not only excel in their art form but also are well prepared for the world of work, including in self-development, people management, entrepreneurship, marketing and communication skills, to ensure they enjoy a successful and sustainable career.’
Travel, meals and accommodation costs will be covered by the trust.
The name of the programme, Nyoloha, is taken from the Sesotho word meaning to rise. The programme is part of the new ACT strategy to educate, uplift and empower those wishing to make a career in the arts and culture sector. It rewards commitment, excellence and growth potential.
Don’t delay – apply today at www.act.org.za/nyoloha. The ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme is waiting for your application so you can begin shaping your journey to a brighter future. #ACTnyoloha #actstrat #ACTSAtalent #NedbankArtsAffinity #SunCity #SunInternational
ENDS
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Over 28 years of arts support
The ACT is South Africa’s premier independent development and arts investment organisation. The primary aim of ACT is to increase the capacity for arts and culture initiatives to create sustainable futures, through development and investment in innovative, sustainable projects that make a meaningful contribution to society. Through structured development programmes ACT provides support to 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. For more information, please visit the ACT website, follow them on Twitter or like their Facebook page.
ABOUT NEDBANK
In partnership with the ACT, the Nedbank Arts Affinity has donated more than R26 million to support over 830 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 Arts Affinity and Nedbank will donate money to ACT, at no cost to you. The Arts Affinity currently supports the ACT Thuthukisani Programme and the ACT Tlholo Project. For more information, download the Greenbacks app, visit any Nedbank branch, call us on 0860 555 111 or visit nedbankarts.co.za.
ABOUT SUN CITY
The Sun City resort in North West Province is world-famous for its hotels, golf courses, casino and wide choice of leisure and entertainment facilities. The resort is as popular today as it was when it first opened in December 1979, and it remains the flagship for the premium Sun International hospitality group.
Accommodation includes the iconic 334-room Palace of the Lost City, the 241-room five-star Cascades Hotel, the 380-room Cabanas Hotel and the Bush Bungalows with 14 chalets. The 340-room four-star Sun City Hotel is the first choice for people who enjoy the casino and other nightlife activities, while the Sun Vacation Club is now a leading timeshare model in the country.
Leisure activities include the Lost City and the Gary Player 18-hole golf courses – home to the premier Nedbank Golf Challenge – swimming pools at every hotel, The Royal Baths, Valley of Waves, Waterworld Lake, Maze of the Lost City, a zip slide, Segway tours, the Segaetsho Cultural Village, tennis courts and the neighbouring Pilanesberg National Park.
The property also offers modern, fully equipped conferencing, banqueting and eventing facilities; an entertainment welcome centre; a multipurpose arena; and a wide and varied range of restaurants, bars and fast-food eateries.
About Sun International
The Sun International brand has a proud legacy in the gaming, hospitality, conferencing, leisure and entertainment sectors.
Sun International’s iconic properties, such as the world-famous Palace of the Lost City Hotel at Sun City and the magnificent Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town – situated on the water’s edge of the V&A Waterfront – have become synonymous with luxury, comfort and outstanding service, firmly establishing the group’s position as an internationally recognised premium brand.
Sun International’s diverse South African property portfolio includes 15 hotels, two premier resorts and 11 well-located casinos – all of which offer modern, fully equipped conferencing and banqueting facilities, while the Sun Vacation Club at Sun City is now a leading timeshare model in the country.
The group is also the local industry leader in online gaming. Thanks to the latest global technology, betting through its SunBet platform, Sun International also offers the most innovative and exciting online betting experience available.
The group has also set the standard for hosting events, and their world-class arenas remain the preferred venues for international events and shows. The three championship golf courses at the Sun City and Wild Coast Sun resorts regularly host large-scale golfing tournaments, including the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, which is now part of the European Tour.
Whatever the activity, all Sun International’s properties and facilities offer a quality experience supported by authentic personal service. Guests in the Most Valued Guest loyalty programme, designed exclusively for Sun International gaming patrons, are rewarded with exclusive offers and preferential rates.
In February 2021 Sun International joined the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands and operator of an award-winning, multi-brand loyalty programme called Discovery. Through GHA, Sun International can now participate in a network with 17 million members that operate in 85 countries.
Sustainability and community involvement form an integral part of the group’s corporate culture. Through collaborative partnerships with government and local business, Sun International’s socioeconomic development and environmental initiatives ensure scarce environmental resources are never wasted, and the group is committed to providing ongoing and meaningful support to vulnerable communities throughout South Africa.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a comprehensive Covid-19 policy and health plan was implemented across all business units to safeguard the safety of guests, staff and concessionaires. In November 2020 Sun International received an award from The Institute of Risk Management South Africa, in recognition of the extensive and world-standard Covid-19 controls introduced across all our hotel and casino properties. Sun International is also a recipient of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s global Safe Travels Stamp of approval.