FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19 MAY 2022
ARTS & CULTURE TRUST EXTENDS CLOSING DATE OF THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME OPEN CALL
Due to public demand, the closing date for The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Nyoloha ‘Road to Sun City’ Scholarship Programme has been extended to Wednesday, 1 June 2022.
The ACT’s interim CEO, Jessica Denyschen, says that since the programme open call started on 26 April 2022, the responses have exceeded expectations
‘As word spreads among matriculants, school leavers, educators and parents, the volume of applicants and enquiries continues to grow. We are pleased to extend the closing date to the end of May, thereby offering more students the opportunity to take the “Road to Sun City” and possibly win a fully paid scholarship to study at any one arts institutions of their choice, across South Africa,’ says Denyschen.
The ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme, supported by the Nedbank Arts Affinity, Sun City and Sun International, is open to matriculants, young performers and visual artists from 17 to 25 years old with a university exemption and who wish to study towards an arts degree at a tertiary institution in South Africa. Singing, acting and dancing auditions and interviews, with portfolio presentations by visual arts candidates, will take place in June 2022 via Zoom on dates scheduled by the ACT.
Thereafter, successful audition candidates will participate in mentorship activities every two weeks from 25 June to 10 September 2022. The mentors will engage regularly with their mentees and provide support. In the final week of each month, the participants’ work will be rated as part of the short-listing exercise to determine the 12 qualifying finalists.
Participants who do not make the shortlist will continue with the programme. Their performance, commitment and body of work will be 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’. However, in the run-up to the closing night, the 12 finalists and the three wild-card students will first have to attend a week of masterclasses facilitated by industry leaders.
On 8 October 2022 the winner will be announced at a spectacular gala event, hosted at Sun City. The ACT will cover meals and accommodation costs. This gala event will culminate in a visual arts exhibition and showcase.
The Nyoloha 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. ‘When I heard about the call, it popped into my mind that this is exactly what I want,’ says Rick Baloyi, the Visual Arts Scholarship Winner for 2019. ‘These people are willing to help young artists like us and take us into higher education and I said, “I want this one”’.
‘You won’t believe how I’ve grown,’ says Chantal de Haan, the Dance Scholarship Award Winner for 2019.
‘I think the biggest lesson of this week is to realise that dance is not just dance. I’ve learned that you can have choreography, you can do a move, but if there is no emotion invested in it then it’s pointless really and I’ve learned that focus is the most important thing. Hard work and focus. All I can say is come with an open mind. Come wanting to work hard, wanting to push yourself. You need to come prepared for your life to be changed.’
Full details of the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme application process, requirements and consent forms are available on the ACT website at www.act.org.za/nyoloha and on the ACT Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. The registration fee is R100 and terms and conditions apply.
Hurry, take advantage of the extended ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme closing date of 1 June 2022. Apply today at www.act.org.za/nyoloha. #ACTnyoloha #actstrat #ACTSAtalent #NedbankArtsAffinity #SunCity #SunInternational ENDS
#actnyoloha #theroadtosuncity #actsatalent
Press kit:
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Over 28 years of arts support. Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)
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.