25 YEARS
OF POSITIVE ACT has created a lasting impact CHANGE: How in the South African arts sector
ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Scholarships 2017 PHOTO Suzy Bernstein.
When it comes to the arts, South Africa has a long and rich history. Over the years, there has been no shortage of talented and passionate arts practitioners, facilitators,
ACT Awards 2015 Lifetime Achievement Winners
K
nown to arts practitioners and enthusiasts alike as ‘ACT’, the Arts & Culture Trust is the oldest funding agency in democratic South Africa. Founded in 1994, ACT was born out of an invitation from Nedcor Bank
and Sun International to the Department of Arts and Culture
and supporters, but talent and passion alone
(then still operating as the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science
cannot sustain an arts economy. Through
short-term aim was to secure financial and other resources for
the support and motivation of a number of organisations and individuals, the country’s
and Technology) to set up a new body for arts and culture. The arts and culture, and to project the needs and role of the sector into the public domain. Now, nearly 25 years later, ACT has continued to foster
arts and culture landscape has continued to
a self-sustaining perpetual fund for the development of
reach new heights. Over the years, few have
arts, culture and heritage in the country, actualised through
been as influential as the Arts & Culture Trust.
74 / Creative Feel / November 2018
mutually beneficial partnerships between the corporate, public and cultural sectors.
