Arts business owners and independent artists in the Free State are part of the group now eligible to apply for a special business development programme.
Along with candidates in Gauteng and the Western Cape, artists can apply for the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) Thuthukisani Programme cycle 3, supported by Nedbank, that opened on 3 November and will close on 17 January.
Application forms are available online at act.org.za/thuthukisani and outcomes are expected to be announced around mid-February. Training is provisionally scheduled to start at the end of February 2023.
Thuthukisani is a business development programme that was started to empower a selected group of artists to implement and execute their chosen projects in a strategic and sustainable way.
Seven applicants from each of the provinces will receive training. After training and mentorship have been completed, all participants will pitch their projects for the opportunity to receive a cash investment. Only projects with merit and viability will be eligible for potential cash investment and ongoing mentorship for the duration of the project.
The roll-out of the programme takes place in three cycles, with applicants from three pre-determined provinces per cycle invited.
Cycle 1, covering Limpopo, the North West and Mpumalanga has been completed, and cycle 2, covering the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, is in its final stages.
To be considered for selection in cycle 3, applicants must meet all the stipulated criteria. Only South African citizens with projects taking place in South Africa may apply. Arts organisations and individuals must carry on an active, registered and compliant arts business in terms of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) requirements.
An “arts business”, in this instance, refers to an entity that operates within the disciplines of visual arts, performing arts, music and literature. If applying in a music or film capacity, the content, theme or subject matter must have arts and culture at its core.
It is also important for applicants to know that project plans or ideas need to be further developed, executed and generate income within 90 days. Participants must strictly comply with and attend all training and mentorship sessions.
ACT chief executive officer, Jessica Denyschen, says: “The name of the programme, Thuthukisani, is taken from the isiZulu verb ‘thuthukisa’, meaning ‘to develop’. The Trust is proud to offer applicants from the three provinces within cycle 3 the opportunity to develop themselves as entrepreneurs and to apply their newly gained skills in the development of their business. Since the application process has stared on 3 November, we are encouraged by the number of applicants who have applied for the Thuthukisani Programme, and we urge arts entrepreneurs in the Free State, Gauteng and the Western Cape to make their application for this exciting programme before 17 January.”
