Basa Assembly partnered by British Council

“British Council Southern Africa Arts is thrilled to be partnering with Basa again in this platform of inquiry and curiosity,” remarks Levinia Jones, head of Arts Southern Africa. “We are changed, and the creative sector globally is responding in ways that have inspired and challenged the future of making, connecting and surviving. There is still much to learn from each other, to share the process and successes of this change,” she adds.

“Basa Assembly is not a conference, an un-conference, an indaba, a colloquium or a symposium,” explains Basa CEO Ashraf Johaardien. "It is intended as a vehicle for showcasing Basa's latest research into the creative sector; as well as work being done by our partners and stakeholders. Participants can look forward to a two-day programme featuring insights from leading arts practitioners and business thought leaders. But don't expect the usual suspects," Johaardien says.

In 2013, the inaugural Basa Symposium focused on how arts-based initiatives can drive and develop innovation, create sustainable value and increase profitability in business. This was followed up in 2014, by a second symposium, focused on exploring how the arts can innovate business. In 2016, Basa Hatchery Breakaways at the ACT UJ Conference matched specialists from a range of industries to creative groups conceptualising projects (including IT engineers, scientists, legal, business and finance experts, as well as architects and researchers).

In 2014 and 2015, Basa and British Council Connect ZA partnered on an exciting project aimed at significantly cultivating creative market growth and skills within South Africa’s creative and cultural industries. This resulted in an online e-learning platform that provides findings from the fellowship research on defining your creative markets, working with data and data capture analysis, and using the marketing strategies and tools available to effectively build and retain audiences for art organisations and individuals in the creative and cultural sectors.

Rounding off Basa’s 20th anniversary celebration in early 2018, Basa’s Research Colloquium presented two decades of learnings, research and best practice in arts and business partnerships, with a strong focus on shared value and opportunities that the arts can offer the business space as a progressive enabler.

Says Basa head of research Madeleine Lambert: “All aspects of Basa's operations are underpinned by research. We are committed to leveraging this data to benefit the creative sector and its partners, and to advocate for the value of arts-business relationships." Basa Assembly is being co-curated by Lambert, along with Boitumelo ‘Tumy’ Motsoatsoe (Basa head of programmes) and Savannah Feeke-Fortune (Basa head of marketing). The full programme will be announced early in March.

For more information visit https://basa.co.za/, and for regular updates follow @BusinessArtsSA on Facebook, @basa_news on Twitter and @bizart_za on Instagram.

About Basa 

Constituted in terms of the new Companies Act, Basa is registered as a public benefit organisation. It champions business investment in the creative sector by leading research that enhances commercial confidence. Basa builds capacity through its programmes and is shifting the paradigm for the future of partnerships between diverse stakeholders. The board of directors comprises Charmaine Soobramoney (chairperson) Mandie van der Spuy (deputy chair), Ashraf Johaardien (CEO), Kojo Baffoe (Basa Awards chairperson), Kathy Berman, Devi Sankaree Govender, Hilton Lawler, Khanyi Mamba, Unathi Malunga, Makgati Molebatsi, Zingisa Motloba, Dr Yacoob Omar and Mirna Wessels.

For more information or to become a Basa member please visit www.basa.co.za.