Winners honoured at 17th Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard

The 12 winners in the categories adjudicated by the judging panel were joined by those in the trio of categories that are selected by the Business and Arts South Africa Board. This year's Diplomacy in the Arts was awarded to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands while the Eastern Cape's Dorothea Moors was named Art Champion and the Chairman's Premier Award was awarded to Spier.

"Our annual awards are always a great opportunity to get a snapshot of how the arts and business are interfacing," comments Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant. "This year it's been gratifying to see many first-time winners, a widespread footprint across the country and also businesses of different sizes and types being nominated and honoured as winners."

Among those being recognised for the first time was Auto & General Insurance Company Limited whose support for the Auto & General Theatre on the Square earned it the First Time Sponsor Award. The company had also been a nominee in the same category for the Naledi Theatre Awards. Redefine Properties (Pty) Limited was named winner in the Development Award category for its support of the Buskaid Music Academy.

In an indication of the geographical spread of business and arts partnerships, the Arts & the Environment Award, supported by Nedbank, was awarded to Siemens (Pty) Ltd for Tree of Wisdom - a striking four-story sculpture that was erected at the Mandela School of Science & Technology (in the village of Nelson Mandela's birth, Mvezo) to commemorate the former President's commitment to education. The Media Sponsorship Award was won by The Witness Newspaper for The Witness Hilton Arts Festival - a three-day arts festival that takes place in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

This year's Small Business Award went to Buz Publicity for its work with ASSITEJ SA. Buz Publicity's pro-bono work plays an important role in supporting an association that connects a network of entities that believe in the transformative power of theatre in the lives of the youth.

Radio Sonder Grense RSG was named winner of the Innovation Award for its RSG Kunstefees 2013 - a four-day arts festival that was presented on air - while the Increasing Access to the Arts Award was awarded to Rand Merchant Bank for the National School of the Arts (NSA) Festival of Fame, a five-day celebration of all forms of the arts, taking place throughout the NSA and the Joburg Theatre complex.

Alongside the first-time winners, this year's awards also recognised businesses that have long understood the shared value of business and arts partnerships. Among these was the Long Term Partnership Award, supported by Stephan Welz & Co, which was awarded to Standard Bank of South Africa Limited for Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown.

This year's International Sponsorship Award went to Bank of America for Gerard Sekoto: Song for Sekoto Exhibition, which was held at the Wits Art Museum (WAM) in 2013 while the Strategic Project Award was awarded to KPMG Services (Pty) Ltd for the multifaceted "We are KPMG" project. Finally, Adams & Adams was named winner of the Sponsorship in Kind Award for its work with Design Indaba and the Mentor of the Year accolade went to Dale Smith for his work with the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company.

"Hollard's support of the arts ranges from the work done through the Creative Block project through Yellowwoods Arts, to support of the JPO, The Joburg Ballet and Wits Art Museum, and we do it because we know art is more than just about beautiful things for small, privileged audiences," says Heidi Brauer, Chief Marketing Officer at Hollard.

"Although our involvement started with the deep passion of our founders, it has become clear to us over time that the arts is another avenue that helps us to be catalysts for positive and enduring change in South African society."

The 17th Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard, featured a performance of William Kentridge's Tango for Page Turning, a film fragment made for the theatre piece, Refuse the Hour (2012-13). Also featured was Mohau Modisakeng's video work, Inzilo, and a performance by award-winning jazz singer and composer, Melanie Scholtz, Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2010 and Andile Yenana, Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz for 2005.

Also making its presence felt was the initial engagement with BASA's #artMOVESme's campaign - a movable graffiti hoarding, featuring the work of artist, Sindiso Nyoni aka R!OT, which invites members of the public to express how art moves them.

Judges for the 17th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard, are CEO of the Mastrantonio Group, Giovanni Marian (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man, Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic, Mary Corrigall; independent arts consultant, Nicky du Plessis; television host, arts advocate and CEO of the National Heritage Project Company, Dali Tambo; 5fm DJ, Fikile Moeti; Experiential Marketing Director at Ogilvy and Mather, Thresho Selesho and Roelof Petrus van Wyk.

The independent panel of judges evaluated the success of each partnership in achieving its objectives and in bringing genuine value and benefit to both partners. The Awards are audited by Grant Thornton.

Innovation Award
Radio Sonder Grense RSG - RSG Kunstefees 2013

First Time Sponsor Award
Auto & General Insurance Company Limited - Auto & General Theatre on the Square

Increasing Access to the Arts Award
Rand Merchant Bank - National School of the Arts Festival of Fame

International Sponsorship Award
Bank of America - Gerard Sekoto : Song for Sekoto Exhibition

Long-Term Partnership Award, supported by Stephan Welz & Co.
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited - Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown

Media Sponsorship Award
The Witness Newspaper - The Witness Hilton Arts Festival

Small Business Award
Buz Publicity - ASSITEJ SA

Strategic Project Award
KPMG Services (Pty) Ltd - "We are KPMG"

Sponsorship in Kind Award
Adams & Adams - Design Indaba

Development Award
Redefine Properties (Pty) Limited - Buskaid Music Academy

Arts & the Environment Award, supported by Nedbank
Siemens (Pty) Ltd - Tree of Wisdom

Mentor of the Year
Dale Smith - Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company

Diplomacy in the Arts
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Art Champion Award
Dorothea Moors

Chairman's Premier Award
Spier

About BASA (NPC):

Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is an internationally recognised South African development agency. With a suite of integrated programmes. Business and Arts South Africa(NPC) encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts, contributing to corporate success and securing the future development of the arts industry in South Africa. Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of the Department of Arts and Culture and the business sector as a public/private partnership. Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is proud to be celebrating 20 years of freedom.