Adams & Adams increases support of South African creative industry

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The award-winning law firm has supplied a general Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that artists can access for free on the BASA website www.basa.co.za. This will allow artists to protect their intellectual property when pitching ideas and concepts to potential partners.

"An NDA that fits the South African creative environment is a powerful tool that the creative community can use to safeguard their intellectual property during the exploratory and pitching phase of projects," explains Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant. "We must commend Adams & Adams for taking up the challenge to supply this free of charge to the creative community through BASA."

Adams & Adams was challenged to provide this much-needed tool by Constant during the recent 2015 ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference. The 'Learn It' cluster at the conference was powered by Business and Arts South Africa as a way of empowering business-minded and inspired creatives.

During the Creative Collaborations session, participants examined the intersections of brand, business and the arts as well as the shared value and opportunities, from both the creative and business perspectives.

During a discussion on corporate and creative partnerships by Rolex protégé Lara Foot, brand expert, Theresho Selesho and Mariëtte Du Plessis, senior partner at Adams & Adams, the need for artists to protect their Intellectual Property arose. When BASA's Michelle Constant challenged Du Plessis to give artists access to a basic NDA that they can use when pitching their ideas and concepts, the Adams & Adams senior partner took up the challenge.

"South African creatives, whether they are artists, designers, actors, writers, stage/film directors or musicians, are remarkably talented," states Du Plessis. "They should be acutely aware of the value of their intellectual property rights and ensure that they obtain advice before entering into sponsorship contracts".

The NDA is part of Adams & Adams' commitment to further build and develop relationships between the firm and the creative industry both locally and globally, by providing continual support, and protection of design, copyright, trade marks and all other intellectual property.

Adams & Adams was the winner of the Sponsorship In-Kind Category of the 17th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, which recognises and encourages excellence and innovation in the field of business support of the arts. The firm was recognised for its support of Design Indaba.

Entry is now open for the 11 public categories in the upcoming 18th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard, including the Sponsorship-In-Kind category. This category recognises a company giving a quantifiable non-monetary support to the arts. To enter the 18th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard, go to www.basa.co.za, click on the Awards drop-down menu and select categories.

About BASA (NPC):

Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is an internationally recognised South African development agency with a suite of integrated programmes implemented nationally and internationally. 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 sector 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.