Exciting year ahead for South Africa's leading business-arts agency

The year starts with a significant confirmation of the contribution of BASA CEO, Michelle Constant, and long-standing BASA Board member, Mandie van der Spuy, to the arts. At a ceremony taking place at the French Embassy in Pretoria on 28 January, Constant will be awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres while Van der Spuy will be honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres.

"We congratulate Michelle and Mandie for this outstanding achievement, the arts world is grateful for their excellent work. At BASA we are even more delighted that our two outstanding members continue to distinguish themselves passionately through our organisation in serving the Arts & Business communities." says BASA Chairman Kwanele Gumbi.

February gets underway with the first-ever BASA Conduct an Orchestra. Taking place on 4 February, as part of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, this stimulating event will see senior managers at several Business and Arts South Africa's member businesses join renowned conductor Richard Cock for a unique, interactive conducting experience featuring the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra. Cock, who is also a long-serving BASA Board Member, will bring his insights into the similarities between conducting an orchestra and running a business at senior level to this BASA event.

May sees the release of BASA's biannual Artstrack Research, which tracks consumer engagement in the arts as well as perceptions of the arts and its sponsors. This important research will be launched at the third Arts in Business Symposium. Details of this must-attend symposium will be confirmed closer to the time. Both the Artstrack Research and the Arts in Business Symposium will highlight BASA's growing knowledge hub and the agency's role in this vital area of the arts-business intersection.

In a continuation of work that was done in 2014 and 2015, 2016 will see BASA expand its area of reach and increase its knowledge through increased activities across Africa. BASA's mandate is premised on our country's national interest: a unified South Africa where civil society, business and government work together to contribute to the global competitiveness of South Africa. These partnerships are in alignment with the Department of Arts and Culture's mandate to highlight the importance of cultural diplomacy in international relations and the expansion of South African networks with the world, through strategic relations.

"We are intently focused on creating further opportunities for collaboration and co-creation between South Africa creative industries and the rest of the continent," explains Lonwabo Mavuso, Head of Programmes and Development.

"We have several programmes and events planned that will foster our relationship with a number of African countries, and are looking at ways to support our members in their engagement in the continent by using culture as a tool to enter those markets."

BASA's Supporting Grant Programme is designed for arts organisations and businesses to assist in activating sponsorship for a cross-section of arts projects in different regions of the country and it will continue in 2016. Supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, and designed to provide financial support to a project that is in an already existing relationship between a business and arts organisation, there will once again be four BASA Supporting Grant cycles during the year. Details of these cycles can be found on the BASA website.

Now in its second year, the expanded BASA Education Programme continues to provide business skills to artists around the country, with the support of partners National Arts Council as well as Rand Merchant Bank. Details of upcoming workshops and presentations for 2016 can be found on the BASA website as they become available.

Finally, BASA will be involved with several high-profile events during 2016 including the ACT/UJ conference, Design Indaba and The National Arts Festival while a definite highlight of the year is the 19th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard. This BASA flagship event recognises the support of the arts by a broad scope of businesses and has become one of the most important awards events in South Africa.

For more information on any of these BASA initiatives contact az.oc.asab@ofni

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. BASA encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts, securing the future development of the arts sector in South Africa and contributing to corporate success through Shared Value. 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.