Basa Awards 2021 entries open

"This year’s awards once again aims to spotlight the imaginative ways in which the business and creative sectors have partnered for mutual benefit," comments Basa CEO Ashraf Johaardien. "All too often, changing economic conditions increase the pressure on businesses to justify the value and benefit of partnering with the arts. Our role at Basa is to do and share the necessary research and to instil a sense of confidence and courage amongst our stakeholders, by disseminating the relevant data via platforms, such as the Awards," Johaardien adds.

Basa Awards 2020 Q&A

Business and Arts South Africa  13 Nov 2020

Says Heidi Brauer, Hollard’s chief marketing officer: “Art brings us together in the most human way. At a time when we’ve been forced apart, it’s more important than ever for us to celebrate the power of art to bridge gaps and bring us together. The Basa Awards are a lovely opportunity for us to celebrate this power.”

All creative mediums are eligible for entry, including music, visual arts, dance, theatre, physical performance, architecture, fashion and design, as well as any other form of arts, culture and creativity. Where sponsorship of a project, event or organisation has been shared, each of the sponsoring companies may enter.

Basa’s digital platform offers a streamlined application entry process on awards.basa.co.za. Applicants will need to register to enter, and then follow the steps outlined online. Registration and entry is free. The submission deadline is 5pm on Friday, 4 June 2021. The awards will recognise work done in 2020 and reward partnerships in the following seven categories:

Community Development: Recognising support for arts and culture projects enhancing their communities, whether through education, skills development, contributing to livelihoods or employment, tourism or other growth opportunities in the community.

SMME: Awarded for vital support given to the arts by a micro, small or medium enterprise with up to 200 full-time employees and an annual turnover of no more than R10m.

Sponsorship-In-Kind: Acknowledging a sponsor giving quantifiable and impactful non-monetary support to the arts. This may be through in-kind provision of equipment, materials, media or PR support, space, transportation or travel, or any other products or services, as opposed to monetary sponsorship.

Innovation: Celebrating the most innovative, cutting-edge and progressive partnership that served all partners’ purposes effectively. These breakthrough projects and partnerships should demonstrate great creativity, originality, reinvention, new methodologies or technological/digital innovation.

First-Time Sponsor: Awarded to a sponsor supporting the arts for the first time, regardless of size, budget, whether it is CSI, marketing, HR, B-BBEE or other.

Beyond Borders Partnership: Awarded to a partnership that builds brand reputation and audience for both the business and arts partners across borders, through a project showcasing South Africa to the rest of the continent and/or overseas or bringing international or intercontinental arts projects to South Africa.

Long-Term Partnership: Recognising outstanding initiative and commitment to the arts over a longer period (at least one to three years) as an integral part of the business’s strategy. The value to the arts project, the broader community and the business, must be apparent.

In addition, a Special Awards will be made at the discretion of the Basa board of directors, to celebrate remarkable contributions by an individual, business or organisation to the sustainability of South Africa’s arts.

For further information about categories, eligibility and judging criteria and entry guidelines, visit Basa’s website. Interested applicants can also contact the awards’ support team at az.oc.asab@sdrawa or call 063 669 6281 during business hours.