Businesses urged to enter Business Day-BASA Awards

The Business Day-BASA Awards are once again presented in partnership with Anglo American and Business Day, signifying the seriousness with which the nexus between arts and business is viewed by two major players in South Africa.

For Anglo American, involvement awards is part of a vision that sees arts as “an indispensable part of South Africa's progress towards being a nation which embraces diversity across all platforms, as we believe that there is immense value in celebrating partnerships between business and the arts,” says Kuseni Dlamini, head of Anglo American South Africa.

Business Day editor Peter Bruce states: “The BASA awards are important to us because they involve our core constituency - companies - in an unusual and exciting activity outside of their normal daily life.”

This year there are 12 categories, reflecting an impressive diversity of ways business can work with creative communities as part of their CSI vision as well as a marketing tool that can significantly help build brands.

Entries are open in the following categories:

• Best Use of a Commission of New Art - for supporting the creation of new, original work in any arts medium and used the commission effectively.
  
• First-time Sponsor.
  
• Increasing Access to the Arts - for bringing arts into communities where access is limited.
  
• International Sponsorship - for South African arts abroad, or bringing an international arts project into South Africa, giving the public access to work it would not normally see.
  
• Long-term Development - for sponsorship of an arts organisation or project over three or more years.
  
• Media Sponsorship - for consistent support given by electronic or print media to the arts.
  
• Single Project - for outstanding sponsorship or a series of projects with one organisation.
  
• Sponsorship by a Small Business - for a company with less than 1200 full-time employees and an annual turnover of no more than R10 million, which gives vital support to arts projects.
  
• Sponsorship in Kind - for non-financial, but essential, support to the arts.
  
• Strategic Sponsorship - for best use of a sponsorship programme as an integral part of the sponsor's overall marketing strategy.
  
• Youth Sponsorship.
  
• The Barloworld ARTWORKS Mentor of the Year Award - launched in 2005 with support of Barloworld, the award is for business volunteers working directly with arts organisations, sharing skills and expertise to address challenges specific to that arts organisation.

The Chairman's Premier Award is made at the discretion of the Chairman of BASA, and recognises sustained and extraordinary commitment to the arts in South Africa.

Winners are rewarded with a specially commissioned original artwork. This year the awards will be held on 31 August to be placed alongside Heritage month as well as the fourth World Summit on Arts and Culture, which takes place from 22 September, in Johannesburg.

Entry forms can be downloaded on http://www.basa.co.za or call the BASA offices on 011 832 3042/3039 or info@basa.co.za

The closing date for entries is 30 April 2009.