Business, arts partnerships honoured

The 2009 winners included several of South Africa's biggest corporates, among them MTN, which was named winner in the Single Project category for the South African Music Awards and Rainbow Chicken Ltd, for its support of the Catelina Theatre in the category of First Time Sponsor.

SA's financial institutions were also recognised for their commitment in supporting arts projects: Standard Bank was the International Sponsorship winner for the Marlene Dumas' Intimate Relations exhibition, while First National Bank's sponsorship of the Joburg Art Fair saw it a co-winner in the Increasing Access to the Arts category, sharing the award with Exclusive Book's Ndodeni Library project.

Triumphed

Absa triumphed in the key Youth Sponsorship category for its support of the Addicted to Life project. The latter is a drug awareness community project designed to reach 30 000 high school children and educators in the Cape Flats through a school tour and a run at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.

The Baxter Theatre Centre itself featured in the win by HCI Foundation for Sponsorship in Kind. Since 2002, the centre has received support in the form of a bus from Golden Arrow Bus Services as part of the HCI Foundation's CSI programme, allowing the Western Cape schools to take learners to see set works or reduced price theatre shows at the Baxter Theatre, among other initiatives.

Another long-running project, The Little Artists School, earned the Deutsche Bank the award for Long Term Sponsorship. Now 10 years old, the Little Artists School is attended by children from two Hillbrow orphanages and the Deutsche Bank support has ensured permanent class room facilities where structured programmes can be implemented.

Established in 1940, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) took home the award for Best Use of a Commission of New Art for the Mobile Exhibition, an innovative approach to highlighting the work of IDC-funded entrepreneurial projects. Symfony Digital Solutions was named the winner in the Sponsorship by a Small Business category.

Fiercely contested

In the final three categories voted for by the judging panel, Strategic Sponsorship was won by the Sandton Business Improvement District and The Times earned the fiercely contested Media Sponsorship award for its Art Page. Barloworld Artworks Mentor of the Year, meanwhile, recognised the work of Gary Ninow for Umcebo Trust in Kwa-Zulu Nataland Yvette Nowell of Rand Merchant Bank for the Valued Citizen's Initiative in the transference of vital business skills to these arts projects.

All the winners were given artwork from the Keiskamma Art Project, an Eastern Cape-based project that is sponsored by Murray & Roberts and was a nominee in both the First Time Sponsor and Single Project categories.

The Premier Award winner is chosen by the judging panel, and according to judging convener Gordon Cooke, the Field Band Foundation was “deserving of the award because it highlights the collaboration of sponsors, which is a model we can all learn from. It's also a wonderful example of contributing to society bottom up - a vital model for developing societies as we go forward.”

The Field Band Foundation is supported by many business partners including De Beers, PG Group, PG Bison, Anglo American, Remgro/Venfin, Stefanutti Stocks, Investec, KPMG and Ogilvy in Durban. This business-arts partnership has seen it grow from a fledgling organisation to a strong imaginative and exciting initiative with a track record for youth development through music and dance, outside of the formal education sector.

Panel of judges

The panel of judges consisted of CEO of the Constitution Hill Trust Dr Ivan May; Loerie Awards MD Andrew Human; playwright and director Welcome Msomi; co-founder and head of Vega School of Advertising, Gordon Cook; theatre and dance writer/journalist Adrienne Sichel; business entrepreneur, South Africa's former High Commissioner to London and currently executive chairperson of Peotona Holdings, Cheryl Carolus; and Mastrantonio Holdings CEO Giovanni Mariano. The results were audited by Grant Thornton, Johannesburg.

All the winners

Best Use of a commission of New Art
Industrial Development Corporation for ‘Mobile Exhibition'

First Time Sponsor
Rainbow Chicken Ltd for the ‘Catelina Theatre'

Increasing Access to the Arts
First National Bank for the ‘Joburg Art Fair'
Exclusive Books for ‘Ndodeni Library'

International Sponsorship
Standard Bank for Marlene Dumas' ‘Intimate Relations'

Long Term Development
Deutsche Bank Africa Foundation for ‘Little Artists'

Media Sponsorship
The Times for its ‘Art Page'

Single Project
MTN for the ‘South African Music Awards'

Sponsorship by a Small Business
Symfony Digital Solutions for Chew magazine

Sponsorship in Kind
HCI Foundation for its support of the ‘Baxter Theatre Centre'

Strategic Sponsorship
Sandton Business Improvement District for ‘Sandton Central Arts Programme'

Youth Sponsorship
Absa for ‘Addicted to Life'

Barloworld Artworks Mentor of the Year
Gary Ninow for Umcebo Trust
Yvette Nowell for Valued Citizen's Initiative

Chairman's Premier Award
Field Band Foundation

The event was held at the forum | turbine hall in Newtown, hosted by performer Nkoto Malebye. Speakers on the night were celebrated poet, performer, writer and speaker Gcina Mhlope and the minister of arts and culture Lulu Xingwana. Also in attendance was the deputy minister of arts and culture Paul Mashatile, who represented the Department of Arts and Culture, a key partner of Business and Arts South Africa.

“Our core business at Business and Arts South Africa is connecting diverse business and arts projects and highlighting the value for all,” said Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant. “And the list of winners - encompassing a diverse and broad arts and business terrain - more than substantiates this.”

Commented Business Day editor Peter Bruce, “Arts projects are so often overlooked in the fight for funding on the part of South African businesses, so what is so striking about the winners [last night] is just how varied the funding relationship can be. Whether it's just giving of time as a mentor or using the arts as a brand flagship, there are so many different and exciting ways for business and arts to work together, and the awards really underscore that.”

For more, go to www.basa.co.za.