BASA crosses borders into Zimbabwe

Held at the Oliver Mtukudzi-created Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, the focus of the seminar was trends around sponsorship in arts and culture.

The seminar saw BASA CEO, Michelle Constant, giving a presentation on Business and Arts South Africa's biannual Artstrack Research into the state of arts sponsorship in South Africa. The BASA Artstrack Research, conducted by BMI, tracks consumer engagement in the arts as well as perceptions of the arts and its sponsors, and its findings (revealed locally in March 2012) provided key information for those attending the NACZ seminar.

In addition, Constant gave insight into the BASA Arts Sponsorship Management Toolkit, which emerged out of the BASA Artstrack Research. Launched earlier in 2012, the BASA Arts Sponsorship Management Toolkit guides the sponsorship process from formation of objectives, measuring impact, selecting sponsorship properties, leveraging and managing sponsorship properties and much more.

"It is important for us to share our findings and tools with a broader community," says Constant. "Sustainability of the arts in the region is something we should all be striving for."

For its part, NACZ convened the seminar out of the realisation that one of the reasons creative industries in Zimbabwe maybe lagging behind in growth and development is lack of adequate funding.

The seminar brought in together members of the corporate sector, arts organisations, artists, government and other stakeholders to explore and discuss various strategies of funding the arts and culture sector.

In his welcoming remarks to the participants, NACZ executive director, Elvas Mari said the seminar created a tripartite forum for artists, business and government to debate on challenges with regards to funding the arts sector.

"The seminar created an important platform for the generation and sharing of ideas between artists and business executives with the view of helping creative industries grow in the country," he said.

Business and Arts South Africa's work with the NACZ adds to its 2011 foray into Botswana where Constant delivered the deliver the keynote address at the Botswana Society for the Arts (BSA)'s Business and Arts Project Forum.

About Business and Arts South Africa NPC:

Business and Arts South Africa NPC is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates' commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa NPC encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa NPC was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Non Profit Company, Business and Arts South Africa NPC is accountable to both government and its business members.