The 15th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, 2012 winners announced

Chosen by an independent panel of judges, the winners were announced at a ceremony held at Wits Arts Museum (WAM) In Braamfontein. Each winner received a beautifully beaded Ndebele Itelefoni dancing staff, sculpted by Petrus Mahlangu and beaded by Sophy Mahlangu and her arts group Nomhlekhabo Craft Africa,

The naming of Slack as Art Champion proved to be an especially significant moment for the the 15th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American.

It was through Slack's efforts that Business and Arts South Africa was originally founded 15 years ago. In 1997 she became the Chairperson of BASA, inviting Christopher Seabrooke and Wendy Appelbaum to sit on the Board, while getting 50 companies to join. Through the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, and the Foundation she has created with her daughters, Slack (nee Oppenheimer), has an extensive and diverse involvement in funding the arts including holding positions in a number of arts and culture organisations like FUBA, Dorkay House and the Market Theatre Board. Slack is also chairperson of the Brenthurst Library and the Brenthurst Press, council member of the Caine Prize for African Writing and the Mali Manuscripts Trust.

The Chairman's Premier Award this year went to Artist Proof Studio (APS). which celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2012. APS's history dates back to 1983 when artist Kim Berman established APS in Johannesburg with fellow artist Nhlanhla Xaba. The intention of the studio was to train potentially talented artists, from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to become professionals. The studio now trains between 80 and 100 students each year. The Award celebrates a diverse and extensive list of sponsors and funders who have supported the APS over 21 years, including Bell Dewar, Delloitte, Tracker, Pinpoint One and many more.

The list of winners at this year's awards showcase the diverse ways that business can support the arts. Winner ranged from large corporates like Sasol which has been sponsoring the Sasol New Signature Art Competition since 1990 and Nando's, which now has one of the largest collection of South African art outside Africa, to a smaller enterprise such as Pinpoint One Human Resources which has given support to the Artist Proof Studio.

Winning in the Arts and Environment category - supported by Nedbank - was the Beacon Island Resort sponsored project Site_Specific International Land Art Event. It comprised 16 artist-teams of international and national standing who were were joined by members of the Boitumelo project, a crafters workshop, and 18 local artists who created work in and around the town centre and the Kwanokuthula and New Horizon townships.

Mentor of the Year - supported by Etana - was named as Alecia Nkadimeng who has structured HR policies for The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative. Winner in the First Time Sponsor category was Hyundai which showed its support for South African music through its sponsorship of the South African MK Awards.

Izwi Lomzansi 98.0 FM won two awards for its support of the radio show Love in the Air where written creative art is showcased in a form of poems and literature and which has helped to increase access to the arts in communities that may not otherwise have had contact with them.

"We were delighted at the quality of entries this year . The winners and finalists really demonstrated that even in the current economic downswing businesses and arts organisations are engaging in innovative and important partnerships," said Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant.

The judges for the 2012 BASA Awards were CEO of The Loerie Awards Dr Andrew Human (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic Mary Corrigall; independent arts consultant Nicky du Plessis; CEO of the Mastrantonio Group Giovanni Mariano; co-founder and co-owner of multi-disciplinary design firm INK Lisebo Mokhesi and Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and Artistic Director of Siwela Sonke Jay Pather.

For more information call the BASA offices on 011 4472295 or email info@basa.co.za or go to www.basa.co.za.

The Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, list of winners for 2012 are:

Arts and Environment - supported by Nedbank

• Beacon Island Resort (Site_Specific)
  The aim of Site_Specific is to promote site specific art in southern Africa, to facilitate communities in the care of and appreciation for their environment and to support and co-ordinate art and environmental creators and patrons. In May 2011 the first Site_Specific International Land Art Event took place in Plettenberg Bay and comprised 16 artist-teams of international and national standing. They were joined by members of the Boitumelo project, a crafters workshop, and 18 local artists who created work in and around the town centre and the Kwanokuthula and New Horizon townships.

First Time Sponsor

• Hyundai Automotive South Africa (MK Awards)
  Hyundai chose to support local music talent through its sponsorship of the South African MK Awards. Hyundai's philosophy is to challenge conventions and push boundaries and they saw a strong alignment with the local music scene. Hyundai also provided vehicles for the winning band as well as for a lucky audience member.

Innovation

• AngloGold Ashanti Limited (Streets of Gold - The Musical)
  AngloGold Ashanti collaborated with the creative industries to create and produce an original South African musical theatre experience, Streets of Gold, for its latest gold collection. Jewellery designers were also approached to design jewellery and accessories for eight urban characters.

International Sponsorship

• Nando's Chickenland Ltd (Nando's Art Collection)
  Since its inception in 2002, Nando's Art Collection has built a proud legacy of collecting art from around South Africa and today the artworks displayed on the walls of the 300 UK restaurants form the largest collection of South African art outside Africa. Nando's commissioned Spier Architectural Arts to create a mosaic for their King's Cross restaurant. Based on a concept by South African artist Clive van den Berg, the piece titled Coming to the City was made in Spier Architectural Arts' studio in Cape Town.

Sponsorship in Kind

• Magnetic Storm (Showtime Theatre Awards and Musical)
  When this production moved to the PE Opera House, Magnetic Storm sent sound and lighting designers and operators to work on the show and also began to train backstage workers in all technical areas. Twelve youngsters are trained in various areas of stage craft each year and then work on the shows during its season.

Media Sponsorship Award

• Izwi Lomzansi 98.0 FM (Love in the Air)
  Love in the Air is a youth feature, broadcast on the radio station, featuring poems and literature and focusing on emerging writers in all genres. The programme has increased access to the arts and aided in preserving indigenous languages.

Mentor of the Year - supported by Etana

• Alecia Nkadimeng (The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative)
  Alecia Nkadimeng has structured HR policies for FATC. Since joining as a mentor at the beginning of 2011, FATC has also asked Nkadimeng to join the Board and continue in her strategic role to guide the company.

Single Strategic Project

• Interactive Africa (Acre Road - Your Street)
  Design Indaba's Your Street project called for creative proposals on how to enhance Cape Town's street life through the power of design. The first prize of R100 000 was awarded to the Acre Road, Kensington project, which took a desolate dumping ground and turned it into a soccer field and performance area with seating.

Small Business

• Pinpoint one (Artist Proof studio)
  The partnership between Pinpoint one and Artist Proof Studio aims to create sustainable economic opportunities for artists by sponsoring the education of and transferring business skills to artists. Sponsored artists meet with Pinpoint one staff to explain their art work and they attend operational meetings, learning about the challenges of managing a small business. Pinpoint one supports the artists once they have graduated from APS, providing career advice and hosting exhibitions for past graduates.

Youth Development

• Santam Limited (Santam's Child Art Programme)
  This multi-faceted project includes teacher training where up to 90 percent of educators reached have no formal arts training. The workshop content is aligned to the new curriculum (CAPS). The workshops are hands on and educators are shown how to do projects covered in the curriculum using mostly recycled material.

Increasing Access to the Arts

• Izwi Lomzansi 98.0 FM (Love in the Air)
  This youth feature, where written creative art is showcased in a form of poems and literature, has reached thousands of listeners and helped to increase access to the arts in communities that may not otherwise have had contact with them.

Sustainable Partnership

• Sasol (Sasol New Signature Art Competition)
  The Sasol New Signatures art competition is the country's longest running national art competition, which was started in the 1960s. Sasol came on board in 1990. The competition is unique in that the winner of the competition not only wins a cash prize of R60 000 but also the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum the following year. It is also the only art competition in South Africa that does not have a cut-off age for entrants.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About BASA:
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) 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 encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa 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 Section 21 company, Business and Arts South Africa is accountable to both government and its business members.