Cultural Producers called to become the creative leaders of tomorrow

A call for entry https://basa.co.za/research/cultural-producers-programme/ has been announced for the programme which will have an intake of twelve 18-35 year old creatives who are already actively working as cultural producers. The deadline for creatives to apply to be part of the Cultural Producers Programme is 31 January 2024.

The four month programme is a hybrid, part-time engagement, with online sessions and networking as well as an active immersion period which sees the cohort gather in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein.

The cohort will attend the British Council’s SoCreative Summit from 8-10 May 2024. The summit is a purpose-driven programme of talks, workshops, immersions and experiences set to super-charge creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the creative and cultural industries. They will also attend and participate in PACE’s Career Development Lab in conjunction with the Vrystaat Arts Festival in Bloemfontein at the end of June 2024.

The programme includes a work placement stint and access to the SoCreative eLearning Platform. The selected cohort on the Cultural Producers Programme will join an extensive sub-Saharan Africa and UK network shared by the delivery partners and will become part of an active alumni of cultural producers who formed the cohort of the previous iteration.

Says British Council’s Head of Arts South Africa, Grace Meadows, “There is a pervasive lack of mobility, sustainability, and opportunity across the sub-Saharan creative sector that was further exacerbated by Covid and the sequential economic squeeze. This programme aims to ignite the next generation of cultural leaders; young innovators who will navigate these challenges and carve a way forward for the sector. One of the most important elements of any entrepreneurial success is network, and this programme truly expands access both locally and globally. We are looking forward to meeting the leaders of tomorrow!”

For more information and to apply online, visit https://basa.co.za/research/cultural-producers-programme/ before the deadline for entry on 31 January 2024.

About the programme partners:

Commissioning Partner:

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the United Kingdom (UK) and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise.

We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other’s strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained.

Through our Creative Economy work in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we offer a suite of support to young people, to facilitate their learning and economic advancement ambitions. We work in an integrated way to build capacity, through learning, networking and other support that young people need to start or grow their creative enterprises or get new / better jobs in the Creative Economy sector.

Implementation Partners:

Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative between government and the private sector, as part of a strategy to secure greater involvement in the arts from businesses operating in South Africa and built on the values of collaboration, innovation, diversity, agility and integrity. BASA champions business investment within the arts, cultural and heritage sectors, and is the connector catalyst for both businesses and the arts, driving focused and sustained partnerships by unlocking shared value and fostered social cohesion. We are committed to ensuring the relevance and sustainability of the arts in society by offering innovative programmes providing and supporting knowledge transfer, skills development and training within the cultural and creative sectors. In this way, BASA provides agency and access for the arts sector to support its engagement with the business sector, helping to make creative organisations ‘opportunity ready’. For more information, please visit https://basa.co.za/.

Common Purpose is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1989 that develops leaders who can cross boundaries. We inspire and enable leaders to solve complex problems both in organisations and in society. We equip leaders to lead people with different perspectives – from different geographies, generations, sectors, specialisations, backgrounds and beliefs. We deliver face-to-face and online leadership programmes for multiple generations of leaders: from students in universities to senior leaders at the peak of their careers. For more information, please visit https://commonpurpose.org.

Pan African Creative Exchange (PACE) is an organisation focused on increasing the global reach of Africa’s contemporary arts industry and contributing to the continent’s development of future work. PACE challenges the status quo of the discourse around African/diaspora artistic work, advocates for equal opportunities and promotes a more equitable representation of creative expression on the global stage. PACE functions as a Pan-African and international partner and links the CPP to a UK-based team of professionals from different organisations in the arts and cultural sector. https://www.panafricancreativeexchange.co.za/