Call for applications: ACT Building Blocks Programme in SA

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is calling on South African arts practitioners to apply for its 2020 Building Blocks Programme.

Funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa, the Building Blocks Programme seeks to empower arts and culture practitioners in South Africa to bolster their professional and business acumen with an arts-specific framework.

The call runs until 31 October and interested applicants can apply here.

The programme was designed to focus on small (microbusiness) to mid-level organisations and arts practitioners in the form of masterclasses focused on:

• Digital skills.
• Marketing.
• Governance and monitoring & evaluation
• ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development) in the arts.

“Through the Building Blocks Programme we strive to increase the capacity and sustainability of South African arts and culture organisations and practitioners, small and mid-level creative enterprises and entrepreneurial artists,” ACT said. “The Building Blocks Programme will strengthen the operational infrastructure of the programme participants by providing technical assistance and relevant developmental tools through masterclasses and mentoring and in so doing serving the creative sector holistically.”

The programme aims to address current challenges and tangible business solutions for sustainability in the arts and culture sector.

ACT CEO Marcus Desando said: “The arts and culture and the creative sector have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national lockdown. Besides the need for a financial injection in the sector, we have also learnt that the environment is more dynamic than we thought and that agility is most needed. With that in mind, we at ACT are excited that we can offer this programme nationally and to more participants than previously possible. We are appreciative of the grant from the National Arts Council and we can’t wait to welcome the next cohorts of this important programme.”

Conditions

• Due to capacity, only five companies, oganisations or artists from each province in South Africa will be selected to participate.
• Only South African nationals may apply and projects must take place in South Africa.
• Allocation of grants is at the discretion of the ACT board of trustees. The decision about all applications for funding is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

View the original call here.