Call for applications: Department of Arts and Culture funding in SA

The purpose of MGE is to make strategic investments to optimise the economic benefit of the arts in South Africa. By improving investment in key areas of the creative economy, it is anticipated that job creation and productivity will be enhanced and the sector’s global competitiveness will be increased.

The call is intended for only three of MGE work streams: Cultural Events, Public Art and Touring Ventures. Support will be provided to projects/programmes that are to be implemented from April 2020 to March 2021. The result of the adjudication will be published no later than 60 working days after closing date.

Interested individuals and organisations should apply here. The call will run until 11 November. 

Cultural Events

The Cultural Events work stream supports large and small scale local, regional and national events that promote the arts, culture and heritage and that contribute to local economic development, job creation and the development of audiences. The specific objectives of the work stream are to:

• To upscale existing events and festivals allowing increased diversity of cultural offerings, enhanced quality of productions, extension of event time frames.
• To support projects with obvious economic and social benefit for the location.
• To increase the audience and exposure that each production receives, which will in turn increase the number of jobs created, livelihoods supported and income generated through the events.
• To enhance the social cohesion in the country by promoting diversity of content and audiences in the specific the location of the project.
• To increase the up-skilling opportunities of for creative practitioners and communities.

Touring Ventures

The Touring Ventures programme aims to support broader, cost-effective opportunities for the nation’s cultural output to be viewed, participated in and enjoyed within South Africa and abroad.

The objectives are:

• To increase the audience and exposure that each production receives, which will in turn increase jobs created, livelihoods supported and income generated through the events.
• To enhance the social cohesion in the country by promoting diversity of content and audiences in the specific the location of the project.
• To increase the upskilling opportunities of for creative practitioners and communities.
• To support the national, provincial and local government, cultural institutions, cultural agencies, arts groupings and individual arts practitioners in a reciprocal and sustainable approach to touring.
• The development of new audiences for existing work development.
• Creating market access through annual programmes aimed at the development and promotion of young artists.

Public Art Programme

The aim of the grant funding is to enable the creative arts sector to stabilise and consolidate, providing access to work and experience, build capacity, transfer skills and create linkages to support infrastructure (e.g. urban renewal project and parks), Expanded Public Works Programme, enhance quality of life, support heritage and tourism.

The aim of the work stream is to:

• Showcase creativity in public spaces, either on a permanent or temporary basis.
• Advocate for and change perceptions of the arts at all levels.
• Promote participation in and enjoyment of the arts at community level.
• Promote partnerships the long term (through co-financing models).
• Reduce dependency on government’s financial assistance and encourage the development of a sustainable the arts, culture and heritage sector.
• Encourage the inclusion of cultural matters in urban planning frameworks, the inclusion of the sector in planning processes and accountability to communities and stakeholders by the sector.
• Stimulate local economic activities that contribute to local and regional economies.

Application process

• All applications must be submitted through the MGE online portal.

The applicant must have:

• Accessed the e-services portal here.
• A valid email address.
• A valid South African ID.
• A valid cellphone number.

Attachments required for applications

Private/public companies

• Copy of valid South African ID.
• SARS tax clearance certificate. 
• Proposal with budget breakdown.
• Company registration certificate.

Non-profit organisation (NGOs, trusts)

• SARS tax clearance certificate.
• Proposal with budget breakdown.
• Copy of South African ID.
• NPO registration certificate.

Individual application

• Copy of South African ID.
• SARS tax clearance certificate.
• Proposal with budget breakdown.

Eligibility

• This call is open to all tax compliant South African arts, culture and heritage organisations and enterprises that have independent legal status i.e. are registered as a non-profit company, a public limited company.
• Compliant eligible South African citizens: individual artists, who are legally able to enter into contractual relations, may also apply.
• No beneficiary will be awarded two DAC grants simultaneously, regardless of the size of the grant, sourced from any DAC programme, in any given year. Organisations must declare any other involvement with DAC.
• Only one application per organization/company/individual in one financial year is allowed.
• Preference will be given to projects that are co-financed or part-financed or have any other form of partnerships depending on the total budget and the scale of the project. Proof of such commitment must be provided.

Rules

• The SA ID number must be a 13-digit number and must be validated using the following format: {YYMMDD}{G}{SSS}{C}{A}{Z}.
• Ensure all mandatory fields have been completed.
• For all date fields, display a calendar.
• Email addresses must contain an “@” character.
• There must be at least three attachments for individual applicants and four attachments for company applications.
• If the applicant is required to submit additional information by the administrator he/she will only have five business working days to action the request on the system. If not done the system will terminate the application and he/she will have to start over.
• Reference number to be created once the user has submitted their application.
• The reference number will be auto-generated according to the chosen programme type (e.g. Cult001/ Pub001 or Tou001).
• The applicant must only update the application if the status is “Submitted”.
• The applicant must only withdraw the application if the status is “Submitted”.
• The system auto saves the application when the applicant clicks on the next button.

View original call here.