Universal Music SA donates to National School of the Arts

The donation aims to sustain the institution’s financial operations, which have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. NSA is among the country’s top arts institutions and specialises in performing and visual arts education.

It’s alumni include Charlize Theron, Lorna Maseko, Langa Mavuso, Moshidi Motshegwa and Zoë Modiga.

According to local media, each year the school receives R3m from the government’s school of specialisation budget, which is channelled towards enhancing curriculum delivery. NSA also gets funding of R2.8m from the Department of Basic Education.

Following the donation, the NSA’s music department will now be called the Universal Music Department.

“The reason we have asked to do that is because this contribution that we wish to make goes beyond the financial sense,” Universal Music sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa managing director Sipho Dlamini said. “There will be a lot of engagements and interactions from us as a company. Our artists will speak to the students to inspire them and our staff from the studio will share time with them.”

He added: “We are also looking at internship programmes for the learners during school holidays. Concerts and events that we produce will start working with the school to open up opportunities for learners.”

NSA principal Gary Natali said the school had fallen on hard times. “Things were dire and stressed in terms of money,” he said. “We were down to probably our last R200 000 in the bank with monthly expenses of R1.3m. This generous donation will see us get to the end of the year. Monthly expenses go towards water and lights, salaries and we have a hostel. Parents weren’t able to pay school fees. We have seen a 20% increase in applications for exemption where parents can’t pay school fees compared to most years. Normally we budget for a certain amount, but this year it went up.”

NSA treasurer Corin Mathews said: “We are part of a marginalised community of creatives and I’m a father of a child that is a creative. I can’t understand him on most days but I know that his world is complex and hard. With this partnership, about 50 households for 2020 will not worry about paying school fees. All they need to do is send their kids to school to do what they love.”