The finalists of the 16th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, have been announced.
This year’s finalists offer a fascinating snapshot of the varied ways businesses of different sizes can work with art projects that cover everything from visual arts to music, film, dance, architecture and much more.
From the small PENMAC Audio Visual, which is nominated for a Small Business Award, to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, whose work with the Three2Six School for Refugee Children has seen it nominated for an Increasing Access to the Arts Award, the spectrum of business and arts partnerships celebrated by this year’s nominations is impressive.
A leading contender is Rand Merchant Bank, which this year has earned nominations in the Long Term Partnership Award category for the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company’s Instrumental Training and Development project, as well as two nods in the Youth Development Award category, for the Durban Music School and the Dance XChange Project.
Another multiple nominated finalist is PPC Ltd, which earned three nominations – Innovation Award, Long Term Sponsorship Award and Youth Development Award, the latter two for the PPC Young Concert Sculptors Award and the first for Re-imagine Concrete: Suzaan Heyns Spring/Summer 2012.
National radio station, Ukhozi FM, got two nods (Innovation Award and Media Sponsorship Award) for Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2.
Diverse businesses nominated for projects in various categories include Bidvest Group Limited, Adidas, Estee Lauder Companies, the MTN Group and Arcelor Mittal.
“What we are clearly seeing with the nominations for several big and medium sized enterprises is the ROI that partnering with an arts project can bring,” comments Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa.
“This is a strong signal to South African business that working with an arts project is far more than a feel good exercise but brings shared value.”
The organisers of the only awards celebrating business and arts partnerships in South Africa report seeing a noticeable increase in entries in 2013. Just under 170 arts and business projects entered this year, an increase on the 2012 figure.
Chairman of the judging panel, Dr Andrew Human, notes the evolution in the range and quality of entries this year.
“There is definitely far more recognition of the mutual benefit and value that arts can lend to business, as opposed to seeing a partnership with the arts as a charitable sponsorship. BASA is also looking at the strategic value that the arts can play in business – and that is reflected in the kind of entries we are starting to get.
“I was surprised by the scope of work,” comments judging panel newcomer Fikile Moeti aka FIX. “It makes you realise how much is happening, how much people are doing and how much originality is being applied. Art is not only sitting in galleries. It’s everywhere – in the CBD and out on the streets.”
A total of 12 categories were open for entry in the 16th Annual Business Day BASA Awards. The Art Champion and Chairman’s Premier Award will also be presented at a gala ceremony in Johannesburg on 26 August.
The judges for the 2013 BASA Awards are CEO of The Loerie Awards Dr Andrew Human (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic Mary Corrigall and CEO of the Mastrantonio Group Giovanni Mariano. Three new judges who joined this year’s panel are television host and arts advocate Dali Tambo. 5fm DJ Fikile Moeti and Experiential Marketing Director at Ogilvy and Mather Thresho Selesho.
The independent panel of judges evaluated the success of each partnership in achieving its objectives and in bringing genuine value and benefit to both partners. The Awards are audited by Grant Thornton.
For more information call the BASA offices on 011 4472295 or e-mail info@basa.co.za or go to www.basa.co.za
Finalists in the 16th Business Day BASA Awards
Innovation Award
-uMngeni Municipality - Nelson - Mandela Capture Site
-ArcelorMittal South Africa - Southern Guild Collectable Design Gallery
-PPC Ltd - Re-imagine Concrete: Suzaan Heyns Spring/Summer 2012
-Ukhozi FM - Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2
First Time Sponsor Award
-MTN Group - Four MTN & BTE VO1SS Concert Series
-Citiq Group - Ithuba Arts Fund
-MultiChoice - National Children’s Theatre - SSA Senior Executive Challenge
-Bidvest Group Limited - Opening of the new Wits Art Museum
Increasing Access to the Arts Award
-Rainbow Farms - Listen With Your Eyes – Deaf Theatre Festival
-Johannesburg Stock Exchange -Three2Six School for Refugee Children
-Johannesburg Development Agency - Diepsloot Public Artworks Programme
-Barrow Family Trust - Klein Karoo Klassique
International Sponsorship Award
-Standard Bank of South Africa - 20th Century Masters: the human figure
-Norges Musikkorpes Forbund (NMF or Norwegian Band Federation) - Field Band Foundation
-Total South Africa - Danse l'Afrique Danse 2012
-Air Botswana - Cape Town City Ballet “Ballet Classics"
Long Term Partnership Award
-PPC Ltd - PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards
-Rand Merchant Bank - Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company - Instrumental Training and Development
-ABSA - ABSA Intensive Film Training
-ArcelorMittal South Africa - Southern Guild Collectable Design Gallery
Media Sponsorship Award
-RSG FM - ATKV-Muziq
-City Press - National Arts Festival
-Ukhozi FM - Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2
-Electronic Media Network - Cape Town Carnival
Small Business Award
-PENMAC Audio Visual - Johannesburg Youth Ballet - Hansel & Gretel
-Alexander Bar & Café - Alexander Upstairs
-Minuteman Press Fourways – Symphony Choir Johannesburg
Single Strategic Project Award
-Cement and Concrete Institute-OH14 A¨le Naude Santos and Antonio de Souza Santos Architectural Tour
-Interactive Africa-Blikkies Dorp Library
-Adidas South Africa-I ART JOBURG
-UJ Arts & Culture-ACT UJ Arts & Culture 'The Art of the Creative Economy' Conference
Sponsorship in Kind Award
-Estee Lauder Companies – MAC -South African Mzansi Ballet
-University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture - The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative (FATC)
-Europcar-Clowns Without Borders South Africa
-Cinema Nouveau-Opera Africa Young Artist Programme
Youth Development Award
-Air Products South Africa - SAMB / Air Products Development School-Alexandra
-Sasol Limited-South African National Youth Orchestra
-Rand Merchant Bank-Durban Music School
-PPC Ltd-PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards
-Rand Merchant Bank-Dance XChange Project
Arts & Environment Award, supported by Nedbank
-Three City Events (Pty) Ltd-(eco)nversations GREEN ART 2012
-uMngeni Municipality - Nelson Mandela Capture Site
-Spier-The Dying Slave (2012) by Marco Cianfanelli
-Plascon - Earth Hour Murals
Mentor of the Year,supported by Etana Insurance
-Niall Kramer - District Six Museum
-Leanne Gitlin-Wits Art Museum
-Hilton Lawler-Assemblage
-Irma Albers-Jungle Theatre Company