GAUTENG ORGANISATION OF COMMUNITY ARTS AND CULTURE CENTRES

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORTFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2011

OVERVIEW

During this financial year the organization focused on the wrapping up and reporting on the final tranche of Lottery funding within the second Lottery contract; assisted groups in trying to get work during the World Cup programme; focused on the Draft Policy Framework for the Community Arts Sector; worked with the MAPPPSETA in providing documentation for a Catalytic Grant to train Arts Administrators to run arts centres nationally: hosted forums and lobbied government.    

The late funds received by the GACC were moved to the next reporting year to team up with the third contract of Lottery funds focusing on Festivals. 

This was an active year in the management of the NYDA/Flemish Batcha-Jeugd Project where we were requested to manage the finances for the Ipelegeng Arts and Sports Youth Project.           

During the year we continued to engage with the National Department of Arts and Culture to discuss a way forward for Community Art Centres and the resuscitation of the National Federation of Community Art Centres; had meetings with Province on the way forward for the sector; lobbied the MAPPPSETA and Tourism SETA on relevant arts staff to be moved to the Tourism SETA; had a meeting with the President’s Office.

In mid-February 2011 funds were received for the third Lottery contract.  The organisation was restructured and some planning for the training and festivals commenced.  The funds being a 12 month fixed amount were formally allocated to commence in June 2011 through to May 2012 -  2011 being earmarked for training with 2012 being the festival months.

Early last year our enthusiastic Dennis Sehlabane fell ill and passed away in May 2010.  The organisation needed to adjust to the loss of Dennis who had been a passionate worker and promoter of GOMACC.

LOTTERY PROJECT

The Facilitation Training and Arts Administration Training had been completed by early 2010.  Faisit went back out into the field later in the year to assess the Arts Administrators they had trained and Sibikwa also followed up on the trainees for the Arts Facilitator Programme. 

Our facilitators continued to work in a variety of centres and arts disciplines across the province and came together on 13th November 2010 for a final assessment at Museum Afrika.  Our greatest challenge in this category was to persuade the different venues across the Province to continue with paying the facilitators we had placed with them once lottery funding ceased.  The majority stated that they did not have funds but they would try.  They appreciated having the facilitators work within their premises with the youth and children but said they were unable to access funds to continue with the programme themselves.  Local and Provincial Government also could not help.  Without the support of the Lottery we would not have been able to sustain the programme.   

A key focus during 2010 was to try and get greater involvement and commitment from government towards the community arts sector, at the same time increasing the membership of GOMACC.  We responded to the request of President Zuma at his meeting in Sandton to get our section of the arts sector more representative so that government could be better approached on a way forward.  We brought forward an existing policy document, compiled an overview brochure, lobbied our membership and had meetings with the Provincial HOD and the Office of the President.  We are still awaiting the outcomes.

In December 2010 our final progress report was submitted to Lottery with the compilation and printing of the training manual on how to run an arts organization still to be finalised.  This manual will be presented to our member organisations during 2011 through the Forums being set up around the Province.

We also requested the Lottery to reconsider training and development in the future at the same time thanking them for their input and commitment to the sector as without them little would have been achieved. 

LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY

It was stated at the last AGM that very little had happened for community arts over the years.  That if the community arts sector did not stand up and be counted we would still be in this position in years to come.  There had been a concern on how available funds had rather been allocated for short term projects than towards the long term training and development of the sector.

During the year we continued to engage with the National Department of Arts and Culture to discuss a way forward for Community Art Centres and the resuscitation of the National Federation of Community Art Centres.   National Government called a meeting over two days at which three members of the GOMACC Board were present.  It was noted at the meeting that Gauteng Province was the most organised and had managed to still retain its existence over the years.

Two meetings were held with Province with the HOD that concluded with the Department requesting an in-depth research of the sector in the Province. 

The MAPPPSETA and Tourism SETA were lobbied on relevant arts staff to be moved to the Tourism SETA.  In addition we provided documentation for a Catalytic Grant to train Arts Administrators to run arts centres nationally. 

Three Board Members attended meetings at the President’s Office where it was mooted that a Council of Arts Disciplines should be explored to advise the President. 

Where there is willingness in some quarters to move the sector, unless the impetus comes from the top and the push is not sufficient from the bottom we could still be treading water in the near future. 

GAUTENG ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL

As mentioned earlier, funds received later in the year will be implemented in 2011 to complement the Lottery Festival Funding.

 IPELEGENG/NYDA/FLEMISH BATCHA-JEUGD PROGRAMME

GOMACC was recommended by the Department of Arts and Culture to assist the NYDA/Flemish Batcha-Jeugd Project with one of their projects in Soweto.  In this instance it was to provide financial assistance and systems to the project for the duration of one year.  The project focused on the youth and provided funding around arts, sports and youth training and development.    

Contracts were set up with Ipelegeng staff and budgets were compiled for approval.  Ipelegeng provided trainers working from the centre to train the youth in the areas of music, dance, drama and visual arts.  The sports personnel worked from nearby schools in the disciplines of football, netball, tennis and aerobics.  Additional arts groups were also assisted as was a variety of youth training and development activities.

Ipelegeng was one of five centres that was funded nationally over a three year period by the NYDA/Flemish Batcha-Jeugd Programme.   

With a balance of funds being received at the end of March 2011, the project will be concluded during the 2011/2012 financial year.    

OUR THANKS  

Our thanks go to the Lottery who through their funding enables us to continue our work within the communities of Gauteng, the GACC for providing additional festival funding, the people who have worked with us and our special fond memories of Dennis Sehlabane who passed away in May 2010.  Dennis was always a positive and colourful personality that will be sorely missed.  He was passionate about the sector and always went the extra mile to promote and work within the arts.      

We would also like to thank our Board over this past period for offering their time, knowledge, support and vision and giving their time to passionately promote the community arts sector.