NEWS

Relief grants in honour of Madiba legacy

Sne Mdiya

In honour of Nelson Mandela’s legacy Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is making 67 artist relief grants for medical assistance available to creatives diagnosed with or hospitalised due to Covid-19.

  In April BASA announced extension of its Supporting Grant platform by launching a funding campaign aimed at support for South African creatives affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

  BASA chairperson Charmaine Soobramoney said: “Covid-19 has forced the world to unite and fight against this invisible enemy. The BASA board of directors acknowledges the continued challenges artists are subjected to as a result of this pandemic.”

  BASA head of research and development Madeleine Selmer-Olsen said they have raised just over half a million rand, bestowed by a range of individuals, businesses and academic institutions. 

  “This amount has been supplemented with funds redirected from other areas of operation to provide support to 122 artists, with grants to the total value of R1 174 467.50,” Selmer-Olsen said. 

  BASA head of communications Savannah Feeke-Fortune said a primary objective is the economic empowerment of South African creatives. 

  “It has been clear during this lockdown the degree to which everyone has relied on the creative sector to maintain a degree of normalcy. As such, we are proud to be providing further relief to the creatives whose livelihoods have experienced severe strain as a result of the pandemic,” Feeke-Fortune said.

  BASA support grants are made possible through support from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

  Applicants can visit www.basa.co.za and click the ‘Grants’ tab and navigate to Artist Relief Grants. The grants will be awarded on a first-come basis to the first 67 eligible applicants, after which applications close. 

  For enquiries email artist.grants@basa.co.za or call 066 314 3374 during office hours.

  For more information visit www.basa.co.za and support BASA’s Artists Relief campaign at https://gogetfunding.com/bizartza/.

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