Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology: briefing

Appendix 1:

The Arts and Culture Branch of the Department functions, at a delivery level, through the associated institutions. The institutions governed by Boards and Councils appointed by the Minister, are civil society partners who add value through availing expertise and making it possible for Government-sponsored programmes to flourish in an environment free of the constraints usually associated with bureaucracy.

Since 1994 the bulk of the challenge for the Ministry and the Department is to transform these institutions, which are Museums, Performing Arts Councils, so that they are run in a manner that promotes efficiency, accessibility, relevance, non-elitism, inclusivity, and participation by all stakeholders. At the same time the Department has established new institutions within the new policy framework. These are, the National Arts Council (1999), the Film and Video Foundation (1998), the South Geographical Place Names (1998), Pan South African Language Board (1995), the Museum Flagships (1999), the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the National Heritage Council (2000) and Business Arts South Africa (1997).

The following is being done in relation to institutional framework:

The post 1994 scenario has been:

1. to rationalise the management system of museums by creating flagship institutions through amalgamating institutions in Gauteng and the Western Cape, and from this year in KwaZulu Natal and in the Northern Cape and the Free State, where DACST inherited existing institutions. As a result instead of 13 institutions, these have been or will be consolidated to four institutions in the near future.

2. Early results of this policy are showing that through sound management it has been possible for the Gauteng Flagship to move from deficit to savings.

NATIONAL MUSEUMS BILL

Presently, the cultural institutions are being managed statutorily through the Cultural Institutions Act of 1998.

The National Museums Bill, to be submitted later this year, will establish a single national museum service for South Africa by grading institutions into National, Provincial and Local, as well as grading the activities, collections, research and programmes that are to be put in place in each of the Museum categories. The Bill will also put in place a single Board to run national museums, through a CEO who will work directly with the Management of the Department, in the planning and executing of programmes.

• Savings will make it possible for the establishment of museums in the previously disadvantaged townships and rural areas to happen. New museums like Ncome and the Nelson Mandela Museum are good initial examples, of what we intend doing.

• The National Language and Literature Museums are being rationalised into one centrally managed institution catering for the conservation of all eleven official languages.

1. Will be set up in April 2000.

 

2. Will concentrate on the preservation and rescucitation of indigenous knowledge systems, folklore, the reconstruction of South Africa's history through research and promoting inter-cultural harmony through creating interaction and awareness among all citizens.

 

3. Will issue grants-in-aid for new heritage programmes.

 

4. Will be a statutory body under the auspices of the Department.

 

5. Will run the Legacy Project and Living Heritage (Amasiko) in future.

1. Will replace the NMC from 01 April 2000, with a mandate and focus wider than that of the National Monuments Council.

 

2. Will manage the national estate.

 

3. Will declare new sites and monuments of national significance.

 

4. Will promote South Africa's diverse cultural heritage.

 

5. Will redress on the interface South Africa's public monuments and statues.

1. Has been set up as a statutory body.

 

2. Is to run an awareness campaign around naming of places, streets, geographical landmarks, rivers, mountains, and places of history and develop a new policy on naming.

 

3. Is putting up in place procedures for naming places.

 

4. Will redress on the naming by promoting participation and raising debate and inquiry into the cultural and historical aspects of the names of our places.

1. Most Legacy projects, which were approved by Cabinet in 1998, are under way (Anglo-Boer South African War, Luthuli, Khoisan and Freedom Park and Constitutional Hill).
2. Some have been completed or are viewing completion (Ncome, Nelson Mandela, Samora Machel, and the Women's Memorial).

• New ones will be motivated in the three priority provinces (Examples might be: Nkandla Heritage Route, Emakhosini - KwaZulu Natal; Amatola Forest, the Nine Frontier Wars, King Faku - Eastern Cape; Mapungubwe, Queen Modjadji - Northern Province; the King's Project - concentrating on the reconstruction of the history and traditions of African Royalties in South Africa).

1. The Pan-South African Language Board Act of 1995 has been amended to make it possible for PANSALB to take on the responsibility of developing standard dictionaries for all languages, instead of only English and Afrikaans.
2. Terminology and Dictionary Development form the backbone of the development of any language.
3. The new South African Language Policy and Plan has been completed and will come to Cabinet in the near future.

1. Is a directorate of the Department.

 

2. Is central to Good Governance through keeping of Government records.

 

3. Is developing a strategy for overall electronic information management to improve efficiency and service delivery.

 

4. Provincial Archival systems are being set up through Provincialisation of regional Archives.

 

5. The National Oral History Programme will be launched in March.

 

1. The programme aims at filling the gaps in the recording and archiving of civil history of all South Africans.

 

2. It will emphasise research, documentation and participation of people in the telling of their stories.

 

3. Film and Sound Archives are being upgraded and given more capacity so that they will be used in the preservation of endangered folk and traditional musical styles of South Africa, rituals and general performance techniques and knowledge.

1. Was set up in 1998.

 

2. Will be completing its first Business Plan in 2000.

 

3. Views Film as a job creator and a positive contributor to the growth of the economy, as is universally the case and promoted the Sa Film and Video industry.

 

4. Processes grants-in-aid to film and video makers and scriptwriters who need assistance.

1. Has been operating a section 21 company since 1997 and became a statutory body in 1999.

 

2. Processes grants-in-aid through peer assessment.

 

3. Is to play a major role in the development of co-operatives for crafts and traditional music.

 

4. Is to play a major role in setting up Local Arts Forums and District Arts Associations which will promote discipline based arts activity and participation, in a structured way, at a local level, where people are. We view the arts as a major catalyst of participation and value formation.

1. The framework of section 21 companies has yielded unsatisfactory results.

 

2. This framework was inherited from the pre-1994 Government. Attempts to reform it have produced minimal changes in the system.

 

3. A new framework is being developed, which will:

 

3.1 amalgamate the four institutions (Playhouse - Durban; Pacofs - Bloemfontein; ArtsCape - Cape Town; and the State Theatre in Pretoria) and form one new National Performing Arts Corporation - with one management and four satellites, each emphasising a specific category of the arts.

 

4. The National Performing Arts Corporation of South Africa will:

 

1. run arts programmes of national importance.

 

2. found one National Orchestra of South Africa, which will be multi-disciplinary and cater for the entire spectrum of South African music and Western Classical music, where necessary.

 

3. found one National Dance and Theatre Company, which will work mainly in the area of nurturing all South Africa's dance forms and creating new ones where appropriate.

 

4. found one National Choral and Operatic Music Company, which will nurture the institution of choral and operatic singing at a professional level.

 

5. found the National Company of Folk and Traditional Music, which will nurture the folkloristic and eclectic forms of performance in South Africa.

5. The National Performing Arts Corporation will receive a limited grant and will be expected to raise its own funds to carry out its activities. The companies will be houses of excellence, where the best will showcase their skills.
6. The new framework is being established through legislation: "The National Performing Arts Corporation Bill" which will be submitted to Cabinet and Parliament later this year.
7. The Bill will treat the Corporation as a Grade I institution. The Bill will further:

1. establish Grade II theatres which are small city and rural theatres e.g.

1. the Market Theatre - Johannesburg.
2. the Windybrow Theatre - Johannesburg.
3. the Baxter Theatre - Cape Town.
4. the District Six Theatre - Cape Town.
5. the Guild Opera Theatre - Port Elizabeth.
6. the East London Theatre.
7. the Stable Theatre - Durban.
8. Petersburg.
9. Nelspruit
10. Kimberley
11. North West Arts
12. as well as new ones which are envisaged for major townships like Soweto, Umlazi Mdantsane, Egugulethu etc. where there are none at the moment.

2. establish a mechanism for funding these Grade II institutions through savings from the National Theatre Corporation.

Such a funding mechanism for Grade II Theatres will be based on the principles of partnerships with the cities and the private sector. A city will put up a number of proposed city theatres within its boundaries and partner up with DACST, the Province and the private sector in establishing and sustaining them.

Through this mechanism it will also be possible to establish compact theatres in such areas as Umtata, Thohoyandou, Giyani, Ulundi, Upington etc. which are culturally strategic rural towns, in the next four years. Such Theatres will also be expected to raise their own revenues.

At a more local level, through inter alia, negotiations with the Department of Education it will be possible for a corner or hall at a school to be used as a Community Theatre or Museum during afternoons, weekends and holidays while the formal lessons are not on.

Some recently finished RDP projects (Community Arts Centres) are being utilised for this purpose already.

7.3 ARTS EDUCATION

DACST has been conducting research in the current state of Arts Education through this process DACST has been able to:

• Catalogue work done by NGO's in order to identify resources, share effective programs and link provincial research;

• Promote networking and skills sharing in the sector;

• Monitor and assist organisations engaging in the NQF process;

• Identify potential developmental partnerships between the formal and non-formal arts education sectors;
• Explore the possibility of training art educators from the informal sector through the above partnerships in the provinces;

• Investigate articulation between formal and in-formal organisations;

• Assess the availability programs that develop good governance and accountability and increase the potential for sustainability of arts and culture, education and training development.
• Obtain valuable and critical feedback on the proposed development strategy from key stakeholders in the various sectors.
• Formulated a strategy document of Arts Education.

As a result of this consultation process the section has also been able to develop a comprehensive database of providers in these three provinces. Consultation in the remaining provinces will continue in 2000. A business plan will be developed and implemented in 2000, concerning with pilot projects.

7.4 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The Department is responsible for two public holidays: Freedom Day and Heritage Day.

Freedom Day marks the date of the first democratic election in our country and aims mainly on the unity, through diversity, of the country. It is celebrated in all nine provinces with financial support from the Department. The main celebrations take place on a rotatory basis as decided by the President and is a joint venture between the Province and the Department. Ministers and Deputy Ministers are assigned to all the provinces.

Heritage Day commemorates the country's diverse cultures and multifaceted heritage. It is also celebrated on national and provincial level.

7.5 POPULARISING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

The National Anthem is one of the national symbols through which the unity of the country can be established.

It is important that the anthem should be popularised in order to create a national pride.

1. Launched in 1997.

2. Aimed at enhancing the potential of the South African cultural industries to contribute to job and wealth creation.

3. Began with a research and strategy development phase, resulting in detailed analyses of the craft, film and television, music and publishing industries and a strategic framework.

The key recommendations were:

1. Develop education and training opportunities.
2. Increase local and international demand for cultural products.
3. Encourage the industries to work together.
4. Keep generating information.
5. Continue to raise the profile of the cultural industries in the media, and in government departments.

6. Include the design sector as a CIGS sector.

DACST has committed R3 million for the year 1999/2000 to the project. The proposed allocation of the funding is on projects that aid the following:

1. The establishment of SETAs for the Cultural Industries.

Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETAs) are critical to implementing the Department of Labour's National Skills Development Strategy. These bodies will manage standards and co-ordinate training with the aim of meeting the needs of industry. DACST will play a critical role in the establishment of the SETAs for the cultural industries.

2. Collaborative Public/Private Partnerships and Projects.

1. Given the need to maximise utilization of resources and to ensure that the private sector is involved in the project, DACST will promote joint projects and the creation of formal collaborative networks such as clusters and Export Councils.
2. Projects and partnerships that focus on domestic market development, rural development, export promotion, research and information and human resource development will be supported.

3. Research.

1. Research is a critical component of the CIGS strategy.
2. Information is critical for the development and evaluation of projects and programmes, and thus forms an important part of the project's focus.

4. Advocacy work for the cultural industries.

1. A great deal of work went into securing buy-in from other government departments and the private sector.

 

2. As a result, the cultural industries have been placed on the developmental agenda in many areas, for example at a city level and a national events such as Export Week.

 

3. DACST will continue with this important work during the coming year.

5. A cities urban renewal through culture strategy.

Using culture as a tool in urban regeneration has been successful in many cities internationally. Cities such as Huddersfield and Sheffield in the UK have managed to turn depressed manufacturing-based economies into vibrant creative ones. To promote this idea in South Africa DACST will initially be working with the City of Cape Town and the city of Johannesburg. A workshop on urban regeneration through culture will be hosted this year. The workshop will promote the creation of a network of cities in South Africa that are involved in urban regeneration through culture projects.

• Craft: At a national level a small exporters export council that includes craft is being established in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). DACST has initiated research into the feasibility of a glass bead manufacturing plant, initiated a tender to develop a handbook for crafters and is working closely with the provinces to develop craft projects.
• Film and Television: The film industry has taken the initiative and begun to establish a cluster to collaborate on projects to develop the industry. Recently DACST approached the industry to begin discussions about forming export councils. DACST has supported the development of promotional material for the film industry and enabled film industry representatives to participate in an investment conference in Los Angeles.
• Music: The Deputy Minister hosted a public hearing for musicians that provided a platform to air grievances and plan for the future. DACST has funded the annual National Congress of the Musicians' Union of South Africa (MUSA) and a research project into the impact and outcomes of South African Music Day that was held on 27 April this year. South African Music Day will be supported through CIGS and workshops on contracts and business management will be held for musicians early next year.
• Publishing: The Print Industries Cluster was established during the CIGS process and is continuing its strategic work to develop the sector. DACST hosted a stall at this year's Zimbabwe International Book Fair to showcase the work of South African women authors.

• Urban Regeneration: DACST has worked closely with the city of Johannesburg and the city of Cape Town on strategies to include culture in urban regeneration. Early next year DACST will host a seminar with the aim of discussing possible linkages between existing projects and creating a network for communication and information-sharing.
• SETAs: DACST has been integrally involved in mobilising the arts and culture sector to form SETAs as per the National Skills Development Act. In order to ensure that the structures that are established are viable and efficient, DACST will contract the services of a professional to aid the arts and culture to set up SETAs and create linkages between them

1. The Spatial Development Initiative is led by two government departments. Trade and Industry and Transport. The Department of Arts Culture Science and Technology elected to concentrate on the promotion of cultural tourism in three SDI areas viz KwaZulu Natal (Lubombo SDI), Eastern Cape Province (Wild Coast SDI) and Mpumalanga Province (Maputo Corridor SDI). A research report investigating opportunities of linking culture to tourism initiatives was published and distributed to appropriate stakeholders.

2. The research conducted identified culture projects that can be implemented in the designated SDI areas. These included:

1. Arts and Crafts
2. Music, storytelling, theatre, praise singing
3. Heritage routes; These encompass archaeological, palaeontological, historical cultural sites as well as biodiversity. The Heritage for Maputaland is a good example of a heritage route that has a potential to become a major tourist destination.
4. Cultural villages
5. Cultural festivals

1. The Wildcoast SDI cultural festival called AmaXhosa Emvelo was hosted last year from 29 October 1999 to 30 October 1999 at Magwa Tea Estate in Lusikisiki. This festival was organised by DACST in collaboration with various stakeholders: SDI office, Provincial Department of Arts and Culture, Economic Affairs and Tourism, Tourism Authorities and Boards, Regional Authorities as well as community based organisations. The festival was was intended to raise awareness among rural communities about the rich cultural resources embedded in their villages. The Festival was also aimed to make a clear statement about the role of Arts and Culture - that arts and crafts, music, dance; storytelling and praise singing are valuable, rich cultural resources, which the people of the Eastern Cape can utilize for economic benefits.

1. Five multi-talented groups along the cultural heritage route of Maputaland within Lubombo SDI were identified for training and development in different artistic performances. These groups were identified through the Uthungulu Cultural Competition held in November 1998 in Richards Bay. The groups identified were as follows:

• Ingwavuma Hotlines (Isicathamiya)
• Abafana Bodumo (Zulu Dance)
• Izintombi Zendabuko (Isizingili Girls)
• Amathole Amnyama (Isizingili Boys)
• Amapansula (Isishameni)

2. DACST in collaboration with the SDI office (LSDI), Provincial Department of Arts and Culture, Uthungulu Regional Council facilitated the selection of trainers who were used to train the above groups as a way of adding value in their performances and making them ready to perform in a professional manner.

1. The Policy Making Forum comprising of DACST, DSRAC, MDC and Economic Affairs, Gaming and Tourism have packaged Arts and Culture projects along the Maputo Corridor. This has being done through running competitions in which the best performance groups will be rewarded in the form of training/workshops planned for 4 - 6 February 2000. These Cultural competitions were conducted from 26- 28 November 1999 in three venues viz S Highveld (Manzana/Badplaas), N Highveld (Ndebele Village) and Lowveld (Matsulu Multicultural Centre). The best performance groups were identified and are waiting for the planned workshop.

2. The Cultural festival is planned for 11 March 2000 at Manzana/Matsulu Cultural Centre. The festival will serve as a platform to showcase emerging artists to the product owners such as the hotel, guesthouses, cultural villages and lodge owners who can capitalize on cultural entertainment in the promotion of tourism in the area.

1. A PORTFOLIO PROJECT under the GOOD CITIZENSHIP PROGRAMME is being compiled and will be presented to Cabinet soon.

 

2. THE GOOD CITIZENSHIP PROGRAMME is a cultural programme which aims at:

 

1. promoting understanding, acceptance of other people and cultural diversity among South Africans.

 

2. forging a national identity through openness, debates and dialogue.

 

3. forging certain behavioral tendencies in respect of:

 

1. behavior and values in the family.

 

2. internationalisation and observation of the sanctity of relationships between various members of a family, a neighborhood, a community, society.

 

3. striving to understand the self and self-actualisation.

 

4. inculcating good morals and tendencies to behave GOOD and DO GOOD, as a cherished virtue.

 

5. inculcating social values in individuals, which lead to inherent respect for life, property, the rights of self and the right of others in society.

 

3. The Ministry believes that certain aspects related to Crime and Criminal behavior, HIV and Aids Behavior, Domestic Violence, Rape, Murder, Behavior on the Roads, laziness and so on, which are all indicators of a disintegrating social fabric, are inherently cultural in nature.

 

4. THE GOOD CITIZENSHIP PROGRAMME will be implemented through compiling a portfolio of projects including:

 

1. radio talk shows.

 

2. community based mixture of cultural activities.

 

3. debate at tertiary institutions and schools.

 

4. programmes involving the church and religions institutions.

 

All aimed at, by the end of the year 2000 reaching some form of national consensus around who the GOOD CITIZEN is, HOW does the GOOD CITIZEN behave, why all must strive to be GOOD CITIZENS.

 

The PROGRAMME will, through incentives, create an atmosphere where society openly recognise, and reward, GOOD CITIZENSHIP and condemns the opposite.

 

5. This work will be undertaken in consultation with the Commission.

1. Choral music is an important tool for nation-building.

 

2. The Choral Music Development Programme will concentrate on:

 

1. Rural Communities in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Northern Province.

 

2. Developing choirs in rural communities as vehicles of expression.

 

3. Group informal teaching, learning and participative skills.

 

4. Choral music festivals in rural areas.

An initiative by the Department to bring together young people form the region, involved in the fields of Arts, Culture and Heritage to South Africa for a period of 10 days. The aim of the programme is for the future leaders in these fields to interact with each other, to share skills and also to know each other better as fellow Africans.

Ma-Africa is an initiative by South Africa (Benoni Publicity Association) together with DACST to have a competition for women in the continent who have excelled in the fields of arts, culture, heritage and literature. The women are nominated by their country to be represented at this prestigious event in South Africa annually during October month. The aim is to encourage women to promote art and culture within their communities, and to transfer their skills and indigenous knowledge to their offsprings and other community members. DACST is a major sponsor of this important event.

DACST is committed to make an extra effort to participate in art, culture and heritage initiatives, initiated by the Organisation for Africa Unity. Some of the events include the PANAFEST, etc. Participation at these events provides platform for interaction and exchange of knowledge and it also to foster better understanding of the people of the continent.

The Department is planning an African Renaissance Colloquium to determine the role of DACST in the advancement of the goals of the African Renaissance. Partly the role of the South African Chapter of the African Renaissance Movement in the advancement of the goals of the African Renaissance will be determined. Various partnerships and stakeholders in the African Renaissance process will be identified. The Colloquium will be mainly to create a forum for the exchange of views and creation, synergising and implementing programmes and projects related to the African Renaissance.

A programme to raise heritage awareness in tertiary institutions by jointly organising African Heritage Week with them was started in 1999 and continues every September.

The following bilateral agreements are signed by the Department:

1. Angola (Joint Commission)
2. Bulgaria
3. Brazil
4. Croatia
5. Egypt (Joint Commission)
6. Egypt
7. Flanders
8. Flanders (Executive Program)
9. France
10. Germany
11. Germany (Joint Commission on the establishment of Cultural Institutions)
12. Hungary
13. Hungary (Executive program)
14. India
15. Israel
16. Mauritius
17. Mexico
18. Namibia
19. Mozambique (Joint Commission)
20. Palestine (Joint Commission)
21. Paraguay
22. Royal Kingdom of Netherlands
23. Royal Kingdom of Netherlands ( Executive program)
24. Russia
25. Tunisia
26. Ukraine
27. Zimbabwe

The following multilateral agreements are signed by the Department:

1. South African Development Community (SADC

2. Organisation for African Unity

3. Common Wealth

4. UNESCO

South African participated in the 33^rd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC during 1999. The theme was: South Africa: Crafting the Economic Renaissance of the Rainbow Nation. The focus fell heavily on craft and development and the economic gains it can foster for the country. The Department did this project in collaboration with other government departments and under the auspices of the National Arts Council of South Africa. In total 91 crafters, performers, cooks, a games specialist and a storyteller formed part of the South African contingent.

DACST is the national contact point in the SADC sector for Information, Culture and Sport, DACST has participated in all SADC arts and culture festival since it was accepted as member in 1994. Festival of this nature provides a platform for South African Artist and art practitioners to interact with their regional counterparts and to share knowledge and experiences which also promotes the African Renaissance.

The principles guiding on transformational programmes are:

1. Access.
2. Opportunity for creativity.
3. Redress.
4. Participation.
5. Excellence.
6. Maximisation of expression.
7. Self-fulfillment.
8. Growth and Development.
9. Efficiency.
10. Sustainability.

Annexure 2:
SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND RECREATION

1. LEGISLATION:
The Committee has 19 pieces of legislation to deal with this year.

(a) Sports and Recreation
- Third Sports Commission Amendment Bill (June 2000)
- Internal Sports Relations Bill (June 2000)
- Boxing Bill (August 2000)
- Code of Conduct (August 2000)
- Sports Sponsorship Bill (August 2000)

(b) Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
- Cultural Laws Amendment Bill ( July 2000)
- Natural Scientific Professions Amendment Bill ( July 2000)
- Science Academy of South Africa Bill ( September 2000)
- Africa Institute of South Africa Bill ( September 2000)
- Promotion of South African Indigenous Knowledge's Bill ( September 2000)
- Institute for the Promotion of Science Bill ( September 2000)
- National Advisory Council on Library Information Services Bill (September 2000).
- Science Laws Amendment Bill ( September 2000)
- Cultural Workers Protection Bill ( October 2000)

(c) Education
- Adult Basic education and Training Bill
- South African Council for Educators Bill
- Further and General Education Quality Committee Bill
- Education Laws Amendment Bill
- Higher Education Amendment Bill

NOTE: There is a possibility that 17 Private Bills of
Universities will be referred to the Committee, however, a
decision on the desirability of these Bills still needs
to be taken by the Minister on the advise of the Higher
Education Council.

2. BRIEFINGS:
(a) Sport and Recreation
DATE: TOPIC :
09 March 2000 School Sports (USSASA)
19 April 2000 Broadcating of sports events of national importance

(b) Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
DATE: TOPIC:
12 April 2000 Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)

(c) Education
DATE: TOPIC
07 March 2000 Education Budget Workshop (joint meeting)
04 April 2000 Higher Education Systems (joint meeting)
Transformation and Trends
18 April 2000 Teacher Policy (joint meeting)
- Human Resource Development
- Right sizing
- Re-employment of Maths and Science teachers
- Teacher Appraisal Systems
- Teacher Deployment
Proposal to invite provinces to this meeting.

3. TOURS:
National Tours:
March - April 2000 Free State and Northern Province
- investigate School Sports Development
compare examination pass rates
Foresight Programme launch in March
International Tours:
25 June - 1 July 2000 Australian Tour
- investigate Outcome-based Education