ZOOMING IN ON COMMUNITY ARTS: REDRESS, RETHINKING AND REPOSITIONING FROM THE GROUND UP In the spirit of the National Dialogue, it is time to zoom in — not on policy statements alone, but on the lived realities of Community Arts across South Africa. In this country, every five years, we make sure that all wards are counted during national and local elections. Ballot boxes reach deep rural villages, townships and informal settlements. Voters are registered, stations are opened, and the language of inclusion becomes non-negotiable. Yet when it comes to service delivery, infrastructure, sustained funding and cultural development, many of these same wards are quietly forgotten. We cannot speak about the arts in South Africa without speaking honestly about arts in our communities. Community Arts is not an “entry level” or “developmental” phase of the sector — it is the foundation. It is where creativity is first discovered, skills are formed, stories are shaped, and social cohesion is prac...

SATURDAY EDITION |  ARTS, CULTURE & COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Why Spotlight on Tembisa Theatre Week? Why a Conversation with Mxolisi “The Great” Masilela? Because sometimes the most powerful cultural revolutions do not begin in boardrooms or capital cities — they are born in communities, shaped by visionaries, and sustained by relentless belief in the power of the arts. Under the capable and visionary leadership of Mxolisi “The Great” Masilela, CEO & Artistic Director of TX Theatre, the Moses Molelekwa Arts Centre in Tembisa has been transformed into far more than a local venue. It has evolved into a recognised and respected theatre space with international presence, proving that world-class theatre does not require world-class privilege — only world-class vision and execution. Tembisa Theatre Week has since grown into a vibrant hub of theatrical excellence, a meeting point for practitioners, audiences, and communities to experience the kind of bold, honest and innovative th...

  FRIDAY EDITION | PODCAST / MULTIMEDIA  IS ART POLITICS, OR HAS POLITICS MASTERED THE ART? By Thami akaMbongo Manzana.        Let us stop pretending. In South Africa, art has always been political. But what we are witnessing today forces us to ask a far more disturbing question: Has politics mastered the art of performance so well that we can no longer tell conviction from convenience? To understand this moment, one must revisit a parliamentary episode that shook the Cultural and Creative Industries. At the centre of it was Liam Jacobs, then a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA), relentlessly questioning Minister Gayton McKenzie and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) on the National Arts Council (NAC) adjudication and board processes. Liam Jacobs did not whisper. He did not flatter. He confronted. Central to the interrogation was the National Arts Council (NAC) Board and adjudication processes , particularly conce...

  THURSDAY EDITION |  FUNDING / OPPORTUNITIES / INDUSTRY NOTICES   WHAT PRACTITIONERS NEED TO KNOW, PREPARE, AND GET RIGHT January 2026 presents two critical funding opportunities for the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) in South Africa.  While both are state-funded and aim to strengthen the sector, they serve very different purposes, support different stages of organisational growth, and require different types of preparedness. These are: 1. Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Open Call – 2026/27 2. National Arts Council (NAC) Arts Organisation Support Funding (AOSF) – 2025–2028 Understanding the differences, similarities, and compliance expectations between these two opportunities is key to avoiding unnecessary disqualifications and missed opportunities.                             Image: DSAC Logo      (Source: DSAC) WHY THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE SIGNIFICANT 1. They Address ...