19th Annual BASA Award Finalists Announced
A total of 44 finalists are in the running for South Africa’s preeminent awards celebrating business and arts partnerships.
The 19th Annual BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard & Business Day, reveal a diverse array of partnerships, with strong contention in all eleven categories that were open for entry in this year’s awards.
“The diversity and range of the finalists proves that the shared value of arts-business partnerships plays a significant role in bringing arts to many different communities around the country” comments Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa.
Heidi Brauer, Chief Marketing Officer at Hollard concurs. “It’s wonderful to see that all facets of the arts have been recognised in this year’s finalists. We love being a part of something that contributes so much towards making all of South Africa’s creative industries sustainable and that demonstrates the immense power of partnership.”
“Once again, it was an intense and difficult task to choose the finalists,” adds Gianni Mariano, chairperson of the BASA Awards judging panel. “It is always heartening to see partnerships that have sustained themselves over years and earned nominations again this year. It is also very gratifying to see the number of new partnerships that have emerged as finalists, especially those in the first-time sponsorship category.”
Particularly noteworthy this year are the finalists in the Beyond Borders Partnership Award, which recognises global-level partnerships that build brand reputation and audience for both the business and arts organisations across international borders through an event or marketing project showcasing South Africa to Africa and the rest of the world, and/or bringing international arts projects to South Africa. In this category, SAMRO & the Royal Norwegian Embassy’s partnership with Concerts SA is in the running, along with ABSA’s partnership with the Barclays L’Atelier, Lanxess (Pty) Ltd’s partnership with Music is a Great Investment (MIAGI) and Spier Wine Farm’s Spier dancing in other words Poetry Festival.
The Cultural Tourism Award, proudly supported by Nedbank, took the place of the Art and Environment category as a way of recognising business support of arts and culture projects which contribute towards the sustainability of this increasingly important sector. Of the four finalists, three are festivals – Standard Bank of South Africa Limited for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Transnet SOC Ltd for the National Arts Festival and Die Burger for Suidoosterfees – underscoring the growing importance of arts festivals in drawing tourists, both domestic and international, to different parts of the country.
The fourth finalist in the category is Kirchhoff Professional Surveyors for its partnership with Eland and Benko 2015 (#firegrazer) by Hannelie Coetzee, a context specific artwork and science experiment launched as part of the Nirox Winter Sculpture Fair 2015.
There are a number of businesses whose partnerships have received multiple nominations. One of these is Nando’s Chickenland (Pty) Ltd, which has received a nomination in the Innovation Award category for Nando’s Heartfelt Celebration of South African Design as well as two nominations – Increasing Access to the Arts Award and Strategic Project Award – for the Broken Monsters Charity Art Show brought to you by Nando’s.
Winners of the 19th Annual BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard & Business Day, will be announced at an event in September that draws inspiration from the theme of “Creative Furnace”.
“Creative energy, manifesting through the arts, is empowering and provides expression where other channels may not be accessible or exist,” explains Lakin Morgan-Baatjies, BASA’s Marketing Manager. “This is especially important at a time of volatility but also heightened awareness such as we’re experiencing in this beautiful country of ours at the moment.”
This year’s BASA Award judges include; Gianni Mariano, co-founder and CEO of the Mastrantonio group of companies, BASA board member and BASA Awards Chairman; Dali Tambo, media and heritage-tourism entrepreneur; Mandie van der Spuy, arts consultant and BASA board member; Kojo Baffoe, founder of Project Fable, Director at Kwaya Holdings and entrepreneur; Nicolette du Plessis, CEO of the Field Band Foundation; Theresho Selesho, Director, Business Development at Boondoggle SA and entrepreneur; Christina Kennedy, arts and culture journalist and commentator; and Fikile Moeti, 5fm DJ and social entrepreneur.
19th Annual BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard & Business Day, Finalists
Innovation Award
• Coca-Cola Southern Africa – Celebrating 100 Years of the Coke Contour Bottle
• PPC Ltd – PPC Imaginarium
• Spier Wine Farm – Spier Arts Wine Range
• Nando’s Chickenland (Pty) Ltd – Nando’s Heartfelt Celebration of South African Design
First Time Sponsor Award
• Gordon Institute of Business Science – South African Fine Art Print Fair – FAP
• Gooderson Kloppenheim Country Estate Hotel – The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative Mpumalanga Arts Project (MAP) and Official Opening of Ebhudlweni Art Centre
• Keystone Apparel – Timberland – Kingsmead Book Fair
• SA Taxi Foundation – SA Taxi Foundation Art Award
Increasing Access to the Arts Award
• SAMRO & Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Concerts SA
• ABSA – Barclays L’Atelier
• Nando’s Chickenland (Pty) Ltd – Broken Monsters Charity Art Show brought to you by Nando’s
• The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited – Standard Bank Joy of Jazz
Beyond Borders Partnership Award
• Lanxess (Pty) Ltd – Music is a Great Investment (MIAGI) ‘Deepening Non-Racialism Concert’ with opening words by Ahmed Kathrada
• SAMRO & Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Concerts SA
• Spier Wine Farm – Spier dancing in other words Poetry Festival
• ABSA – Barclays L’Atelier
Long Term Partnership Award
• Sasol Ltd – Sasol New Signatures Art Competition
• Nedbank Arts Affinity – The ACT Professional Development Programme
• TOTAL South Africa (Pty) Ltd – The Buskaid Academy of String Teaching and Performance
• Transnet SOC Ltd – National Arts Festival
Media Sponsorship Award
• DeskLink Media / Creative Feel – Greg Maqoma and Friends
• Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) – RSG Kunstefees 2015
• Die Burger – Suidoosterfees
• DeskLink Media / Creative Feel – Gauteng Opera Productions
Strategic Project Award
• Nando’s Chickenland (Pty) Ltd – Broken Monsters Charity Art Show brought to you by Nando’s
• PPC Ltd – PPC Imaginarium
• Interactive Africa & Nedbank – Sophiatown Remembrance Screen
• Strauss & Co Fine Art Auctioneers – Artist Proof Studio Education Endowment Auction
Small Business Award
• Mathews and Associates Architects – Cool Capital Documentation Project
• Kirchhoff Professional Surveyors – Eland and Benko 2015 (#firegrazer) by Hannelie Coetzee
• Pam Golding Properties Knysna & Plettenberg Bay – The Knysna Literary Festival
Sponsorship In Kind Award
• Pattern Matched Technologies – Capacity Building for Change: an ongoing intervention for Artist Proof Studio
• Meropa Communications – Moving into Dance Mophatong
• ABSA – Artist Proof Studio’s Education Endowment Auction and Hot off the Press Exhibition
• Gooderson Kloppenheim Country Estate Hotel – The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative Mpumalanga Arts Project (MAP) and Official Opening of Ebhudlweni Art Centre
Development Award
• TOTAL South Africa (Pty) Ltd – The Buskaid Trust
• Distell (Pty) Ltd – The Magnet Theatre Educational Trust Fulltime Training and Job Creation Programme
• Deutsche Bank South Africa Foundation – Little Artists School Project
• Rand Merchant Bank – Boitumelo (Outreach Foundation)
Cultural Tourism Award, supported by Nedbank
• The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited – Standard Bank Joy of Jazz
• Kirchhoff Professional Surveyors – Eland and Benko 2015 (#firegrazer) by Hannelie Coetzee
• Transnet SOC Ltd – National Arts Festival
• Die Burger – Suidoosterfees
For more information regarding the BASA Awards, please contact Lakin Morgan-Baatjies on lakin@basa.co.za or 011 447-2295
About BASA (NPC):
Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is an internationally recognised South African development agency with a suite of integrated programmes implemented nationally and internationally. BASA encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts, securing the future development of the arts sector in South Africa and contributing to corporate success through Shared Value. Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of the Department of Arts and Culture and the business sector as a public/private partnership. For more information on Business and Arts South Africa contact us on 011 447 2281 or visit our website: www.basa.co.za
