In its continued effort to optimize the economic benefit and the development of the arts in South Africa, the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture once again announces the opening of Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) open call grant funding applications to the cultural and creative industries.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture embarked on the strategy to reposition the arts, culture, and heritage sector as key players in the government’s programme of action for social cohesion, the creation of sustainable jobs and ensuring social and economic development.
Workstreams
Objective: Audience development & consumption
Cultural events
Touring ventures
Cultural precincts
Artists in schools
Objective: Stimulate demand
Public Art
Art Bank
Identified legacy projects
Objective: Human capital development
Training and Skills Development
Objective: Research & statistics
Cultural observatory
Objective: Market expansion and sustainability
Venture Capital
Objective: Early stage and start up investment
Debut Fund
Cultural Events
Objectives
To support diverse arts and culture events in celebration of 30 years of Democracy in South Africa. The year 2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of democracy in South Africa
To support local economic development and job creation imperatives.
To develop and maintain audiences.
Criteria
Theme – Celebration of 30 years of Democracy in South Africa.
The year 2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of democracy in South Africa.
Job Creation & Local Economic Development
Extent to which women, youth and people with disabilities enjoy a share of ownership, participation and employment,
the cost per job/work opportunity,
Geographically spread within a locality/district
Extent to which rural areas in a local district enjoy a share of participation
Audience Development
Profile existing audiences and newly targeted audience based on projections of a success grant award
Social Cohesion
The extent to which communities are integrated and involved in the project.
Diversity of programming, content and audiences.
Grant Threshold
The maximum available grant is R 2 million per grant per beneficiary
Touring Ventures
Objectives
To facilitate cultural and creative products touring internationally to develop and explore new markets and provide employment opportunities for cultural and creative practitioners/artists.
Showcase and promote diverse South African cultural and creative products.
Compulsory – Applicants must produce a letter/invitation confirming their participation from an organization/counterpart inviting them.
Criteria
An existing cultural and creative product.
To an extent that the existing product can demonstrate that it is viable, marketable and potentially profitable.
Job Creation & Local Economic Development
Extent to which women, youth and people with disabilities enjoy a share of ownership, participation and employment,
the cost per job/work opportunity,
the number of jobs/work opportunities created for cultural and creative practitioners/ artists.
Market Access/Development
Extent to which the event will extend the market potential of participants
Provide details of the potential market that is being explored and/or developed.
Creative: Innovation & Competitiveness
Distinctiveness of the proposed project.
Quality of the cultural and creative programme content.
Grant Threshold: The maximum available grant is R 1 million per grant per beneficiary.
Public Art
Objectives
To beautify and promote the use of open public space.
To develop and stipulate demand for cultural and creative products.
To promote involvement in the arts by the general public.
To support diverse arts events which are geographically spread
Criteria
To beautify and promote the use of open public space.
The Public Art project must be outdoors in an open public space accessible to the public.
Stimulate demand for cultural and creative activities/products.
outline the role of the project in stimulating demand for arts, culture and heritage activities based on projections of a success grant award.
To promote involvement in the arts, culture and heritage by the general public.
Showcase and promote diverse South African artistic and creative skills.
Profile and promote cultural and creative practitioners/artists within a locality.
Job Creation & Local Economic Development
Extent to which women, youth and people with disabilities enjoy a share of ownership, participation and employment,
the cost per job/work opportunity,
the number of jobs/work opportunities created for cultural and creative practitioners/artists.
Grant Threshold: The maximum available grant is R 500 000 per grant per beneficiary.
Eligibility Criteria
This call is open to all tax compliant South African Citizens owned and managed arts, culture and heritage organizations and enterprises that have independent legal status i.e. are registered as a Non-Profit Company, a Public Limited Company.
No beneficiary will be awarded two DSAC grants simultaneously, regardless of the size of the grant, sourced from any DSAC programme, in any given year. Organizations must declare any other involvement with DSAC.
Only one application per organization/company in one funding cycle is allowed.
Depending on the total budget and the scale of the project preference will be given to projects that are co-financed or part-financed or have any other form of partnerships Proof of such commitment must be provided.
Administrative Criteria
The following will lead to automatic disqualification:
Provision of dishonest and inaccurate information.
Incomplete submission of Application Form, Proposal and/or Compliance Documentation.
Submission of applications that do not adhere to the format and length guidelines established.
Failure to disclose any conflicts of interest.
Failure to disclose any funding secured for the project being applied for and/or any current working being undertaken for the DSAC.
Project timeframe falls outside of stated funding timeframes.
