The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) announced a call for proposals for MGE on the 1^st of June 2021. The department concluded the MGE adjudication on 31^st October 2021 with grant letters issued to Cultural Events category of beneficiaries on the 12^th of November 2021 following a standard due diligence process.

This is in addition to the Public Art and Touring Ventures results that were also released in the month of October. In this category of proposals, 689 applications were received for Public Art with 422 for Touring Ventures. Successful applicants for Public Art totalled 45 and 49 for Touring Ventures.

For Cultural Events proposals a total of 2 583 proposals were received of which it was only possible to support and approve 264.  A list of successful applicants is available on the department’s website at www.dac.gov.za.

The Department received a record number of applications compared to the previous years. In 2021/22 the Department received a total of 3 694 applications. This, in comparison to proposals received in 2019/20 that totalled 1 298 and 1 060 in 2018/19. The 2020/21 open call for proposals was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Enquires related to the MGE open call grant should be directed to the email address mge@dsac.gov.za  and Toll free Number: 0800 724 278

The release of the results also takes place in the context of a creative sector’s stakeholder engagement meeting convened by the department on the 5^th of November 2021. Whilst using this occasion to update the sector on numerous issues of interest and preferred working relations, the department made strong appeals for more collaborative relationships across the creative sector as well as with government. In particular, tendencies of slandering to the point of using misinformation was highlighted as a practice which needed to be halted and for energies to rather be invested in frank, robust, constructive, and forward-looking engagements that will propel the growth of the sector.

Other issues emanating from this stakeholder consultation includes: -

• As in other sectors and is practice across the state, Government prefers to engage with a structure which enjoys the creative sector’s support as opposed to individuals
• Whilst appreciative of the funding allocated thus far, resources availed are insufficient to provide for the needs of the sector and needs to be revisited
• There was a need for capacity building programmes that will assist artists to draft business proposals, develop entrepreneurship skills as well as digital skills.
• The department should work with the sector to conduct workshops that will assist with how to submit appropriate proposals.
• There must be improved communication and there is a need for more regular direct interaction between the department and the sector.
• Different sector organisations must improve ways of collaboration and working relations. There must be reconciliation of differences in the sector to ensure when engaging the department there is a legitimate single voice and collectivism instead of representations based on individual preferences.

Due to a host of issues emanating from the stakeholder engagement meeting that could not be concluded, it was agreed to have another session on the 22^nd of November 2021.

It is the hope of the department that through these consultations, a model for continued engagement will be found to ensure Government is able to continuously liaise and relate with a forum or body that is representative of the creative sector’s interest.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms Zimasa Velaphi

Head of Communications & Marketing

Contacts: Cell, 072 172 8925 / Email: ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za

Issued by the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture