29 October 2012

The Department of Arts and Culture hosted a two-day Visual Arts Indaba-Towards a Visual Arts Framework last week at the Cedar Park Conference Centre, Johannesburg.
The purpose of the Visual Arts Indaba was to report back to the sector on the findings of commissioned research that analysed the sector and looked into ways to improve the viability of Visual Arts in South Africa.
The Indaba provided a platform for government and the sector to jointly review and finalise the recommendations of the research report. The indaba discussed topics such as Policy and Advocacy, Funding, Skills Development & Training, Promotion & Marketing as well as Institutions & Heritage.
The delegates overwhelmingly expressed optimism on the growth and development of visual arts and maintained that the success of the sector rested in all of them, not the Department of Arts and Culture alone.
The Indaba agreed to the formation of a Visual Arts Task Team that would serve to guide the implementation of recommendations intended to strengthen the visual arts in South Africa. The submission of nominations was extended to 30 November 2012, and the forms are available on the DAC website. www.dac.gov.za The Task Team will be appointed by the Minister of Arts and Culture. Forms can also be obtained by sending an e-mail to Andries.oberholzer@dac.gov.za.
The Indaba was attended by representatives from Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces. Industry institutions that attended included VANSA, South African National Association of Visual Arts (SANAVA), Limpopo Arts and Culture, National Arts Council, FUNDA Centre, Bag Factory, Business Arts South Africa, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Art and Ubuntu Trust, IZIKO Museums of South Africa, City of CapeTown, City of Johannesburg, UNISA, University of Johannesburg, Vaal University of Technology, etc.

DECLARATION:
We the delegates of the Visual Arts Industry Indaba declare that we:
*Support and ratify the recommendations emanating from the research report, taking into account the specific inputs and recommendations that have been put forward during the past two days.
*Acknowledge that many of the issues raised cut across all cultural industries and heritage.
*Agree that the short term action plans emanating from the discussions will be developed.
*Concurrent to the above, we acknowledge that all matters require an integrated approach and require content strategies.

RESOLUTION

We resolve that Department of Arts Culture (DAC) will take forward the following:
*To incorporate the inputs made over the past two days into the recommendations document.

*Distribute a revised draft of the recommendations to all stakeholders, and to translate the recommendations into other official South African languages.

*In order to ensure that the greatest possible cross-section of interests are represented on the proposed team and inform the final draft of the recommendations, DAC will extend the nomination process until the 30th of November 2012, and additionally allow for written inputs on the proposed recommendations to be made until this date. To this end, a national call out will be placed on the Department’s website and on the Conference Indaba’s website and circulated through our stakeholders networks.

*We agree to the principle of the Task Team and the proposed core functions of the task team.  A technical Terms of Reference document will be generated based on consensus on these core issues.

The proposed term of office of the task team would be for an initial two year period, with a review of progress made informing the approach that would subsequently be taken.

Visual Arts Task Team Terms of Reference

*Finalise a consolidated set of recommendations and action plans associated with each.
*Provide leadership and oversight with regard to the implementation of these recommendations.
*Ensure consultation and communication with the widest possible cross section of the visual arts sector with regard to the implementation of these recommendations.
*Engage with all stakeholders to produce a coherent and comprehensive approach to implementation.

Issued by the Department of Arts and Culture
Enquiries                               : Mack Lewele 082 450 5076/012 441 3083

Nomination for the Visual Arts Task Team (VATT) form

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