Media Releases 2014 - 2010
The Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Joe Phaahla will officially launch the second phase of South African Classics, a project funded from the Conditional Grant at the National Library of South Africa's Pretoria campus. The South African book chain industry and the public have been invited to this auspicious occasion to honour and recognize the South African indigenous language classic writers.
On 20 November 2010, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile will be a key-note speaker at the Ambrosetti Forum where he will speak under the theme “Culture for development in emerging countries”. Since 1975, Ambrosetti has been running a Forum called "Business strategies: the scenario for today and tomorrow" at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio in the north of Italy. The forum is usually attended by Heads of States, former Heads of States, Ministers, top representatives of European institutions, Nobel laureates and experts from around the world. The Forum facilitates discussions on issues of greatest impact on the global economy and society as a whole.
“Heartiest Congratulations to William Kentridge for being awarded this year’s prestigious Kyoto Award in the category of arts and philosophy”, said Minister Paul Mashatile, upon hearing that he received this award, comparable to the Nobel Prize, Japan’s highest private award for global achievements given out annually.
William Kentridge was given this award for his famous body of work, known as “drawings-in-motion” reflecting the history and social circumstances of South Africa. The Kyoto Foundation stated that though his work focused on South Africa, “they had acquired universality through their deep insight and profound reflections on the nature of human existence”.
PRETORIA: Today the Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Lulu Xingwana, met representatives of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, Mr Zev Krengel, the National Chairman, and Ms Wendy Kahn, the National Director.
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Lulu Xingwana, arrived in Vietnam today to strengthen cultural relations between the Republic of South Africa and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Minister Xingwana is accompanied by Mr. Vusi Ndima, the Acting Deputy Director-General of Heritage Promotion in the Department of Arts and Culture.
The Ministry of Arts and Culture condemns Mr Sipho Sithole’s manipulation of the media for the purposes of furthering his own personal interest in a matter that should be ventilated through the courts where Mr Sithole claims damages in the region of R10 million.
The Minister’s legal team has advised her not to engage in litigation through the media, but rather to allow all the matters to be revealed in court in due course.
Minister Xingwana rejects with contempt the malicious and contrived allegations of Mr Sithole.
Minister Xingwana wishes to put it on record that these allegations have been trumped up.
The term of office of the Director-General (DG) of the Department of Arts and Culture, Mr Thembinkosi Philemon Wakashe, has come to an end. Mr Wakashe will leave the Department at the end of September 2010. His term of office comes to an end after 14 years of service to the people of South Africa, especially those in the arts, culture and heritage sector.
One of the highlights of his career was in 2005 when he chaired the meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Durban. The World Heritage Committee manages and is responsible for the implementation of the Convention concerning the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
National Book Week is proving to be a major reading promotion initiative across South Africa. Only in its second year of running, the campaign has received endorsements from a wide range of stakeholders.
First established in September 2010 by the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) in association with the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), National Book Week is a period for the promotion of a culture of reading and writing. The objective is to create a platform where government, the book sector and civil society can establish dynamic partnerships to promote access to books and contribute towards the creation of a reading society.
The 2010 National Arts Festival is going to be a massive global celebration of the Arts – as we welcome thousands of international visitors to our shores and showcase the best in South African and international theatre, dance, music, jazz, visual art, comedy, film and more.
The Main Programme of the National Arts Festival is compiled from proposals that are reviewed by a Festival Committee. The Fringe Festival has no selection criteria and is open to all artists who register to present their artistic work.
Proposals for consideration for the Main Programme need to be submitted in writing to reach the Festival Director no later than 15 August 2009.
As announced by President Jacob Zuma in his state of the nation address, South Africa will this year mark the 50th anniversary of Human Rights Day. In order to honour the 180 injured individuals and the 69 heroes and heroines who were killed during the protest, government has decided to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre on 21 March, Human Rights Day at Sharpeville Cricket Pitch next to George Thabe soccer stadium, Gauteng Province.