Avril Joffe

Avril Joffe is an economic sociologist with more than 20 years professional experience in the field of cultural policy, culture and development and the cultural economy primarily on the African continent. She is the head of Cultural Policy and Management at the Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, a Post Graduate programme with degrees from Honours, Masters and PhD and which has electives at 3^rd and 4^th year for all students in the divisions of the Wits School of Arts.  Since 2011 Avril has been an active member of the UNESCO’s Panel of Experts for Cultural Policy and Governance undertaking missions to support governments in developing cultural policies, cultural industry strategies, reporting on their implementation of the UNESCO Convention, writing training manuals and contributing to the Global Monitoring Report. Avril was appointed to the Ministerial review panel for the 1996 White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage to draft a revised cultural policy for South Africa.  Avril is on the board of the National Arts Council and chair of Audit and Risk for the NAC.