SACO drives nationwide workshop series to build creative industry capacity

A capacity building workshop series, delivered by the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) on behalf of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), reached more than 400 creatives in rural and urban areas, and online, over the past two months.

A total of eight workshops were held across the country in towns such as Upington and Mmbatho, villages like Hamburg, and cities like Gqeberha and Polokwane.

The topics and speakers represented the crème of the creative crop, drawing on the expertise of, for example renowned artists Dolla Sapeta and Lizo Pemba; business experts Akhona Tota, Professor Margie Cullen, and Saki Zamxaka; and sector savants such as Victor Dlamini, Mike Pantsi, Kayise Nqgula and Thembeka Mlauli.

These experts hosted various workshops on art practice mastery, entrepreneurship, strategy, coaching for creatives, photography, finance literacy and access to funding.

“Building capacity is not only about pure training,” said Unathi Lutshaba, SACO executive director. “It’s about inspiring and engaging.”

“The people who partnered with SACO to deliver the 8 workshops during February and March did that – because they are embedded in the industry and have the experience and passion to impart their knowledge and help current creatives and the next generation to do better work.”

Capacity and connection

The workshop series was well received by an industry hungry for this type of knowledge and expertise.

The Masakhane Arts Centre in Upington haled the event on fashion under the topic “from the design desk to the retailer”, hosted by Dr. Thembi Mlauli and delivered in collaboration with the Children of the Soil, Arts Affair Festival, at the centre.

It said: “[This event] shows a greater need for more capacity building programmes for creatives in disadvantaged areas.”

The participants learned practical information about garment-making and the value chain; and the promise of future opportunities for when the next garment production call comes out.

Famous journalist Victor Dlamini’s photography masterclass at the Polokwane Arts Centre was powerful and insuring, attendees said.

He was also moved by workshop, saying it really delivered value.

“It was clear that the community of artists, photographers and content creators had specific technical issues that they were interested in. They were also interested in the business of photography and how to make a living from it,” he said.

“For many of the participants there’s a desire to combine insights on the art as well as the business of making a living from their art.”

Prof. Cullen’s virtual masterclass on entrepreneurship was also well received. Her insights were moving and perspective-changing, many of the participants said.

Prof. Cullen noted that “the problem with ‘want to be’ entrepreneurs is that they are not entrepreneurially alert and do not have the characteristics or mindset of an entrepreneur”.

 “The workshop helps them to think differently, and by doing so move from desire to doing,” she said.

The Igogogo workshop, part of the ‘Creative Human Rights Festival’ in Hamburg (Peddie) at the Keiskamma Music Academy, and facilitated by Mike Pantsi and Kayise Ngqula, was the first of its kind in Hamburg.

The art of chess was used to train creatives to think outside the box and become self-sufficient by embracing critical thinking when making business moves rather than relying on government assistance.

The future of capacity-building

The SACO, which enters a third five-year contract with the DSAC in April 2023, will continue its work to deliver both capacity building workshops and workshops which share the results of the SACO’s research.

“We are learned that the industry wants and needs both skills and information,” said Sinethemba Vitshima, a researcher at the SACO who attended the majority of the workshops over the past two months. “If they have both they are empowered to become better at their craft or practice and to consider their impact on the industry too.”