Note from the Culturalist - CEO

LOUIS L'Amour said, 'There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning.' In many respects, this is the end of something and the birth of something new. Nelson Mandela University - and its partners, the Universities of Rhodes and Fort Hare - are concluding the three-year South African Cultural Observatory contract with the Department of Arts & Culture.

THE South African Cultural Observatory 2018 International Conference programme represents a cross-section of global and local research and sector status snapshots. We are very excited to be hosting our third international conference at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth next week on 7 and 8 March.

IT IS an exciting time for the South African Cultural Observatory led by a consortium headed by Nelson Mandela University. We are wrapping on what has been a three-year-long contract with the Department of Arts and Culture and we are preparing to bid to host the SACO again.

WELCOME to the conference edition of the newsletter. This month we moved swifly to launch the SACO's 2018 Conference website, announce the conference theme, issue out a call for papers, and open registration. We have a very exciting international conference coming up that is both forward and backward looking as we seek of view 'Beyond the Creative Economy: Trends and Issues in National and Regional Economies’.

IT IS conference planning season for the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO). This means an intense review of the trends and research emerging from the creative and cultural industries (CCIs) and the arts, culture and heritage (ACH) sectors. I spent three weeks recently travelling to Europe and the United Kingdom, which gave me some real first hand insight to some of the most pressing issues on the minds of many thinkers, academics, researchers, economists and policy-makers. There is much to be excited about.

GREETINGS from Toulouse. I am in France building stronger international relations with French institutions. It was also Heritage Month in September and we have been considering the importance of heritage in the arts, culture and heritage matrix. At the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) heritage is a critical consideration for us and in general for the country, and specifically for the Department of Arts & Culture.

WOMEN are, in many ways, shaping the future of the creative industries. Last year Prof Jen Snowball, SACO Chief Research Strategist, compressed data from National Mapping Study of the creative and cultural industries released in 2014, and published this article in The Conversation – From the stage to the boardroom: South African women make slow transition.

NELSON Mandela once said: ‘I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.’ In July the incredible leader was front and centre as we not only celebrated his birthday through the now globally renowned 67 Minutes and Mandela Day initiative, but also in the re-naming of Nelson Mandela University.

YOUNG people will shape the cultural and creative economy of the future. While they have always been at the forefront of the culture and content of cool, now more than ever it is important to consider the value, power and role of the youth in building and sustaining this economy.

THE #SACOConf2017 was a real celebration of the current and future potential of the creative economy. Please enjoy this special edition newsletter which focuses on highlighting some of the speeches and insights offered - and which also covers the emerging trends, the critical debates and access to the presentations.

IT’S ALL systems go for the second South African Cultural Observatory National Conference on May 24 and 25 in Johannesburg. We are very excited to present a dynamic and varied programme – featuring a wide range of global, African and local speakers and perspectives; especially since it’s Africa Day on May 25.

THE South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) has completed its second year of operation – and we are truly coming into our own.