Careers, Scholarships and Opportunities

Six young South African artists were the successful winners and recipients of the Standard Bank Young Artists for 2021. The fortunate artists are Kristi-Leigh Gresse (Dance), Vuma Levin (Jazz), Buhlebezwe Siwani (Visual Art), Cara Stacey (Music), Gavin Krastin (Performance Art) and Thando Doni (Theatre).

As I write this, we are closing off the Heritage Month in SA, a period during which many South Africans make a deliberate effort to celebrate both their living and intangible cultural heritage in visible ways.

The South African creative industry can be proud of the talent it continues to produce and is appreciated beyond our shores. The country’s talent impresses audiences across the world. Thuso Mbedu is one such young talent to emerge from here and is doing amazing work on a world stage showcasing raw South African talent.

Africa’s creative economies got a shot in the arm with the recent publication of a report by London’s King’s College. The report, titled Understanding And Supporting Creative Economies In Africa presents a critical discussion on the role of creative intermediaries, focusing specifically on their contribution to the development of creative economies in Africa.

From 15 – 21 November, Durban will be host to the Intra African Trade Fair with a strong focus on the African Creative economy. The Trade Fair (IATF2021), a platform to promote trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), is billed to be an event that will bring together continental and global buyers and sellers and enable stakeholders to share trade, investment and market information as well as trade finance and trade facilitation solutions designed to support intra-African trade and the economic integration of the continent.