Pretoria – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture has allocated R2 million in this current financial year for its Grant-In-Aid funding, which assists emerging arts and culture organisations.
“We aim to uplift communities and the arts sector as a whole through initiatives such as this programme,” provincial Arts and Culture MEC Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha said.
Applications for funding are now open to non-profit groups and cooperatives aimed at youth, women and children as well as people living with disabilities in the province.
“Distribution of these funds will be administered by the KwaZulu-Natal Arts and Culture Council and is dependent on a number of criteria, including that the projects must be sustainable and must create job opportunities,” KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture Spokesperson Lethukuthula Mtshali said.
He said demarcation, in terms of the districts, will also play a role to ensure that organisations across the province are considered.
The council will also conduct unplanned visits to beneficiaries to ensure the funds are used correctly.
Selected organisations will be allocated between R30 000 and R60 000. The funds will go towards equipment, training, stipends, raw material, audit fees, travelling expenses and production costs.
“Groups that have been funded twice will not be considered, with the exception of organisations in rural areas that have shown significant merit,” Mtshali said.
Organisations that require funding for on-going administrative or operating costs, purchasing vehicles and office equipment, religious, military or police activities, building or renovating an existing facility, will not be considered.
Interested parties can collect application forms from the department’s regional offices (Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Ladysmith and uLundi) or download them from the department’s website http://www.kzndac.gov.za/.
The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2015. – SAnews.gov.za
