South African contemporary dance funding: perceptions of choreographers in the contemporary dance industry, in relation to shifting funding frameworks.
Date
2008-06-24T11:19:17Z
Authors
O'Connell, Jane Louise
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Abstract
Abstract
The past ten years have been a time of great change, development, growth and expansion in South Africa. Despite the necessary focus on pressing social issues such as housing and education, the arts have been regarded with great interest and care too. Our new democracy, housing a multitude of cultures and means of expression, continues to stress the importance and benefits the arts have to offer. In order to support this emphasis on promoting sustainability and improving accessibility, a variety of public and private funding bodies have been established. But these bodies have not always been positively received and issues of funding remain controversial.
This paper investigates the perceptions of contemporary dance choreographers towards the state of contemporary dance funding in South Africa. In order to accurately gauge these perceptions, quantitative and qualitative research took place. Quantitative research maps out an approximation of funds awarded to contemporary dance by government bodies, private organisations and a combination of the two between 1994 and 2006, namely the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT), Business and the Arts South Africa (BASA), the National Arts Council (NAC) and the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). In order to gather the qualitative information surrounding these perceptions, a total of 11 interviews were conducted and 14 questionnaires were answered. The choreographers contributing to the research were participants of the 2006 FNB Dance Umbrella. What resulted is an alarmingly negative response from the practitioners, and evidence that funding bodies are also struggling to live up to the increasing demands being placed on them.