Sustainability of the KwaZulu-Natal creative sector: The KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts as a case study

Abstract

This dissertation explores factors impacting sustainability in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) visual arts and crafts domain of the creative sector – and how these have played out in the case study, the KwaZulu- Natal Society of Arts (KZNSA), since its formation in 1905 and especially since 2000. The study asks how collaboration and refusal could contribute to the sustainability of the KZNSA. The theoretical framework of the study is grounded in sustainability theory and, using systems theory, explores modes of participation, whether collaboration or refusal and the resulting energy or inertia. It looks at how these could build on the latent talent and the tendency towards innovation found in KZN, and how they may contribute towards sustainability in the creative sector. The ecosystem of the case study, the KZNSA, contains the operating divisions of the organisation – the gallery, the shop and the café. Initiatives undertaken by these divisions such as forays into artist incubation projects, the Members’ Exhibition, education programming, gallery retail, online retail and art fairs are used to exemplify how collaboration and/or refusal impact the sustainability of the organisation. The operating divisions and their projects are themselves contained within a system of member-based governance with the KZNSA members, the Council and the Constitution as constituent elements in play. Broad themes describe the activities and context of the organisation – the environment, programming and commerce – and frame the interactions between entities in the KZNSA system. The focus of the study is to examine the dynamics between these entities, how they interact with each other and the resulting energy or inertia generated. This in turn provides clues to sustainable practice for the organisation that could be applied to the KZN creative sector.