ACT and JTI collaborate on new Lifetime Achievement Award

This year the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) reaches yet another milestone as its annual ACT Awards programme grows from strength to strength.

Celebrating 21 years of existence and 18 years of the ACT Awards in 2015, South Africa’s premier independent arts funding and development agency is excited to announce an additional category in the prestigious Lifetime Achievements Awards. Not only is ACT delighted to have the Dance Lifetime Achievement Award debut at this year’s ceremony but they are also excited to have Japan Tobacco International (JTI) come on board to support this specific accolade.

Today ACT announced the allocation of the Dance Lifetime Achievement Award which will be presented for the first time in the history of the awards, since their establishment in 1998. This is a monumental step from what began with one accolade being handed out for the first nine years of the awards, and gradually became five categories in a space of six years thereafter. This year, Dance will be added to the existing Lifetime Achievement Awards categories which include: Visual Arts, Theatre, Arts Advocacy, Music and Literature.

Sharing his views on the new partnership and award, ACT CEO Pieter Jacobs says: “The aim of the ACT Awards has always been to celebrate and acknowledge excellence and without this prestigious ceremony many luminaries who have been celebrated globally, would not be acknowledged for their valuable contributions locally. We saw it fit that this category be added going forth because our country has produced remarkable talent and individuals who have pioneered this trade both locally and abroad. We are also equally honoured to be in partnership with a brand such as JTI in honouring these mavens.”

The ACT awards also honour young professionals who have made great strides in the first five years of their careers and one of the focuses, and by far the biggest element of the event, is the Lifetime Achievement Awards segment. This prestigious part of the occasion is dedicated to celebrating individuals who have made a profound influence and contributed significantly to the enrichment of the arts and culture environment in South Africa during their lives.

Noting the new Lifetime Achievement Award for Dance, JTI’s Corporate Affairs and Legal Director Lizette Rau says: “JTI is thrilled to have partnered with ACT in introducing this award. Dance, in South Africa and abroad, is perhaps the most under-recognised and un-awarded of the arts disciplines. South Africa’s dancers and choreographers make a profound contribution to the local and international dance landscape and we thank ACT for affording JTI the opportunity to give them the recognition they so richly deserve.”

The Awards are set to take place on 2 November 2015 at Sun International’s The Maslow in Sandton, Johannesburg. For more information visit www.act.org.za

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)
The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is South Africa’s premier independent arts funding and development agency. The primary aim of ACT is to increase the amount of funding available for arts and culture initiatives, and to apply these funds to innovative, sustainable projects that make a meaningful contribution to society. Through structured funding programmes, ACT provides support for all expressions of arts and culture, including literature, music, visual art, theatre and dance, and the support extends to festivals, community arts initiatives, arts management, arts education and arts administration. Follow ACT on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/actorgza or like the Trust’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arts-Culture-Trust-ACT/162339817162875

About the Distell Foundation
Distell, one of South Africa’s premier producers of fine wines, spirits and ready to drink alcoholic beverages, has actively been supporting CSI (Corporate Social Investment) projects in communities where they have a business interest. Support is given through the Distell Foundation, by focusing on the development of the creative arts sector, especially emerging talent in the performing and visual arts. A big focus area of the foundation is the support of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention initiatives as well as youth development programmes which lead to individuals making healthy choices in life. Remedial art therapy programmes are also supported to assist vulnerable individuals who are affected by alcohol misuse. Other focus areas include Education, Skills Development (life skills and hard skills), Job Creation, and Environmental Conservation. For more information please visit www.distell.co.za

About Sun International
The Sun International Group has a diverse portfolio of assets including world class five star hotels, modern and well located casinos, and some of the world’s premier resorts. Their destinations offer experiential luxury, enduring quality and incredible adventure, supported by an authentic dedication to personal service. Their approach has been to differentiate their hotels, resorts and casinos in architecture, service, experience, location and the mix of entertainment and activities. Creating lasting memories for their guests and customers is a core part of their DNA. They’ve created some the world’s most iconic hotels ranging from The Royal Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls, to The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City and The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. They place a strong emphasis on being responsible corporate citizens through their contributions and commitment to the economy, communities and the environment. They are committed to the development of all their employees and they make sure that equal opportunities and economic empowerment form the backbone of their human resource practices.

About Nedbank Arts Affinity
The Nedbank Arts Affinity is a proud supporter of the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT). Since the inception of ACT in 1994, Nedbank has raised and distributed nearly R15 million through our Arts Affinity Programme, in support of more than 800 South African arts, culture and heritage development projects, at no cost to our clients. To open a Nedbank Arts Affinity account please visit any Nedbank branch or call 0860 555 111. For more information please visit www.nedbankarts.co.za

The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO)
Established in 1962, with the key objective to protect the intellectual property of its composer, songwriter, and publisher members, the organisation’s primary focus is to administer the various music rights of Copyright on behalf of writer and publisher members. The collecting society, as it is known, is mainly concerned with the collection of license fees for the use of its members’ musical works by various music users, the distribution of royalties to these members, and the promotion of Copyright law. For more information, please visit www.samro.org.za

The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO)
DALRO is a multi-purpose copyright society that collects royalties for the use of copyright-protected works on behalf of authors and publishers, which it then distributes back to the correct copyright-owner. As a custodian of copyright and the protection of rightsholders’ works, DALRO’s main areas of administration are reprographic reproduction rights (photocopying from published editions), public performance rights (including stage rights for book musicals and dramas) and reproduction rights (whether for publishing or copying) in works of visual art. For more information please visit www.dalro.co.za

About Media24 Books
Media24 Books is a division of Media24 and forms part of the Naspers group of companies. It comprises the trade publishers NB Publishers and Jonathan Ball Publishers, the schools publishing group Via Afrika Education, the higher education publisher Van Schaik Publishers and the book club business Leserskring/Leisure Books.

About Japan Tobacco International (JTI)
Japan Tobacco International (JTI) firmly believes in the fundamental role that arts and culture play in the development of a country and in the growth of local communities. The company’s commitment to culture is in fact part of its corporate values. Over the years, JTI has set itself apart through its special commitment to supporting cultural heritage projects in the countries where it operates.

A particular long term focus puts ethics at the core of JTI’s corporate citizenship – in all our business practices and dealings, is our committed approach to sustainability both within and without our organization, and in the partnerships into which we enter with our customers, shareholders, employees, wider society and, importantly, the communities in which we operate.

JTI supports many cultural institutions across the globe, from world famous arts and culture organisations such as the Louvre Museum, the Teatro alla Scala, the Bolshoi Theatre and the Mariinsky Theatre, the Museo Nacional del Prado, the British Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts to hundreds of lesser-known local arts organisations and activities. JTI is and will remain a true and committed supporter of the arts to ensure that they continue to flourish in all the countries in which we operate.

JTI is a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies (JT), a leading international tobacco product manufacturer. Headquartered in Geneva, JTI operates in 120 countries and has over 26,000 employees. For more information, please visit our website at www.jti.com.

About Creative Feel Magazine
Creative Feel Magazine is an award winning monthly arts and culture magazine that brings the best in classical and jazz music, dance, visual arts, film and theatre, as well as food and travel, to its readers. The magazine is dedicated to promoting arts and culture in South Africa. Creative Feel Magazine has garnered many prestigious awards, including the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) Awards, as well as SAPPI PICA Award for excellence in publishing and the coveted BASA (Business and Arts in South Africa) Award.

Author: Gilly Hemphill from The Famous Idea.
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Lizette Rau shedding light on JTI’s support for the new Lifetime Achievement Award for Dance. Photo: Picture by Dahlia Maubane

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