Centre demands funding to continue promoting the arts
We request the City’s support to able to continue to serve the communities through arts and culture,” said Qupe.
Members of the Sibikwa Arts Centre marched to the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) on April 29 to deliver a petition demanding support from the City of Ekurhuleni.
“We saw it fitting to march during a time when South Africa celebrated Freedom Day,” said Vumile Qupe from Sibikwa Art Centre. “The centre management, staff and beneficiaries marched to confront the systemic obstacles that hinder progress in the metro, particularly about the arts and culture sector.”
The protestors accused the CoE of not being supportive of the arts.
ALSO READ: President orders SIU to probe R27-m Ekurhuleni waste collection contract
“Multiple attempts over the years have been made to build a relationship with the metro, but consistently we have been denied requests for funding,” said Qupe.
The Sibikwa Arts Centre gathered signatures in support of its petition requesting funding. The centre urged CoE to ring-fence R4-million annually to support its flagship projects including the Saturday Arts Academy, inclusive creative arts programme and community engagement and heritage preservation events.
Qupe said the centre has a 33-year history of serving the community through its provision of arts education and training, award-winning touring productions, community building projects and employment opportunities.
“We create over 100 jobs for people annually, deliver an average of 20 education, training and capacity building projects, and present arts programmes and events that generate awareness of socio-economic issues and activate attitudinal and behavioural shifts, reaching over 11 500 people a year. “We have a long-standing track record of ethically and effectively working with marginalised youth,” said Qupe.
“We request the City’s support to able to continue to serve the communities through arts and culture. “The arts centre is an accredited service provider for the culture, arts, tourism, hospitality and sports sector.”
In 2018 Sibikwa was declared a centre of excellence by the National Department of Arts and Culture and in 2020 Sibikwa received the Gauteng Premier’s Service Excellence Award for social transformation in the category of arts and culture.
“Sibikwa has earned its place as the jewel in the crown of the metro; giving families a safe, uplifting space for their children while empowering individuals to become financially independent. “We do so by leveraging and honing their inborn creative talent to become self-sustaining members of society. “We, therefore, feel that the metro must recognise that Sibikwa is an accredited institution, not an ad-hoc project. We deserve ring-fenced funds to be allocated on an annual basis on a long term contract, which can be reviewed every five years,” said Qupe.
The publication requested comment from CoE by May 7 at 9am. At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.
Also follow us on:
