Campaign to make art ‘election issue’
JOBURG - The Arterial Network of South Africa,in association with various arts, culture and heritage organisations, launched a campaign to make the arts an 'election issue'.
At the centre of the campaign is a letter to all South African political parties asking them why people involved in the arts, culture and heritage sector should vote for them.
The network’s secretary general, Valmont Layne said the organisation called on political parties to engage in a national conversation about the role of the creative sector in the country.
Layne asked that organisations endorse the project and called on artists, designers, writers, performers, musicians, heritage workers, film makers and other practitioners and producers to create works inspired by the question, Why should we vote for you?
“We believe cultural life and artistic creativity is a human right and not a luxury, and that all South Africans have this right,” he said.
“We hear a lot of lip-service to the need for social cohesion, imagination and home-grown innovation, and we agree that our sector is best placed to inspire and contribute to that need. Yet the arts and our cultural lives are often marginalised.”
Layne said this marginalisation was evident in budget allocations, consultation processes and a “general lack of respect” for artistic and cultural contributions.
“We are confident that, through the work of creative practitioners including writers, journalists, curators, painters, performers, sculptors, dancers, poets, musicians, film makers, designers and artists working in experimental forms, we are influential,” said Layne.
“We aim to manifest that influence through this campaign and put the spotlight on our sector’s plight, and its power.”
The letter also asked parties if they thought arts, culture and heritage was a priority for the country; how they supported this sector; what their arts and culture policies were. and how they think creativity could contribute to community development, poverty alleviation and job creation.
Layne said as part of the campaign, practitioners and sector leaders would participate in debates and activities during the election build-up.
The campaign has been endorsed by the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa, ASSITEJ South Africa, the South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation, the South African Music Rights Organisation, and the Writers’ Guild of South Africa, among others.
Details: www.arterialnetworksouthafrica.co.za
