CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BENEFICIARIES, YET THE NAC QUESTIONS MUST NOT DISAPPEAR  By Thami akaMbongo Manzana  First, congratulations to all the PESP 7 beneficiaries . For many artists, organisations and creative workers, this announcement represents more than a funding outcome. It represents an opportunity to create work, employ people, pay artists, sustain organisations and contribute to South Africa's cultural and creative economy. Congratulations must also go to the National Arts Council (NAC) for keeping its word and releasing the PESP 7 outcomes on 14 August 2026 , as communicated to the sector. In a funding environment where delays and uncertainty have become a source of enormous anxiety, meeting a publicly stated deadline deserves to be acknowledged. But now that the outcomes are out, perhaps we should do something equally important: We should go back to the questions. Yesterday's urgent sector meeting, convened at approximately 5pm on 14 August, was about updatin...

  NAC Must Communicate With Applicants Who Never Reached Adjudication By Thami akaMbongo Manzana  As the arts and culture sector waits for the expected announcement of the National Arts Council’s (NAC) PESP 7 funding outcomes, there is another important issue that deserves attention: the applicants whose proposals were screened out at the compliance stage should be formally informed before the final outcomes are announced. Receiving a decline letter is painful. For many artists and organisations, funding applications represent months of preparation and, in some cases, hope for the survival of a project, organisation or livelihood. However, a clear and timely regret letter is far better than allowing applicants to wait anxiously for an outcome date when their applications never even reached the Adjudication Panel. This is not a new expectation. The NAC has, in previous funding cycles, communicated declines to applicants whose applications did not proceed beyond compliance scree...

The Creative Passport Interviews Grey Zionlion Mafumbu The Creative Passport sits down with Grey Zionlion Mafumbu , an outspoken advocate for Township and Rural Creatives, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of South Africa’s arts, culture and creative industries. In the interview, Mafumbu reflects on the persistent exclusion of township and rural creatives from funding, infrastructure, opportunities and decision-making structures, arguing for greater dignity, economic justice, ownership and representation for artists from these communities. The conversation also tackles some of the most pressing institutional and policy issues facing the sector, including the performance of Minister Gayton McKenzie , the current state of the National Arts Council (NAC) and National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) , the role of the National Heritage Council (NHC) and National Lotteries Commission (NLC) , the 18 sector clusters, parliamentary oversight, and the future of South Africa’s C...

  National Arts Festival Opens Call for 2027 Curated Programme in Makhanda Artists across disciplines invited to submit completed works and works-in-progress for one of South Africa’s most prestigious arts platforms The National Arts Festival has officially opened submissions for its 2027 Curated Programme , inviting artists and creative practitioners with ambitious, innovative and compelling work to put forward their proposals for consideration in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. The call offers an opportunity for artists to become part of the Festival’s flagship curated platform, a programme designed to reflect the most exciting creative conversations, collaborations and artistic developments of the moment. According to the Festival, the Curated platform is where audiences come to “feel the creative pulse of the moment” , bringing together pioneering new work, established artistic voices and unexpected creative collaborations. The programme has historically provided a meeting point betwee...