Invitation: Consultation workshops to review White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage

The Department of Arts & Culture (DAC) invites you to attend consultation workshops to review the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage (1996).

These workshops will provide arts practitioners, administrators and workers with an opportunity to make inputs into the revised White Paper process.

1.    Background

Since its adoption in 1996, the White Paper has provided a key policy framework for the Department and the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector. It has been a pivotal document for the transformation, protection and preservation of the arts, culture and heritage sector in South Africa in pursuit of social cohesion and nation building.

While this policy framework has achieved many of the objectives envisaged, much more needs to be done to transform the country into a socially cohesive society. Since 2011, new policy developments – in particular the National Development Plan (NDP) and government’s recent adoption of a programme of radical economic transformation – have focussed attention on policy alignments with bold and innovative economic interventions necessary for the construction of a more durable national unity. In light of these developments, the strategic orientation of the department is towards radical interventions and outcomes that improve the provision of economic opportunities in the ACH sector, especially for marginalised youth.

These developments and strategic imperatives have necessitated a review of the White Paper.

2.    Objectives

This review epitomises the Department’s efforts in working together with its stakeholders to ensure that policies respond effectively to the needs of the ACH sector.

Addressing both South Africa’s economic demands and cultural heritage, the White Paper review is intended to  provide a comprehensive policy framework through to 2030.The White Paper will also provide short to medium term recommendations for government and the CAH sector, focusing on opportunities to broaden participation in the sector and create sustainable livelihoods.

Beyond artistic and cultural development, the review ultimately wishes to help inform and enable the development of a transformation framework towards a more sustainable and equitable society. By broadening and deepening our understanding of transformative social and economic change, it is hoped that the review will help to:

·         Focus minds on the social and economic context in which both the DAC and the sector it leads operates;

·         Use the knowledge by policy makers, practitioners, and citizen to craft more effective and equitable solutions to the challenges of social and economic exclusion;

·         Remodel the institutional and organisational structure of the Department and its entities sector in order to enable more efficient and effective delivery of the DAC’s strategic and programmatic objectives.

3.    Policy Priorities

The thematic focus of the workshops, guided by the DAC’s Strategic Plan for the 2015-2020 period, is on processes of deep social change and needs and opportunities for the transformation of society. Under the banner of radical socio-economic transformation, with the NDP an overarching policy framework providing a visionary roadmap, the department has identified the following key policy priorities:

1.    An enabling policy, legislative and regulatory environment

2.    Inclusive economic development

3.    Nation building and social cohesion programmes

4.    Infrastructure development and maintenance

5.     Cultural and Creative Industries Fund (CCIF)

6.    Skills development and education

7.    Cultural Diplomacy

8.    ACH sector strategies and plan

9.    Sustaining ACH and the Cultural and Creative Industries

10.  Effective governance and implementation institutions

The above priorities will assist in further strengthening the work that must be done in the implementation, monitoring and coordination of Outcome 14 and nation-building. These priorities further lay the foundations and high-level tone of the White Paper process.

4.    Dates and Venues

The workshops will take place on the following dates.

18 March 2015, Johannesburg – Market Theatre.

26 March 2015, Cape Town – Venue to be confirmed.

31 March 2015, Port Elizabeth – Venue to be confirmed.

2 April 2015, Durban – Playhouse Company

Enquiries:

For technical enquiries, please contact Mr Malcolm Ray on 072 810 2677.

For attendance and RSVP please contact Ms Lesego Maloka on 012 441-3487 or [email protected]

Attachments:

White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage Workshop Invitation

White Paper RSVP – Registration Form