1. Background of Project Partners
1.1. Lead Partner(s):
1.1.1 Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative between government and the private sector, as part of a strategy to secure greater involvement in the arts from businesses operating in South Africa and built on the values of collaboration, innovation, diversity, agility and integrity. BASA champions business investment within the arts, cultural and heritage sectors, and is the connector catalyst for both businesses and the arts, driving focused and sustained partnerships by unlocking shared value and fostered social cohesion. We are committed to ensuring the relevance and sustainability of the arts in society by offering innovative programmes providing and supporting knowledge transfer, skills development and training within the cultural and creative sectors. In this way, BASA provides agency and access for the arts sector to support its engagement with the business sector, helping to make creative organisations ‘opportunity ready’. For more information, please visit https://basa.co.za/.
1.1.2 Common Purpose is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1989 that develops leaders who can cross boundaries. We inspire and enable leaders to solve complex problems both in organisations and in society. We equip leaders to lead people with different perspectives – from different geographies, generations, sectors, specialisations, backgrounds and beliefs. We deliver face-to-face and online leadership programmes for multiple generations of leaders: from students in universities to senior leaders at the peak of their careers. For more information, please visit https://commonpurpose.org.
1.2. Commissioning Partner:
1.2.1. The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the United Kingdom (UK) and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise.
We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other’s strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained.
Through our Creative Economy work in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we offer a suite of support to young people, to facilitate their learning and economic advancement ambitions. We work in an integrated way to build capacity, through learning, networking and other support that young people need to start or grow their creative enterprises or get new / better jobs in the Creative Economy sector.
2. Programme Overview
2.1. Background and introduction to South Africa Creative Sector and Project
Gaps in leadership within the South African cultural and creative landscape have been identified in addressing challenges presented by reduced mobility and a shortage of skills and opportunities to network. Many arts organisations in South Africa have, as a result, been unable to operate in the shifting economic landscape. This Cultural Producers’ Leadership Programme therefore aims to create the next generation of upskilled leaders in this area.
It aims to attract mid level experienced cultural producers to accelerate growth in skills development, capacitate global networks and to drive and innovative new work in ever changing markets. Knowledge sharing in cultural intelligence, working in multi-sectoral/ discipline/cultural and creative environments and subsequent brokering and partnerships on an international scale will be harnessed.
2.2. Cultural Producers Programme
The programme will bring together a selected group of mid-career creative and cultural producers (already working in South Africa) to unite them as a network that enables innovative work practice. The aim is to impact the creative economy ecosystem with SA and UK through the following:
- Upskilling 25 young cultural producers from South Africa, through:
- An intensive cultural leadership accelerator training programme.
- Placements in South African creative/arts organisations who have identified the need for leadership skills acquired from the cohort to build capacity within their own respective organisations.
- Microsoft skills online training, covering general creative enterprise training as well as aspects of running a creative business.
- Involvement in SOCreative Hubs Summit 2022.
2.3. SOCreative Hubs Summit 2022
The purpose of this forum is to bring together young (18 -35 years) creative hub managers and creatives in South Africa (SA), Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and UK, to connect, share and network towards building a stronger ecosystem and tell their story. Specific aims are as follows:
- Strengthening connections and interactions: an opportunity for exchange, learning and new engagement among Hub managers in SAA and UK.
- Networks: building new networks which can be used to leverage future opportunities for their Hubs and Hub users, widening the hubs network for creativity, innovation and audiences.
- Insight gathering and sharing platforms for hub managers to meet and share insights about the creative ecosystems in each of their countries and Hubs business models.
- Skills exchange, strengthening partnerships and co curating projects with common purpose, resulting in value addition and cross pollination of ideas.
- Engaging and including diverse stakeholders to join the conversations and listen to the impact and potential investment opportunities within the Creative economy sectors in SA and UK.
The programme partners are seeking to appoint an Associate Curator for the 2022 SOCreative Hubs Summit, to be hosted as a hybrid event of online and in real life (IRL) engagements.
- SOCreative Hubs Summit Associate Curator Requirements
The Associate Curator will be required to work collaboratively with the curation panel and Project Manager for the Cultural Producers Programme and SOCreative Hubs Summit, to develop a variety of content across print, online (with specific focus on social media), radio and TV. Responsibilities include involvement in programmatic planning, researching and developing content, presentations and materials, pitching, producing and events coordination.
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Relevant postgraduate qualification
- Proven work experience of at least 3 years as a curator and/or content manager/director
- Experience in cultural production
- Writing aptitude, with excellent writing skills in English and experience in blogging or web copywriting
- Research skills
- New media proficiency
- Analytics interpretation
- Having the skills to use many styles and tones to shift between multiple formats (blogs, articles, white papers, etc.) with ease.
- Time management and planning
- Attention to detail
- Hands-on experience with MS Office and WordPress would be advantageous
- Adaptability
Application Process
Email CV/Profile/Portfolio (including contactable references) and motivation letter to recruitment@basa.co.za by 12h00, 7 January 2022 with the subject line “BRHR22_01”.
Enquiries may be directed via email to Virginia Nkobi (BASA HR) at virginian@emergencegrowth.com.