EC in R12m rescue of arts festival

Provincial government steps in as Lotto funding rules change

THE Eastern Cape government spent R12million to rescue the National Arts Festival (NAF) from “falling on its face” after Lotto changed its funding rules.

This was revealed in an interview with NAF CEO Tony Lankester before the traditional media briefing yesterday, often regarded as the first public opening of the largest arts extravaganza in Africa.

Lankester said Lotto had changed the rules about when organisations could apply for funding.

“They said organisations could only apply for funds 12 months after their previous application and payment.”

Despite applying way in advance last year, the festival’s R10-million Lotto money was only paid in the third quarter of the year, after the 2016 festival had already been held.

The new Lotto rules, designed to prevent organisations from applying twice a year, were intended to introduce a “cooling off” period, said Lankester.

But this also meant the festival would miss an entire year of Lotto money this year.

He said Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle, when told about the funding glitch, had immediately stepped in and sourced “enough money” to cover the shortfall.

Lankester was not keen to reveal the precise amount but said it was “close enough”.

However, sport, recreation, arts and culture (Srac) MEC Pemmy Majodina told the media that when they heard about the Lotto problem, “we did not want [the] festival to fall on its face, so the office of the premier (OTP) beefed it [funding] up to R12-million”.

She said the government was “happy to do so because this is one of the best festivals and it creates employment”.

The festival over its 43 years had undergone transformation. From being attended by only a few, it was now attended by “everybody”.

The festival gave emerging and professional talent a platform, she said.

Majodina said Srac gave R3.6million, the OTP R9-million and the national Arts and Culture Department R5-million, giving a total of R17.6-million in government funding.

Festival spokeswoman Sascha Polkey said last year the festival was attended by 225 634 arts lovers.

Majodina said the festival had an economic spinoff for the province valued at R377-million, while Grahamstown would earn R94-million this year.

The festival was dedicated to former ANC president Oliver Tambo, who Majodina said was “a fine cultural person, who conducted choral music and acted in dramas”.

She said of the festival: “All our ducks are in a row to deliver these 11 amazing days. We acknowledge the drought but we have plans to deal with shortages.

“This will not be an insurmountable problem.

“Electricity is under control. We have capacity to ensure we do not have a blackout.”

She said Chippa United players and coaches would be holding soccer clinics at a festival-linked Junior Soccer League, which will be launched in Grahamstown.

“They must scout and unearth talent,” she said.

Lankester said this year’s festival theme, the art of disruption, had emerged from “a lot of conversations” with artists.

“They said they wanted to explore the notion of disruption.”

He added: “It’s easy to get hung up in gloom and doom on funding but let’s focus on the positives.

“Over the next 11 days not a single performer will be jailed for what they say on stage, as long as they do not violate the constitution or engage in hate speech.

“Despite the gloomy economy, our artists will be here.

“There has been no decline in productions or artists.”

He praised South African audiences for their stamina and openness.

“Sometimes what our artists are doing is hugely experimental, yet we have very few walkouts.

“Most South Africans will sit it out and listen. We listen a lot. “That is a great strength. “This [festival] is a national treasure for all the hidden work it does in building the fabric of society. We are in the right place at the right time.” —