B Creecy: Pale Ya Rona Carnival launch

1 August 2006

Good morning, thank you for joining us for the launch of the Pale Ya Rona
Carnival. This year's launch is particularly important as the carnival is the
flagship programme of the Creative Industries Strategy which the department
introduced earlier this year.

Carnival is important because it is a perfect tool to implement the Creative
Industries Strategy as it is almost a microcosm of the creative industries.
From the beginning, the idea right through to the production to the delivery,
to audience reception the department has been able to make a significant
contribution. Three million rand has been invested in the programme which will
result in a street parade on the 9th of September in Johannesburg. The Carnival
will depart from the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein and finish off
in Newtown at the Cultural Precinct.

The Creative Industries Strategy was written in recognition of the fact that
the creative sector contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of the province. It acknowledges that the industry is like any other. It
is made up of business and organisations active in the sector, the people that
make cultural products and services and the places in which culture is created,
and consumed. In other words its components are the creative sectors, clusters,
the creative workforce and the creative communities.

It has a value chain which at its beginnings has an idea, it goes through
production, distribution delivery and finally with audience reception.
Understanding the sector in these terms does not undermine the importance of
the social function the arts play, in fact the purpose of the strategy is to
maximise their contribution to the economy, urban regeneration and community
development.

Gauteng is ideally positioned to grow the creative industries as it has the
most well-developed creative economy in the country and it has the largest
number of cultural enterprises in South Africa. Research conducted by CreateSA
indicated that over 40% of all the creative enterprises are found in the
province. Johannesburg has the highest concentration of companies in the many
of the sectors of the creative industries adding to Gauteng's competitive
advantage.

What is important to note is that the strategy is carefully contextualised
within the broader growth and development strategy of the province. The
creative economy presents significant opportunities to contribute to the areas
identified with the provincial growth and development strategy. For instance
underlying the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) is the imperative of
accelerating labour absorption. The creative industries while largely small and
micro enterprises collectively create significant employment and
entrepreneurial opportunities. They have large labour absorption potential and
contribute to employment in related sectors such as hospitality and
tourism.

The Gauteng Carnival parade represents months of very hard work that has
taken place across the province. Skills training, dance, music and drumming
sessions, welding and design programmes, marshals training, paper maché and
mask making, costume and sewing classes have all made the spectacle possible.
Participants in the programmes are drawn from across the province and the
target has been out of work out of school youth. In addition to the capacity
building programmes carnival provides artists from across the spectrum an
incredible opportunity for exposure.

International best practice shows that a carnival has enormous scope as it
combines both the performing and visual arts in one of the largest
participatory events possible. It is a celebration of collective identity in
which life and art are not separate. Communities around the world use carnival
to celebrate their histories and re-imaging themselves in the future by
building on the traditions and the stories of the past. Carnival has become a
creative and colourful way for communities to give voice to their social and
artistic aspirations. It is important to note that each of the sub themes have
been driven by the communities themselves.

The themes are:

* Johannesburg: Jozi Maboneng (Jozi a Place of Lights)
* Tshwane/ Mestweding: Motse Moshate (The Royal House of Africa)
* Ekurhuleni: Kgotso, Pula, Nala (Peace, Rain and Prosperity)
* Sedibeng: Tite Ya Batho (The well of the people)
* West Rand: Rhythm of the roots

And I am told the costume and float designs illustrating these themes are
incredible. The success of the carnival depends on the level of involvement of
each region as the identities of each add to the richness of the parade at the
final event. The department will make prizes available to the value of sixty
thousand rand. The categories vary from best choreographed work to the best
interpretation of a sub theme. The winning groups will be awarded an
opportunity to market themselves on Kaya FM who have partnered with the
department as a media sponsor.

The Artistic Director has composed a theme song for the Pale Ya Rona
carnival. The song relates the story of Gauteng and brings together all the sub
themes. The song has been taught to all the participants who will be singing
the song on the Carnival. The song is called ‘Pale Ya Rona Ma Gauteng’ (Our
story with the People of Gauteng People) which will be launched today.

Carnival is clearly an ideal tool for implementing the Creative Industries
Strategy. It allows for programmatic interventions across the value chain and
promotes investment in the creative workforce, creative sectors and the
creative communities.

The department would like to take this opportunity to announce that we will
be hosting the International Carnival Conference in 2007. We will be hosting a
number of delegates this year that will be here to observe the event.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng
Provincial Government
1 August 2006