Programme director;
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture,
Other MECs present;
Representatives of the national Department of Art and Culture;
Representatives of the National Art Council;
Representatives from SAMRO;
Representatives of Organised Artists
Invited guests; and
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
Thank you MEC Nandi Ndelane for you generous words of welcome and introduction.
I am pleased to form part of this all-important Arts and Culture Indaba; as you know, this Indaba is taking place just four days into the September month, also known in our national calendar as the Heritage month.
Heritage Month recognises aspects of our culture which are both tangible and intangible, these includes creative expressions such as music and performances, our historical inheritance, language as well as the food we eat.
Five days ago, the Minister of Arts and Culture Honourable Nathi Mthethwa launched the 2014 edition of the Heritage Month under the theme: “Celebrating 20 Years of Democracy: Tell Your Story that Moves South Africa Forward”.
From time immemorial, South Africans have always mastered the art of telling their story through music, drama, song and dance.
Films such as Sarafina and Cry Freedom exposed to the world the underbelly of the brutalities of apartheid South Africa;
Songs such as Freedom is coming tomorrow have captured the spirit and determination of our people to be free.
Books such as Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton have played an important role in entrenching the ideas of freedom amongst the then oppressed majority.
Poems such as Change is Pain and Resistance is Defence by Mzwakhe Mbuli also kept the anti-apartheid fire burning.
It is for this reason that the theme for this years’ Heritage Month calls on the creative community to tell a story that moves South Africa Forward; this as we celebrate our 20 year old freedom and democracy.
Programme director;
You will agree with me that our art and culture constitute a significant part of our nation’s shared heritage. Earlier this year, during the State of the Province Address, I made a call and commitment that as government we should host a Provincial Arts and Culture Indaba.
We have made this call because we believe that as government we should support the creative industry so as to unlock job and other opportunities for our young people. I must stress the point that as government we did not come here with a package of solutions to the problems in the art and entertainment industry, because to do so would have been to undermine your collective wisdom as artists and industry players.
This Arts and Culture Indaba is therefore expected to look into ways to revive our art and entertainment industry. We also should use this platform to look into ways to provide government support to both the industry and the artist artists themselves. To this end, I wish to extend my appreciations to all of you for your overwhelming respond to our call for us to gather in this fashion.
Programme director;
Limpopo is a province renowned for its rich heritage and cultural attractions. Limpopo is also a home for renowned, revered and most celebrated artists such as Jonas Gwangwa, Selaelo Selota, Seputla Sebogodi, Pat Shai, Florence Masebe and many more.
The often sad story is that most of our talents find themselves having to migrate to other provinces such as Gauteng because of lack of opportunities and supporting infrastructure in the province.
Some of the concerns raised by our artists range from lack of support for artists in the province, inadequate talent development programmes, and the minute understanding of the commercial aspect of the entertainment industry.
I always say that some of our province’s best songs have never been sung; the best books have never been written, the best dramas have never been directed. All this because, people who could have sung those songs, wrote those books or directed those dramas took their talents to the grave because they were never supported to realise their potential.
We have therefore availed this platform to allow you as stakeholders to frankly and robustly exchange ideas that will shape the manner in which arts and culture is delivered in this province.
After criticising the government and the private sector, you must criticise yourselves and then come up with workable solutions to take the Limpopo art and culture forward.
We do not want you to take your talents to the grave, we want to join hands with you and help you realise your full potential.
Programme director;
Limpopo’s rich heritage can be traced back to the 1250s when the great city of Mapungubwe was built. This city which surpasses all previous and modern forms of development cannot be ignored in our present planning and artistry.
We are proud today to have produced artists like the world renowned Jackson Hlongwane who passed on in 2010. Jackson Hlongwane’s art works are found in almost all South African Universities and in countries including USA, Japan, Germany and the UK. What is it that says, we, in his home Province, remember him with today?
The painful reality Madam MEC is that these artists are more revered in foreign countries than here at home. I talk of artists like Noria Mabasa from Vuwani. Her carvings of “: Ngoma Lungundu” decorates the Sandton Convention Centre and some of the best Art Galleries in Germany. She and other local artists get royal treatment by statesmen around the world.
Program director
As government we move from a premise that arts and culture are a common heritage of our people. Through art and culture our people are drawn closer to each other and are able to understand each other better.
Through arts and culture, it is possible to overcome the economic and political barriers that continue to define the face of our nation. That is why we would commend the public broadcaster, the SABC for organising heritage music festivals and recognise our traditional musicians across the Sepedi, Tshivenda and Xitsonga music genre.
Our obligation as government is to support a thriving arts and culture industry that will contribute to sustainable economic development. We also acknowledge the living reality that art and culture is a universal language which is spoken by South Africans of all races, classes and social backgrounds.
It is against this background that the government has an obligation to ensure that art and culture contributes to the ideals of nation building and social cohesion. This Indaba therefore, has to look into ways in terms of which we can use art and culture to foster and sustain the unity of our people.
The Mapungubwe Festival which I am told this year will be held in December cannot remain the same. With such wealth of talent, history will judge us very harshly if we are to present a sub-standard program of Mapungubwe this year and going forward.
Programme director;
It is also true that as government and artists alone we can only do so much. We need the support of our corporate citizens. I am confident that through your declaration, you will invite the companies that are doing business in Limpopo to lend a helping hand.
For us to fully exploit the boundless opportunities for growth in the art and entertainment industry, we need the support of the business sector.
Programme director;
I know that the day is still long, there is still a chain of presentations to be received, and as a result I do not wish to bore you with a very long speech. However before I retire back to my seat, I wish to remind our artists in the language of Emile Zola that "(an) artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work."
You must work hard and then the gift of your talent will work for you.
I wish you robust, honest and fruitful discussions; we are looking forward to your resolutions.
I thank you!
