Programme director
Programme Manager of the Thuthuka Jewellery Development programme, Ms Carola Ross
Representatives from the Business Arts South Africa (BASA)
Lecturers, mentors and trainers
Our students
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
We have met here this evening to celebrate the enormous talent of the young people of our country. This prize giving ceremony once more confirms that our country has an abundance of youth talent. If properly nurtured, this talent can propel us as a nation to greater heights, ensuring that we continue building a better country and that we become a winning nation.
This evening belongs to all those young people who through their creative talent are contributing to the emergence of a new art form that is truly South African, reflects the perspectives of young people, their vision and aspirations, and forms part of our rich and diverse culture. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the organisers of this event. In particular, we thank the Thuthuka Jewellery Development programme for the work they are doing to empower women and young people in our country with skills that will make them better citizens. We are encouraged that the young people who go through this programme are also equipped with skills that will allow them to start and manage their own successful businesses.
As the Department of Arts and Culture, we are proud to be associated with this programme. To us this programme represents a worthy investment in the youth which are the future of our country. This programme is also about expanding participation in one of the strategic areas of human endeavour, namely jewellery manufacturing and design, which for many years has been the exclusive preserve of a privileged few in our country.
Most importantly this programme is about skills development, which is one of the major priorities of the current term of government. We note with appreciation that the programme maintains a special focus on transferring skills to young people from rural areas. This once more falls squarely within one of our major priorities as government which is to promote and facilitate rural development. We are encouraged that one of the previous winners of these awards was invited to partner with one of the designers at the prestigious South African Fashion Week.
We also appreciate that some of the jewellery products from this programme were selected to be worn by Miss World contestants, giving these products exposure to a television audience over two million people worldwide. Collectively these developments indicate that you are succeeding in meeting the objectives you have set for yourselves. In particular you are succeeding in developing a cadre of young and competent jewellery entrepreneurs, mainly from disadvantaged communities.
We assure you of our ongoing support and we look forward to working with the Thuthuka Jewellery Development programme to open up more opportunities for our young people to play a meaningful role in the jewellery manufacturing and design industry. I now take this opportunity to call the following students to receive their prizes. In the ring category:
* a certificate for originality goes to Phumlani Mngoma from the Durban University of Technology. He also receives R1 000 worth of jewellery equipment.
The runner ups in the ring category are:
* A commended certificate goes to Gift Mtjileni from Imfundiso Jewellery School in Soweto
* and a highly commended certificate goes to Scott Munn from the Durban University of Technology. Scott also receives R2 000 towards a bursary.
* And the winner of the Thuthuka Jewellery Competition ring category and the recipient of R5 000 worth of jewellery making equipment is from Cullinan, Lebogang Molapo
Next is the brooch category:
* A commended certificate goes to a student from the Durban University of Technology, Lungelo Dlamini
* and a highly commended prize goes to the Velobala Community project and R2 000 in jewellery equipment goes to Phumlani Mkhize
* and the winner of the brooch category and recipient of a R5 000 bursary is Siyabonga Cele from the Durban University of Technology.
Next is the multi-functional category:
* A highly commended certificate goes to Sibusiso Tshabalala, a student from Imfundiso Jewellery School in Soweto.
* The winner in the Thuthuka Jewellery Competition multi-functional category is Mzuvukile Nomaqhiza, from the Velobala Community project in KwaZulu-Natal.
The last category is neckpieces:
* A commended certificate goes to Ilona Stichling, from the University of Johannesburg.
* A highly commended certificate goes to Thato Radebe, also from the University of Johannesburg.
* And, the winner of the neckpiece category, and the recipient of a R5 000 bursary, also from the University of Johannesburg, is Ari Papageorgiou.
Congratulations to all our talented prizewinners!
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
21 October 2009
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za/)
Iyvon
