Programme director
Honourable Mayor of Metsimaholo, Mr Mahlaku
Mayors and Councilors present here
Family members of former staff members of Zamdela Arts and Culture Centre
Stakeholders of Zamdela Arts and Culture Centre
Management and Officials of the Department
It gives us great pleasure to be here today to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of this centre which has played such a pivotal role of advancing arts and culture in this area. Zamdela Arts and Culture Centre is one of the three centres of its kind in the province, with one in Thabong (Welkom) and another in Thaba Nchu.
The core function of all these Community Arts Centre is to enable access to creative and cultural experience for local communities through programming that promotes access and participation in arts and cultural activities. Community Arts Centers aim to produce a range of ancillary social and economic benefits. These purposes are achieved through an institutional and programming framework that brings the experience and expertise of arts practitioners and the needs and aspirations of local communities together.
A community arts centre would:
- seek to provide a service to all members of a local community with the intention of engaging more of them in arts and cultural activities
- operate regularly in one or more buildings/spaces in the target community and aspire to the management of a building in that community in the future
- work with more than one art form in a coherent program during at least a regular part of each year
- work with more than one type of engagement with its art forms (production, participation, education, training)
Programme director, honoured guests, the Zamdela Arts Centre was established in 1999 through the RPD fund to realize the above objectives within the area of Zamdela and, lately, the broader Fezile Dabi district.
For many years the centre operated as a satellite for the bigger Mmabana Cultural Centre. The integration process of 2004 decided to end the independence of all Community Arts Centres and integrate them into the department. This period signaled the new era for the centre where it could operate on its own, manage its own budget and activities. This was a difficult process that needed the support of other structures and Zamdela Arts Centres was ably supported.
Structures of government such as schools, both Metsimaholo Local Municipality and the Fezile Dabi district municipality have been key stakeholders for this centre. The Sasol firm also has been supportive in many of the programmes and we would like to extend our appreciations for this support.
Despite staff shortages, the centre still managed to deliver key programmes and activities, like the ooutreach programme to prisons (focusing on sewing). Community based groups remain affiliated to the centre as a home for their activities. The department will be filling all vacant posts for instructors in April 2010 to assist the centre to provide an improved service to the Arts and Culture sector.
The department has invested in the upgrading of the infra-structure at the centres. Zamdela Centre received R418 608.00 towards its upgrade which was recently completed. New sewing machines were purchased through the Batjha – Jeugd Project to enable the Sewing Unit to continue with its programmes and activities.
Honoured guests, as we celebrate these ten years of the existence of this centre it is befitting that we pay tribute to the former personnel of this centre who have contributed immensely to what this centre is today. We pay tribute to Me Joyce Magombe who used to be the head of the centre.
We pay tribute to the late Mr Bafana Khambule who used to be the visual art instructor as well as the late Mr. Ben Mosioa who used to be the dance instructor. We thank them for having been the pioneers in the promotion of arts and culture in this area through this centre. We also thank their families who are here with us at this occasion.
Since today is about celebration we will not be long in our deliberations. Let us enjoy this day with the actual work that is being done in this centre being showcased to us. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the centre, its staff from past to present for the work done and urge them to do more in the future.
I thank you.
