The 14th Annual BASA Awards winners announced

Nirox is a private foundation established to cultivate the arts in South Africa. Liebmann's vision includes a sculpture park laid out across the natural landscape as well as an artist-in-residence programme for locally and internationally renowned artists.

The winners of South Africa's most prestigious business/arts awards were announced at an event held at Turbine Hall on Monday night, 29 August, and included a special appearance by one of the lifelike puppets in the award-winning international production, War Horse, made possible by RMB and Legacy Group. The key note address was given by Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile.

An independent panel of judges made awards in 12 categories while three special honours - the Art Champion Award, the Chairman's Premier Award and Diplomacy in the Arts - were also given out on the night.

The Chairman's Premier Award went to The Keiskamma Trust, a community organisation in Hamburg in the Eastern Cape, which addresses poverty through creative programmes and partnerships and works to uplift local communities through skills development.

Germany's Goethe-Institut was presented with the new Diplomacy in the Arts Award given in recognition of Foreign Missions who contribute to the development and preservation of the arts in South Africa.

The winners show that anyone can make a difference by supporting the arts - from large corporates like Total South Africa who sponsored the Buskaid Ensemble's trip to Syria and Absa for the prestigious SANAVA Absa L'Atelier art competition to a smaller enterprise such as Le Canard Restaurant who held fund-raising dinners for The South African Ballet Theatre.

Winning in the new Arts and Environment category, supported by Nedbank, was the Pikitup sponsored project Tomorrow's Joy by Such Initiative, which was erected in Johannesburg's Newtownand done in partnership with The City of Johannesburg's Department of Arts, Culture & Heritage through the Arts Alive Festival. Made from90 000 discarded plastic bottle tops, its construction involved eight community centres, 140 children, 30 disabled adults and 31 crafters. It was shown again this year at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Mentor of the Year - supported by Etana - was Ilka Dunne who gave invaluable assistance to the National Eisteddfod Academy. Winner in the First Time Sponsor category was Youngblood Culture Development and philanthropist Roger Jungblut who made it possible for the award-winning Remix Dance Company to be housed at the Baxter Theatre Centre.

"Kudos to all the businesses who understand that the arts are integral to who we are as a society, and that they require support in order to impact our world," said Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant.

Award-winning artist Colbert Mashile created the artworks which were presented to the winners as their award.

For more information call the BASA offices on 011 4472295 or email az.oc.asab@ofni or go to www.basa.co.za.

The Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, full list of winners for 2011 are:

Art Champion Award

• BenjiLiebmann/Nirox Foundation
Nirox is a private foundation established to cultivate the arts in South Africa. The property is set on 15 hectares of land in a private nature reserve in the Cradle of Humankind. BenjiLiebmann's vision includes a sculpture park laid out across the natural landscape, as well as an artist-in-residence programme for locally and internationally renowned artists. Artists have included William Kentridge, Edoardo Villa, Marlene Dumas and Auke de Vries.

Arts and Environment - supported by Nedbank

• Pikitup for Tomorrow's Joy by Such Initiative
The City of Johannesburg's Department of Arts, Culture & Heritage through the Arts Alive Festival commissioned Such Initiative to create a public artwork in Newtown. In partnership with Pikitup, the result was Tomorrow's Joy, a mosaic using more than 90 000 plastic bottle tops. The key element of the project was awareness of recycling and environmental conservation and so Pikitup was a logical sponsor. Eight community centres around Johannesburg and 140 children of varying ages were involved in the creation of the artwork. It was shown again this year at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Chairman's Premier Award

• The Keiskamma Trust
The Keiskamma Trust is a community organisation in the Eastern Cape area of Hamburg which addresses the challenges of widespread poverty through holistic and creative programmes and partnerships. The Trust's art project provides skills, materials and training to create beautiful artworks. The most famous artworks to date are the Keiskamma Altarpiece and the Keiskamma Tapestry. Both large artworks carry the message of hope in the fight against HIV/Aids to audiences around the world.

Diplomacy in the Arts

• Goethe Institut South Africa / Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg regulates the work in Sub-Saharan countries including 11 institutes and 14 Goethe reading/cultural centres. The cultural programmes department's goal is to support the local cultural scenes and strengthen pan-African dialogue through the arts. Projects in 2010 that the insititute were involved in included X Homes which took performances off stage and placed them in homes in Kliptown and Hillbrow, the Soweto Carnival, the Drama for Life festival and Bioscope Film and School.

First Time Sponsor

• Youngblood Africa Culture Development for Remix Dance Company/Baxter Theatre Centre
Widely regarded as one of South Africa's leading contemporary and integrated dance initiatives, the award-winning Remix Dance Company is now based at the Baxter Theatre Centre, made possible through the partnership with international businessman, CEO of international shipping company UAL-SA and philanthropist Roger Jungblut, through his company Youngblood Culture Development. The company was founded in 2000 with the aim of bringing more differently-abled performers onto South African stages.

Increasing Access to the Arts

• Pretoria Portland Cement Company Ltd for from the hip: kulumakahle - Tell-Tale Signs Schools' Tour
PPC sponsored the Tell-Tale Signs Theatre Education Programme. A four-tiered programme, TTS won awards for its work in empowering the deaf and being a model of integration within the field of arts and culture. In 2010 this tour - called the Tales of the Trash Tour - toured to Limpopo, Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape. This partnership ensured that 15 deaf and hearing schools saw the production.

Innovation

• Brandhouse Beverages: Johnnie Walker® for Johnnie Walker® Celebrating Strides 2010 Awards: Welcome Msomi and Stable Theatre
Through its Celebrating Strides Awards, Johnnie Walker® empowered acclaimed actor, writer, producer and entrepreneur, Welcome Msomi, to spark a revival of the Stable Theatre in Durban which saw a tremendous boost in patrons and media exposure. In selecting the theatre as the beneficiary of a R125 000 bursary included in his award, Msomi wished to pay tribute to the theatre venue which played such an important role in his early days as an actor and turn around the flagging fortunes of the venue. It is expected that the partnership will act as a catalyst to inspire a new generation of artists.

International Sponsorship

• Total South Africa Pty Limited for The Buskaid Trust
Thanks to Total South Africa, the Buskaid Ensemble was able to accept an invitation from the South African Embassy in Syria to represent South Africa culturally in Syria during the World Cup. The ensemble was greeted with great acclaim at all the events at which it performed - a public concert in the Damascus Opera House, two appearances at World Cup Fan Park events, a performance at Yarmouk camp, a private ambassadorial and business function in Aleppo and youth interaction at Massar.

Media Sponsorship

• DeskLink Media/ CLASSICFEEL for Dance Umbrella
CLASSICFEEL has always included substantial coverage of the Dance Umbrella. When word got out that the existing sponsor of the event would no longer be involved and that the future of the Dance Umbrella was in doubt, CLASSICFEEL went out of its way to provide substantial promotion of the event, in a bid to raise awareness of it, keep it going and draw new sponsors.

Mentor of the Year - supported by Etana

• Ilka Dunne (mentor to the National Eisteddfod Academy)
Ilka Dunne has tremendous knowledge of education and the arts, as well as impressive business acumen though her experience and position at RMB. This background gave her a clear understanding of the problems of an NGO in the arts arena. She enabled CEO Francois van den Berg to lead and position the organisation in such a way that it could survive on operational income only, thus proving sustainability, a major achievement.

Single Strategic Project

• The Hollard Insurance Company Limited for Spier Architectural Arts
Hollard Insurance commissioned Spier Architectural Arts to create a site specific mosaic art piece based on a concept by South African artist, Marlise Keith. The Rat Race measures 16m x 1.5m and is installed at the Hollard Campus, Johannesburg. Within the Spier Arts Trust is the Spier Arts Academy, which opened its first campus for a sponsored three year course in mosaics in Cape Town's East City Precinct in 2008. Hollard is proud to have provided Spier Architectural Arts with their first large-scale commission which not only supports the artists themselves but also raises the awareness of local art.

Small Business

• Le Canard Restaurant for The South African Ballet Theatre (SABT)
SABT is always on the look-out for sustainable partnerships and the fund-raising dinners provided by Le Canard Restaurant allows the company the opportunity to both perform and engage with its stakeholders (both current and potential ones) and raise much needed funds at the same time.

Sponsorship In Kind

• Deloitte for Artist Proof Studio
A team from Deloitte came to the studio and worked to identify problem areas and create solutions through process flows. Its Innovation and CSR team conducted a sight visit to APS that provided valuable insight into the working of the organisation and workable solutions to problems. Deloitte also assisted with producing a corporate brochure.

Sustainable Partnership

• Absa for SANAVA Absa L'Atelier
The Absa L'Atelier - now in its 26th year - has provided an important stepping stone to previous winners who have reached local and international fame. It is a competition for young artists aged between 21 and 35. The winner receives a cash prize, a six month residency at CitaInternationale des Arts in Paris, France, and a solo exhibition in the Absa Gallery upon their return. A second award, the Gerard Sekoto, is granted to the most promising artist with an income of less than R60 000.

Youth Development

• Cell C for Durban Music School
Cell C agreed to sponsor the Durban Music School in 2003 and has done so for the past eight years. DMS gives full music bursaries to 350 learners, does outreach programmes in rural communities, has a cultural exchange programme with includes the UK, France and Germany, offers music as a matric subject, employs nine young teachers who trained at the school and achieves consistently high marks in international exams.

The judges for the 2011 BASA Awards are CEO of The Loerie Awards Andrew Human (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic Mary Corrigall; independent arts consultant Nicky du Plessis; strategist and CEO of Grey Advertising Siza Marutlulle; CEO of the Mastrantonio Group Gianni Mariano; co-founder and co-owner of multi-disciplinary design firm INK LiseboMokhesi and Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and Artistic Director of SiwelaSonke Jay Pather.

The Awards are audited by Grant Thornton.

About BASA:

Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates' commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Section 21 company, Business and Arts South Africa is accountable to both government and its business members.