In Johannesburg, People Need Culture

South Africa Tue 27-10-2009

In Johannesburg, People Need Culture
By David Kaiza/AfricanColours.com

EXERPS: Steven Sacks is the Director of Arts, Culture and Heritage in the City of Johannesburg and played host to 400 people from around the world who attended the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture held in his city from September 21 to 26.
He spoke to David Kaiza briefly about how his city came to win the bid for hosting the Summit and also gives his evaluations of why he thinks the summit was a success

Kaiza: Why did Johannesburg manage to host the Summit?

Sacks: We did the ground work. Basically, what happened is that IFACCA (The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies) was looking to take the summit out of Europe, out of Asia. They wanted it to come to Africa. The other is that Doreen Nteta who was the head of the National Arts Council represented South Africa on the IFACA board.

So South Africa was there from the start. Because the National Arts Council is based in Johannesburg, the people from IFACCA came to Johannesburg and we met with them and they invited us to the 3rd Summit on Arts and Culture. Because we were going to be hosting the World Cup, we wanted to profile Johannesburg as a cultural city.

We became part of the bidding committee. At the 3rd Summit, the National Arts Council submitted the bid and then we waited and at the end of the summit, we were announced host city.

Steven Sacks addressing delegates at the World summit on arts and culture in South Africa

Kaiza: What do you think are the strengths of Johannesburg that won you the summit?

Sacks: The city of Johannesburg probably has one of the best resourced departments of Arts of any city in Africa. In addition to that, we had buildings and infrastructure and institutions that we could make available to assist in hosting the summit. That is what gave us the major advantage. Most people like to go to Cape Town for holidays and the sun. But if you want culture, this is the place to come to.

Kaiza: Tell me about the history of the arts in Johannesburg?

Sacks: The artists have done it since the 1960s; from the early plays like King Kong, from musicians like Miriam Makeba; through the ‘70s, artists themselves have worked to address the social inequalities. The Directorate (of arts and culture heritage) came in the 1980s and has always positioned itself as a champion for cultural discourse. We have been doing this for nearly 30 years. There is a history of artists addressing racial, sexual history.

Our biggest challenge is the youth. The city has a large young population and there are many young people who are disaffected and we are seeing ways in which arts and culture can address this.

Kaiza: But as a city, in terms of arts and culture, you have a lot going for you?

Sacks: The thing you must understand is that for the South African economy to grow at 5 per cent, the economy of this region has to grow at 9 per cent. Johannesburg - and the Gauteng region – is the economic engine of this country.

The last five years were the longest period of sustained economic growth in the history of this country. To promote Johannesburg, you can’t attract tourists with beaches. In Johannesburg, people need culture; people need theatre; people need music. If you want nature, you have to drive out. This is not a city created on a mountain.

Johannesburg has massive banks and financial people crave culture.

Kaiza: How will you measure if this has been a success?

Sacks: the main indicator of success has to be; was it an African summit; was the African agenda, the African voice heard; were the challenges facing the continent met full and frontal; was it a developmental summit? I think that with the coupling of the Arterial Network to the Summit, we managed to succeed with those ends.

It is also part of the build up to the 2010 World Cup. That was on the agenda - that it be a continental event.

Part of it we can’t quantify. Part of it we will see when people fill in forms; how many partnerships have been formed, how many networks created. But already we are becoming part of the arts Square Mile – the Square Mile is the idea of the UK Visiting Art and they take a square mile in a city and activate art and integrate all the cities which have created this square mile. We will do ours in the mid city.

During the Summit, Euric announced a 3 million Euro fund for the whole country.

We have had exhibitions that consolidated networks of social organizations in Johannesburg on one platform to speak to the world with one voice. We cannot begin to quantify the success of that.

The most important thing is that there are many people skeptical about coming to Johannesburg who are now going to think again. We have hosted 400 for this Summit who are going to go back and become spokespersons for the city.

skip to top

Your Comments

skip to top

African Artists Portfolios

Miguel Petchkovsky is a Mixed Media Artist

Ehoodi Kichapi Jes'se is a Mixed Media Artist

Attukwei 'Serge' Clottey is a Fine Artist

Click To View All African Artist Portfolios

Kaafiri Kariuki at the Creativity Gallery

Shades of Time: An exhibition by Kaafiri Kariuki at the Creativity Gallery National Museum of Kenya

Features By Regions

Featured Artist Portfolio

Title: Making Ways
Name: Tabitha Wa Thuku
Country: Kenya
Medium: Mixed media on heavy canvas
Size: 149 X 140 cms
Click here to view