Contemporary dance continues to inspire and delight its audiences
Dance Umbrella is an annual event where South Africans can see themselves. It was created 30 years ago as a democratic platform that connects dancers, choreographers and companies across racial, cultural and artistic divides. The festival launched the careers of many South African choreographers and has a track record for development and a fantastic reputation internationally. But despite all its clout, it suffers from a lack of interest and investment from funders. Since the withdrawal of FNB as the main funder in 2011 — it had supported Dance Umbrella for 19 years — it was supported by the Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival for three years, before the National Lotteries Commission became the main sponsor in 2014. "Funders don’t understand and create relationships with projects. They don’t come see the work and don’t care. "The Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy, from which we received funding for the past three years, has not come on board for the f...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.