South Africa
State Theatre for rent

afrol.com, 28. August - The South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Ben Ngubane, today announced that he had an "innovative plan to promote the State Theatre". The theatre has lived through an economic crisis for some time, and in July, a National Advisory Board was elected to see into the problems of the theatre. The solution: It's available for hire.

Ngubane announced that there has been a review by the National Advisory Board on the State Theatre and that, as an interim measure, "the theatre will be made available for hire to theatre producers until 31st March 2001, when the future of the theatre is decided. This will minimise the cost of mothballing the theatre, as approved by Cabinet earlier this year."

Mr Welcome Msomi, Chairperson of the new Board, invited independent theatre producers and all interested parties to submit proposals to hire the various State Theatre venues. "We have been hugely impressed with the enthusiasm and innovation of some of the proposals that we have received to date," said Msomi.

Msomi went on to invite the arts community and the public to submit concrete ideas and proposals to the Board - which is also tasked with devising a national plan to build and sustain the performing arts - to inform the Board's deliberations and recommendations for possible policy changes, and new strategic priorities and mechanisms for the performing arts across the country.

The Board is busy with negotiations with the following provincial government components in Gauteng: Department of Arts, Culture and Sports; Department of Public Works and the Metropolitan Council, to outline and implement the three-tier government plan.

Source: Office of the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology of South Africa

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com