From the Sidelines to the Centre: It’s Time for Artists to Lead

There’s a quiet conversation happening in rehearsal rooms, in poetry circles, in late-night jam sessions, and among painters working by candlelight. It’s a conversation about how artists have long been treated as decorations in the grand halls of decision-making — called upon to perform, to inspire, to entertain, but seldom to lead.

For years, decisions about South Africa’s creative future have been made in rooms where few practising artists sat. Policies were drafted, funding distributed, priorities set — often without the presence of those who understand the heartbeat of the sector from the inside out. The ones who know what it means to stretch R50 into a month’s worth of paint or rehearse on borrowed stages, who feel both the magic and the struggle of sustaining creativity in an unforgiving system. But now, a window has opened.

The National Arts Council (NAC) has issued a call for new voices to help steer the direction of our country’s creative and cultural industries for the next three years. From August 2025 to September 2028, a fresh team of 35 passionate, experienced, and visionary creative practitioners will be appointed to serve on Advisory Panels for disciplines including Craft, Dance, Literature, Music, Theatre, Visual Art, and Multi-Discipline. And this time — it needs to be us.

This isn’t just another administrative exercise. These panels decide how funding is allocated, what initiatives are prioritized, and which voices are amplified. For too long, artists have occupied the peripheries of these conversations. Now is the moment to step into the centre. The requirements are clear but fair. The NAC seeks individuals who have achieved distinction or possess specialized knowledge in their fields. Those with a strategic understanding of how the arts operate — who know the delicate dance between creation and survival. Experience in indigenous art forms and international platforms is an advantage, and nominees must be South African residents or citizens, representing the diversity of our provinces.

For those with academic distinction, there’s also the Bursary Panel, where nominees should hold a Master’s degree in the arts. Once appointed, Advisory Panel members won’t just be figureheads. They’ll carry the responsibility of assessing funding applications, advising the Council on the merits of each proposal, and contributing to the development of national policy that affects every gallery, theatre, dance floor, jazz club, literary festival, and street corner performance space across this country. And yes — it’s work. It comes with expectations of confidentiality, declarations of conflict of interest, and the understanding that neither panel members nor their affiliated organizations can apply for NAC grants while in service. But more importantly, it comes with the power to make a meaningful difference.

Imagine an arts sector shaped by those who live and breathe its challenges. A funding strategy crafted by a woman who’s run a community poetry programme with no budget. A policy influenced by a choreographer who knows the cost of broken sound systems and unpaid venue fees. A cultural direction guided by those whose hands are stained with paint, whose bodies carry the muscle memory of countless performances, whose stories have yet to be fully heard. That’s the future this call makes possible.

Nominations are open now. Anyone can nominate a candidate — including yourself. To do so, a detailed motivation, CV, certified copy of an identity document, and a signed acceptance letter from the nominee must be submitted before 30 June 2025 at 23:59. And if no one’s yet asked you to put your name forward, this is your sign: you have every right, every reason, and every responsibility to consider it.

For decades, we’ve spoken about wanting a seat at the table. This is it. The invitation is open. The sector we dream of — fair, sustainable, artist-led — will only become reality if we are brave enough to lead it. So to the visual artists mixing new shades in township studios, to the dancers refining routines long after the applause fades, to the writers scribbling wisdom onto paper scraps, to the musicians whose chords carry our nation’s soul — stand up. The future of the arts belongs to those bold enough to claim it.

Let’s raise our hands. Let’s claim our space.
The arts deserve to be represented by artists.