b'Yazeed KamaldienTRANSFORMATION, GROWTH ANDincluded public art around Johannesburgrisk assessments and also build a diversified RESILIENCE emerge as themes duringand securing advertising for artists inbudget and funding process, says Constant.reflections with the three chief executivelocal cinemas where showreels aboutDuring Johaardiens first few years BASA officers who have led Business and Artstheir work were projected before filmraised R160-million for artist projects. South Africa (BASA) over its 25-yearscreenings. Danby says the projects thatBASA was also one of the organisations that existence.BASA supported reached into unthoughtdisbursed presidential emergency funds to Founding chief executive Nicolaof spaces. The South African police hadartists during COVID-19.Danby started when BASA was anan internal poetry competition after aWithin weeks of COVID hitting we experimental idea to connect the businesspoliceman came to BASA with the idea,set up our own fund to help artists. We sector with artists during the early yearsshe mentions by way of example. Somehad a hard pivot to artist relief and for the of democratic South Africa. A decadeof the poetry was fantastic. It was a spacefirst time BASA approached individuals later, Michelle Constant was taskedfor release because these guys saw suchto help artists. The number of individuals with leading BASA and she worked toterrible things. As in other sectors ofwho showed up was phenomenal, says strengthen its financial foundationsSouth African society, transformation workJohaardien. We raised R1.5-million for and ensure it had systems in place forwas needed in the arts too. We tried toartists who were affected by COVID-19. sustainability. She too stayed in thelook at ways of helping arts organisationsOver two years we facilitated payment to job for about a decade. Current chiefdevelop more diverse boards. Wethousands of artists. BASA also launched executive Ashraf Johaardien, who hasdeveloped the board bank. It was an effortits Hey friend, how are you? online been at the helm for just over threeto get young, black South African businesscampaign that showed how artists were years, has had to navigate COVID-19 andpeople to serve on the board of variousimpacted (by COVID-19) and to express build resilience amidst a global economicarts organisations, elborates Danby. that BASA really cared about how artists slowdown. were doing says Johaardien. COVID-19 The arts sector can be a fragile eco- restrictions meant that BASAs awards system. Danby remembers the early daysceremony had to be held online, resulting in when she was recruited to BASA. She hadTHERES GENERALLYgrowing its audience from 400 people at the by then been working with various artsA PERCEPTIONannual in-person awards ceremony to aorganisations, including growing DanceTHAT THERE IS A3 000-strong audience from around the Umbrella into a national festival. world at an online event. Theres generally a perception thatDIVIDE BETWEENJohaardien reflects that businesses are there is a divide between business andBUSINESS AND THEstill looking for new ways to stand out above the arts. BASA was completely uniquethe rest and BASA steps in to help the because it was the first entity that tried toARTS. BASA WASright partners find each other. Businesses create mutually beneficial relationshipsCOMPLETELY UNIQUEfind that the arts offer a unique opportunity between business and the arts, recallsBECAUSE IT WASto stand out. Artists have a unique way of Danby. I was pleasantly surprised toleveraging attention. Art is what makes you find how responsive and interestedTHE FIRST ENTITYstop in your tracks. Artists have a magnetic a lot of businesses were (in the arts).THAT TRIED TOpotential and thats what businesses want, The key thing at BASA from the get-gosays Johaardien.SQUAREwas to build business membership asCREATE MUTUALLY that is what funded us. We had aboutBENEFICIAL 135 members in the first year. And theRELATIONSHIPS underlying thing with BASA was to say that artists didnt need to beg. ArtistsBETWEEN BUSINESS needed money but they could offerAND THE ARTS YAZEED KAMALDIEN is a businesses something back. BASAsjournalist from Cape Town. model was to help an artist find fundingHis reporting has focused from a business that would leverage offon arts and culture as the artists creative output. MentoringConstant says when she stepped in aswell as conflict zones and social issues. He programmes were also set up to guidechief executive the organisation had beenhas also worked on artists on their financial path. established. I was very lucky because ofdocumentary films and is We had a very strong business andwhat Nicola had set up. It was small andcurrently an artist-in-residence at the University of arts board. We also had then-presidentthere were two or three people workingJohannesburg.Thabo Mbeki as our patron, saysfor it. It was more informal and when I got Danby. BASA supported projects thatthere we had to formalise. We had to create 19'