Art News:
THE SOUTH AFRICAN
Department of Arts & Culture introduces obligatory Artist and Arts Professionals "Vuleka Arts Registration Program"
As from midnight last night "bold and overdue" changes for SA Arts and Culture are now in place
"All artwork pre-April 2010 is suspect and needs to be reviewed by the Department"
In a news release this morning the The Minister of Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana has made law "overdue" cultural policies - including the new Artists and Arts Professionals "Vuleka Arts Registration Program" . Failure to register for the program could well lead to arrest and further banning of the artist from public and private activities including making and exhibiting work.
According to the news release all artists from amateur to professional artists and art professionals including art teachers, critics and writers have to register with DAC's "Vuleka Arts Registration Program".
The Vuleka Registry will classify the member between the 1-5 points, according to their political and cultural views. Those who score between 1-2 may exhibit and work with limited supervision by the Department. Those who score 3-5 will need to register their work, projects and artwork for DAC's approval before the conceptualising, making, and exhibiting artwork (this includes privately, publicly as well as on the Internet and e-mail).
"This is not anything new for many truely progressive countries" Minister Xingwana went on to state, "the creative arts community is clearly counter-revolutionary, imbalanced and biased towards Nation Building". The Minister further went on to state that " Although artists had played a insignificant part in the Democratic change in South Africa, they cannot think they are now above the law and do as they please, or think, or in the words of my previous Director "expect visits to the moon" from the Department.
The DAC further stated that in addition to the country's national galleries, private galleries, public and private exhibition spaces would be nationalised and fall in line with government supervision and control. "We simply will not tolerate disrespect to our government policies and outlines for building a clean, harmonious and decent society based on traditional values in the arts".
The statement goes on to read that "These changes are nothing new, the Creative arts community must fall in line with DAC's requirements, and other State Departments policies".
Other minor changes are on the way are auctioning off national and private collections and artwork overseas."All artwork pre April 2010 is suspect and need to be reviewed by the Department" . The money being raised to provide further much need funds for the Department to implement the necessary changes and recruitment of inspectors in the new field.
"A bold new era in our young democracy has broken, we are now free at last to teach the country's artists and creative people that the government knows the best for it's children, - any interference in our policy will be treated as a blow against democracy and will be swiftly dealt with by the law, Vuleka!.
