Call for applications: Arts and Culture Trust bursaries in SA

Applications for bursaries are available for study in any arts discipline. However, preference will be given to students wishing to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree in arts management or arts journalism. ACT offers 10 bursaries per year of R30 000 to South African students for postgraduate research (MA and PhD) studies in a creative arts subject or arts administration and management.

Interested scholars can apply here.

The submission deadline is 18 November.

Requirements

• The programme is open to all South African nationals who will be studying for a postgraduate degree (excluding honours) in a creative arts subject or arts administration.
• List of required documents (documents do not need to be certified but must be in PDF format):
  
  • Copy of South African ID.
  • Undergraduate degree certificate or academic transcript.
  • Proof of application or acceptance to your prospective university programme or proof of registration if you have already commenced your degree.
  • Letter of recommendation from someone working professionally in the arts industry or in your academic field.

Letter of recommendation

Applicants should think carefully about who they would like to write their letter of recommendation. It should be a person of good standing as this will give weight to the applicant’s recommendation. It must be someone who knows the applicant well and has had the opportunity to observe their academic or professional work. Ideally, the candidate’s working relationship should be current or of a recent date. Applicants should avoid asking someone they haven’t worked within in the last five years.

Personal motivation

The personal motivation is divided into four questions, which should be answered by the applicant. An applicant should take their time to answer each question thoughtfully. They should think carefully about what they want to say and which points are most relevant in the application. They should also pay attention to the character limit as going over the limit will result in some of their words being cut (2 000 characters).

Applicants should think about the following when writing their motivation letter:

• What sets them apart from other candidates?
• What experiences demonstrate their commitment and interests?
• How the applicant’s qualification will benefit him/her as an individual and also how will the applicant’s research benefit others and contribute to their field of study?

ACT CEO Marcus Desando said: “The ACT Development Programme has become one of ACT’s gems and we are very proud that through our partnership with Nedbank and their Arts Affinity initiative, we have awarded postgraduate bursaries to over 25 deserving beneficiaries who have contributed, and continue to contribute to a growing body of knowledge in the arts. With this new cycle we hope to do the same.”

Email [email protected] for more information about this call.

View the original call here.