Exclusive Books, The Market Theatre Foundation and The Coloured Cube have been announced as BASA Award winners for the Sponsorship in Kind Award for The Exclusive Books Pan-African Reading Room and Pan-African Reading Lounge at the Windybrow Arts Centre.

‘We are delighted by this recognition of our efforts in the Pan-African literature space,’ Ben Williams, GM: Marketing for Exclusive Books, said. ‘The partnership has firmly established the Windybrow Arts Centre as a hub for the advancement of Pan-African literature and has helped bring African stories and literature to life for a wider audience.’

The 21st Annual BASA Awards, held on 16 September at the Victoria Yards, recognise and honour businesses that invest in an inclusive economy through art. Exclusive Books was one of 11 winners announced at the ceremony.

The Windybrow Arts Centre opened the doors on the Exclusive Books Pan-African Reading Lounge for adults and The Exclusive Books Pan-African Reading Room for children on Nelson Mandela Day, 18 July 2017. Over 2000 Pan-African titles are housed in the 121-year old Windybrow Heritage House, courtesy of Exclusive Books.

The reading rooms have encouraged a reading culture among the more than 120 daily visitors to the Windybrow Arts Centre – most of whom are youths. In addition, the Centre launched a monthly book club programme for children and a series of forums for adults focusing on African authors and on the titles available in the Reading Lounge.

‘We warmly congratulate each winner and thank all the finalists for their commitment to supporting and working with creative people,’ BASA Chairman Andre le Roux said.

Heidi Brauer, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Hollard, a BASA sponsor, said, ‘In beautiful harmony with Hollard’s special partnership model, the BASA Awards really do deliver win-win-win.

‘Artists benefit through having their work recognised and celebrated; corporates grow their brand and gain exposure to the creative arts; and broader society is enriched through the conversation, challenge and stimulation provided by art that may not otherwise have seen the light of day. Such partnerships enable a better future for us all.’

Full list of winners:

1. Absa Group Limited & the South African National Association for the Visual Arts won the Beyond Borders Partnership Award for Absa L’Atelier.
2. Standard Bank & the Palaeontological Scientific Trust won the Development Award for All From One-Walking Tall
3. PPC Cement SA & Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality won the Cultural Tourism Award (supported by Nedbank) for The Owl House
4. Aluminium Trading Group (Pty) Ltd & James Delaney won the First Time Sponsor Award for Bringing The Wilds Back to life with sculptures
5. Rand Merchant Bank & Moving into Dance Mophatong won the Increasing Access to the Arts Award for Enable Through Dance
6. Liberty Group & Design Indaba won the Innovation Award for Arch
7. Eurocape Holdings (Pty) Ltd & Turn Style 177, trading as The Rainbow Academy (NPO) won the Long Term Partnership Award for The Rainbow Academy
8. New Pan Hellenic Voice & Artsvark won the Media Sponsorship Award for Arts Podcasts
9. Lefika Computer CC & Mpumalanga Traditional Arts Market (MTAM) won the Small Business Award for Mpumalanga Traditional Arts Market (MTAM)
10. Exclusive Books & The Market Theatre Foundation and The Coloured Cube won the Sponsorship in Kind Award for The Exclusive Books Pan African Reading Room and Pan African Reading Lounge at the Windybrow Arts Centre
11. Aspire Art Auctions won the Strategic Project Award for the Artist’s Resale Rights (ARR) Project

BASA Special Awards were also made. These recognise sustained and extraordinary commitment to the arts in South Africa. The winners are selected by the BASA Board, and are made at the discretion of the BASA Chairman:

• Strauss & Co was awarded the Chairman’s Premier Award for Diverse Projects
• Elinor Sisulu received the Art Champion Award for her literary work, particularly with the Puku Children’s Literature Foundation
• The Royal Norwegian Embassy/Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the Diplomacy in the Arts Award for their work in southern Africa

The Awards celebrate a distinct theme each year. This year, in the year of the Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu centennial, the theme was Legacy. ‘At BASA legacy, growth and development inspire us. It’s our duty, and our privilege, to work with this generation for the benefit of the next,’ Chairman Le Roux said.

For more information on the winners and finalists, please visit http://www.basa.co.za/basa-awards/ and to access the complimentary BASA Awards image bank, please visit https://www.basa.co.za/media/gallery/

Categories Africa Fiction Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Awards BASA Awards Exclusive Books News Pan-African Reading Lounge Pan-African Reading Room The Coloured Cube The Market Theatre Foundation