Media Alert: Western Cape Honours Historical, Linguistical and Cultural Heroes

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) will host the annual Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards ceremony at the Baxter Theatre on Monday, 9 February 2015. This event will see the crème de la crème of the Western Cape cultural fraternity in attendance.

The Cultural Affairs Awards celebrates our colourful Cape through social inclusion, and gives the people of the province a sense of confidence and pride in their historic, cultural and linguistic heritage.

The 2014/15 nominees are available online and the winners will be announced at the Baxter.

Since its inception in 1999, DCAS has acknowledged various organisations and individuals who have made a profound impact in the arts, culture, language, heritage, museum, archives, geographical names and libraries sectors in the province.

“The awards provide an opportunity to proudly acknowledge and showcase the diversity of the cultural landscapes of the Western Cape,” said Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Theuns Botha. “Our culture defines our identity even though it has different meanings to different people; it is a significant part of our heritage which has been passed down through many generations. The Western Cape would not be the same without our unique culture and that is why we celebrate it by recognising those who keep it alive.”

Each year DCAS partners with a tertiary institution for the design of the awards and this year the Ruth Prowse School of Art in Woodstock, Cape Town was identified. A young and dynamic designer was chosen by the department and its partners to design the 2014/2015 Award – an opportunity for the designer to engage with a real-world design and manufacturing brief which has given the selected designer invaluable experience.

DCAS encourages everyone to continue to build on freedom and democracy by celebrating each other’s success in the Western Cape arts, culture, language, heritage, museums, archives, geographical names and libraries sectors, better together.