Cultural Affairs Awards Celebrate The Western Cape's Diversity And Talent | Western Cape Government

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Cultural Affairs Awards Celebrate The Western Cape's Diversity And Talent

5 March 2018

On Saturday, 3 March 2018, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport honoured individuals from the Western Cape at the Annual Cultural Affairs Awards.

The Awards, held for the first time in 1999, honour those who have made an extraordinary contribution to Cultural Affairs in the province. The evening was a celebration of all fields of Cultural Affairs, with those in the fields of culture, linguistics, archives, museums and heritage being honoured.

The audience was entertained throughout the evening by the Masters of Ceremonies, radio personality Africa Melane and acting legend Denise Newman. There were also performances integrating poetry, music and dance by various artists.

Head of Department Brent Walters emphasized the importance of the work of the department in providing opportunities for local talent to be showcased. “This is an opportunity to use creative talent to project our own unique identity to the world. Those participating in culture and the arts help us to connect with our identity, which is incredibly important for young people.” he said. HOD Walters also congratulated all the nominees and winners and thanked them for their role in promoting arts and culture in the province.

In her speech, Minister Marais spoke about the importance of uniting in our diversity in order to promote cultural inclusivity. She also mentioned that 2018 is the year in which we commemorate the centenary of former President Nelson Mandela. “Tata Madiba would have been please with each nominee’s work and what they are doing to embrace cultural inclusivity.” she said. Minister Marais bestowed Ministerial Commendations on Dr. Marlene le Roux, Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg, Deon Meyer, Dr. WF Botha and Omar Badsha.

Chief Director of Cultural Affairs, Guy Redman, thanked all the nominees and winners of the evening and stressed the importance of continuing to acknowledge and honour the work being done in arts and culture in the province.

A complete list of the nominees and winners can be seen here.

DCAS celebrates the achievements of individuals and organisations within Cultural Affairs in the Western Cape. Let us continue to identify, support and grow our local talent - BETTER TOGETHER.

Media Enquiries: 

Dr Tania Colyn
Head of Communication Service
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Tel: 021 483 9877 / 076 093 4913
E-mail: Tania.Colyn@westerncape.gov.za