The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is South Africa’s premier independent arts and culture funding and development agency.

A number of focused funding and development programmes implemented by ACT support a broad range of activities nationally. Through the Professional Development Programme the Trust makes funding available to individual artists, practitioners and arts and culture organisations and institutions in the form of once-off grants. The Scholarships Programme facilitates the allocation of three grants to pursue undergraduate performing arts studies and the annual ACT Awards recognises and celebrates excellence in South African arts, culture and creativity. Through the presentation of arts management master classes, ACT develops administration and management skills of practitioners, which in turn increases the capacity and sustainability of arts organisations and institutions. The Arts & Culture Conference presented by the Trust aims to share information, knowledge and research with stakeholders of the creative economy with a view to develop, enable and inspire the sector.

ACT is the oldest arts funding agency in democratic South Africa. Since 1994 it has advanced its position towards becoming a self-sustaining perpetual Fund for the continued development of arts and culture. ACT’s programmes offer a low-cost high-impact proposition for businesses wanting to achieve their Corporate Social Investment (CSI), BEE or marketing objectives within the arts and culture sector. The Trust’s model has seen it disburse more than R22 million over the past 22 years. ACT has also reached a degree of operational sustainability and sponsors and philanthropists can rest assured in knowing that their valuable contribution to the Trust Fund directly benefits South African artists and organisations.