Arts and Culture Trust ACT Scholarship South Africa 2025

Arts and Culture Trust ACT Scholarship South Africa 2025 – 2026

ABOUT THE BURSARY PROVIDER – ARTS | CULTURE TRUST (ACT)

Arts and Culture Trust ACT Scholarship South Africa | The Arts | Culture Trust (ACT) opened its doors in 1994 when it was known as the Arts and Culture Trust of the President. 28 years later, ACT serves the arts and culture sector in all 9 provinces of South Africa, as a registered non-profit organisation and is completely independent of government.

The Arts | Culture Trust (ACT) Nyoloha Scholarship Programme (NSP) was formed as a partnership between ACT and Nedbank Arts Affinity, with the goal of funding higher education for young South African performers and visual artists.

ABOUT THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

The Arts | Culture Trust is inviting students to apply for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship programme, for the 2023 academic year.. The fully paid scholarship is supported by Nedbank, Sun City and Sun International and will be awarded for Art studies at any arts institution in South Africa, including the following disciplines (undergraduate):

Dance
Music/ Singing
Theatre/ Performance/ Acting
Visual Art

Zabusaries.com is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest bursary opportunities, and this article covers all details about the Sanlam Bursary.

MORE ABOUT THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – IMPORTANT DATES

Interviews/ auditions will take place during May and June 2022, via Zoom – candidates will be notified of their slot.
Candidates who pass the initial auditions must take note of the following dates:
Bi-weekly activities, including all exercises, will be held from June to September 2022 (final dates will be communicated to successful ACT Nyoloha Programme candidates, but maybe the following dates: 25 June 2022, 23 July 2022, 6 August 2022, 20 August 2022, 3 September and 10 September 2022).
The Scholarship finals week will take place between 3 and 7 October 2022, in Sun City, North West. The finals week includes an intensive week of training, talks and performances ending in a showcase and exhibition on 8 October 2022, including the final adjudication. All meals, travel and accommodation costs will be covered by ACT for the week.
The final adjudication and gala performance/ showcase will take place on 8 October 2022 – winner/s will also be announced on this day.
Preparation for auditions:
- Music candidates will be required to prepare 2 songs in any genre, that best showcase their range, technique and overall talent (songs should be a maximum of 2 minutes each).
- Dance candidates will be required to prepare 2 dance/ movement pieces, which best showcase their range and talent (performances should be a maximum of 2 minutes each).
- Theatre/ Performance candidates will be required to prepare 2 monologues, which best showcase their range and talent – after registering, candidates will be sent a link with a list of suggested monologues (monologues should be a maximum of 2 minutes each).
- Visual Art candidates will be required to submit their image portfolio (4 different, original pieces of work – 1 image per work) and motivational letter
- Parents, guardians or teachers may NOT participate in the audition/ interview.
- Candidates must use minimal props for their audition/ interview (a table and chair may be used as a prop).
Costume changes will NOT be allowed during the audition/ interview.
After the audition/ interview, candidates will take part in a Question-and-Answer session (the total duration of the audition/interview session could be a maximum of 30 minutes).

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

You must be a South African resident
You must fall into either of the following categories:
- a) You must be in Grade 11 or Grade 12 and have a university exemption
- b) You must have completed Matric with university exemption, not be registered at a tertiary institution, not be considered to be a professional performing artist, and be between 17 and 25 years old
- c) You must be in financial need and unable to afford your studies
You must intend on studying towards a degree qualification, in one of the Arts disciplines listed above
You must intend on studying at a recognised and accredited tertiary institution in South Africa, preferably one of the following institutions: the University of Cape Town, University of Stellenbosch, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College), University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg Campus), North-West University, University of the Free State, Rhodes University, Tshwane University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, The Rainbow Academy, Moving into Dance Mophatong, AFDA (the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance), City Varsity (School of Media and Creative Arts), Waterfront Theatre School, Market Theatre Laboratory, Sibikwa Arts Centre, Oakfields College, Ehlanzeni Arts Academy from Mbombela (Mpumalanga), Campus of Performing Arts (COPA) (if your institution is not listed here, you must contact the ACT office to see if you are eligible to apply)
You must have parental or guardian consent if you are under 18 years old and pay a registration fee of R100

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HOW TO APPLY FOR THE ACT SCHOLARSHIP

Applications must be submitted online at ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Application 2022

Before applying, applicants must read and agree to the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Guidelines (.pdf).

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Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation with the online application (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

ID document or both sides of ID smartcard (copy only)
Photograph (headshot)
Signed ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Consent Form (.pdf) – to be signed by a parent or guardian if you are under 18
Proof of payment for the R100 registration fee (see ACT’s banking details (.pdf) here)
Previous semester/ last academic results
Details about your artistic background (between 50 to 100 words)
Details about your exposure/experience/training so far (between 50 to 100 words)
Details about your aspirations in the performing/ visual arts world, including why you want to further your studies or pursue a career in the arts (between 50 to 100 words)
Visual Art applicants only: images for portfolio submission (4 different, original pieces of work – 1 image per work. Images must be clear, in pdf format). The motivational letter that covers: about yourself, why you think you should be selected for the programme, and why you chose visual arts

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CLOSING DATE FOR THE ACT NYOLOHA SCHOLARSHIP

1 June 2022 (extension).
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER

For any queries related to this scholarship programme, please contact the Arts | Culture Trust directly:
Email: palesa@act.org.za

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NSFAS, or National Student Financial Aid Scheme, was established according to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act of 1999 and incorporated the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA), which stopped operating in 2000.