Very little funding is channelled to public art, and Johannesburg gets crumbs from the central government. But a new deal made by the City's arts department may change all that.

Neil Fraser

I WAS fortunate a couple of years ago to have been invited by the Welsh Development Agency to visit that country and to see some of the projects on which the agency was working.

During my visit my hosts had arranged for me to spend some time with and view some local output of an organisation known as CBAT, the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust, an arts and regeneration agency.

CBAT is an independent public art consultancy whose mission is "to enliven the built environment, supporting sustainability, education and civic ownership, by practising a primary role for artists in regeneration schemes throughout Wales, the UK and internationally".

Clients, whether private or public sector, engage CBAT to commission appropriate public arts works and project manage the entire process. Its expertise enables it to provide strategic advice and best practice relevant to each project as well as creative, practical and technical project management.

I was very impressed with the work that it was doing and suggested that, if any members ever visited South Africa, they should spend some time in Joburg. A few months ago CBAT contacted me to advise me that two senior staff members, whom I had met, Zoe King and Aldo Rinaldi, would be visiting Cape Town and could spend a few days in Joeys.

I find that it is always refreshing to see one's city and the work that is being done through professionals' eyes and it was good to spend some time, albeit very short, with them in the city.

Johannesburg Development Agency

To a very large extent the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has been responsible for bringing public art in the inner city to the fore over the past few years by ensuring its inclusion in all of its projects. Mary Fitzgerald Square, Faraday, Drill Hall, Constitution Hill and Metro Mall (through Bongi Dhlomo) – these and others have been greatly enhanced by public art.

The Braamfontein public space upgrade includes the metal "trees" in Juta Street (a project of the excellent Trinity Session); the current upgrading of the entrances to the Ellis Park precinct includes excellent mosaic artwork, and so forth. Indeed, a quick visit to the new JDA offices in the Bus Factory in Newtown highlights that its approach to art has been carried through to its own premises.

Lesley Perkes is another stalwart of public art, to which the Sunday Times commissions around the country bear testimony.

The problem in our context, of course, is that aside from the contributions of the JDA and a small number of others in the public art realm, very little funding finds its way into supporting this sector. And a visit to the Creative Inner City Initiative (Cici), which has done so much to encourage, teach and uncover artistic endeavour in the inner city, finds it again without funds.

Many would say that the country's current priorities are such that the support of the arts must clearly be low on our priority list. But some work done by cultural consultant Peter Starck, in preparation for the Inner City Summit, clearly shows how Johannesburg as a city is the recipient of cultural funding crumbs from central government sources – with most of the loaf going to Cape Town, Durban and even Bloemfontein.

Value

The value of public art goes far beyond art for the sake of art. The Welsh Development Agency Design Guide states that: "Public art has become an integral part of economic regeneration and is playing an increasingly important role as creative catalyst in landscape design, urban design and architecture. The value of artistic involvement in the design process has been repeatedly demonstrated."

Another truism is that, "the work of artists in the public realm transforms the spaces and places we inhabit every day. A walk in the park, a trip to the shops or even a long day at work or school can be a more enjoyable and stimulating experience with a little help from artists."

Oh, for a more enjoyable and stimulating experience in our harsh urban environment! So, it is good news indeed that the City's Department of Arts Culture and Heritage has obtained agreement from the council on a percentage of all capital works to be set aside for public art investment.

While the actual percentage doesn't appear to have been finalised, the principle has been established. I only hope that this doesn't go the same way as the principle that 15 percent of all inner city council income generated from outdoor advertising is to go into an inner city fund.

Ah well, I hope you had a great weekend,
Neil