Music, Visual, and Performing Arts Bursaries South Africa 2024

The ARTS career field is one in which your success is strongly determined by your passion and drive. The salary ranges in this job sector are very vast – with the right skills, ambition and opportunities, you could go from being a “starving artist” to a world-famous artist. If you love what you do (most people in the arts sector do), then success is sure to follow.

Whether you dream of pursuing a career in visual arts (painting, drawing, photography, film making, video making, design, sculpture, ceramics and crafts) or performing arts (dance, drama and singing), passion is ultimately the key to your success.

In order to qualify for a bursary within the ARTS sector, you will generally have to submit or perform a piece of your “art work”, depending on whether you are in the visual or performing arts sector. You will also be required to have a certain level of academic results.

While creativity cannot be taught, your skills and talents can be fine-tuned with the help of a tertiary qualification. If you are in need of tertiary funding, these bursary opportunities could be very helpful. If the stage is your office, then these are the bursary listings for you.

SA Bursaries has compiled the biggest list of Arts bursaries, scholarship and funding opportunities in South Africa for 2024 & 2024 studies – scroll down to find your field of study:

Dance
Drama and Theatre
Fashion and Textile
Film and Motion Picture
Fine Art and Visual Art
Jewellery Design
Performing Art
Music

DANCE BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024
Dance is a disciplined art form whereby a dancer moves their body in a rhythmic way within a space and to music. The purpose of Dance is to express an idea or emotion through art, and release energy or simply enjoying the movement. Dance benefits society on a grand scale as it is significant both commercially and culturally. Many dancing colleges, schools, and studies play a major role in creating employment opportunities for local dancers. Dancing is also important to society as it creates social and cultural improvements to the communities and its people, and it is performed in and sometimes, bases its subject matter on. Both social and cultural interaction is enhanced through dance and communities are provided with a feeling of happiness and togetherness.

To become a professional Dancer, you would need to obtain a Degree in Performing Arts and/ or attend a dance school where you will be examined as a professional. You can also attend any of South Africa’s Dance associations and complete an Associate dance teacher’s degree in your preferred style of dance.

Some career opportunities for a professional dancer are a Choreographer, Choreologist, Dance Master, Dance Teacher, Dance Historian, and Dancer.
If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Dance sector, here are some options for you:

DRAMA & THEATRE BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024
Drama and Theatre, although synonymous with each other, are actually different. Drama refers to scripts and is a part of theatre that illustrates an event or situation by the means of acting or performance. Drama also refers to an event or episode that stirred up emotion or conflict- i.e. the emotions of a performer who is acting.

Theatre refers to the actual entirety of the play/ production and not JUST the script. Whilst Drama may only require the actors, theatre requires the works of the script, stage, actors, sound effects, lighting, costumes, audience, and more. With that, theatre requires more people such as stagehands, sound engineers, directors, and ushers to ensure the success of the production.

Drama and theatre are essential to society, as it not only creates many job opportunities and is a source of entertainment, but also promotes social discussion and potential societal change. Theatre challenges society to look at its own actions as well as help it find solutions.

To get a career in theatre, it is advisable that you study a Bachelor of Performing Arts or a Bachelor in Theatre and Performance. With this qualification, potential career avenues you could venture into are Choreography, Directing, becoming a critic, Performing, becoming a designer, a Production Arts Manager, Theatre-Maker, Teacher, a Writer, and Theorist.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Drama and Theatre sector, here are some options for you:

FASHION & TEXTILE BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Fashion and Textile design refer to creating a sophisticated and polished finished product and appearance- this can refer to clothing or interior design. Textile design refers to using various processes and techniques to create digital, constructed, and mixed media textiles. Textile refers to creating designs and then printing them onto various fabrics which can later be used in fashion and design. Fashion and textile are essential to society as textiles help make spaces feel more homely, welcoming, and professional as well as inviting to guests.

Fashion helps the economy grow and is the second-largest worldwide economic activity for trade; it also can be a means for artists and designers to tell a story through their designs. The fashion and textile industry is also responsible for employing over 57 million workers in developing countries of which 80% are women.

Qualifications you could obtain in fashion and design are a Bachelor of Technology in Fashion, Bachelor of Science in Textile Science, Diplomas in Textile Technology, a Diploma in Clothing Management, and an Advanced and Post Graduate Diploma in Apparel Technology. With these qualifications, potential career avenues in the Fashion and Textile industries are a Clothing Technologist, Fashion Designer, Colour Technologist, and Textile Designer.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Fashion and Textile sector, here are some options for you:

FILM & MOTION PICTURE BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Film and motion picture (cinema movies) is a medium that conveys drama on a screen through a series of still photographs on film. Film is responsible for not only telling the narrative of the dramatic story but also evoking emotion in their audience. Motion picture is an art that requires a broad contribution from many other art forms and technical skills, such as editors, sound engineers, recording, optics, and more.

Film and motion pictures are essential to society as it combines many elements to elicit deep feelings within us and reflect on society and our lives as individuals. Films can teach us about our history, give us hopes and ideas for the future, inspire us, evoke change, motivate us, and make us question the world- thus elicit thinking.

Some qualifications one could obtain in film are a Bachelors Degree in Arts and Motion Pictures, Diplomas in Film Production, Diplomas in Sound Engineering, Higher Certificate in Film, Television, and Entertainment Production, Diplomas in Motion Picture Production, and more. Film and Motion Picture requires many individuals to make the ‘movie magic’ As such, some careers avenues in Film and Motion Picture are becoming a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Gaffer, Grip, Composer, Production Assistant, Showrunner, Production Co-ordinator, Choreographer, Actor, and more.

If you prefer a spot behind the camera instead of in front of the camera, maybe you should consider a career within the film or motion picture industry.
Motion picture producers may start their career as a screenwriter, actor or business manager before expanding their skills to film production.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Film and Motion Picture sector, here are some options for you:

FINE ART & VISUAL ART BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Fine Arts is a broad term that includes the umbrella categories of Visual Arts, Applied Arts and Applied Arts. Fine Arts consists of many components such as dance, sketching, filmmaking, design, music, and animation. Fine Arts students general get taught a wide variety of art forms (as seen in its umbrella categories) whereas Visual Art students will primarily focus on paintings, drawings, sculpting, film making and other avenues that can be appreciated with sight.

Fine Art, and primarily, Visual Art is important to our contemporary society as it aids artists in communicating a message to the audience and helps people understand the information they may need to better live their lives. Fine Art and Visual Arts aid people to develop critical thinking skills, become informed citizens, learn creative problem-solving skills, as well as be productive members of society.

Some qualifications one could obtain in Fine and Visual arts are a Bachelors Degree in Visual Art, Bachelors of Technology in Fine Art, Bachelors of Education in Art and Design, and a Masters of Technology in Fine Art.

Possible career avenues the Fine Art and Visual Arts are a Professional Artist, Curator, Teacher, Art Consultant, Art Critic, Art Researcher and Journalist, Art Writer, Print Studio Manager, Paper and Product Designer and Maker, Visual Arts Manager, Community and Arts Project Manager, Digital Photographer, and General Photography.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Fine Art and Visual Art sector, here are some options for you:

JEWELLERY DESIGN BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Jewellery Design is the art form of creating jewellery and has been practised through many centuries, starting with beadwork in ancient times to the gem cutting we know in the modern day. Jewellery Designers work with precious metals, such as gemstones, diamonds, beads, and metals to create valuable pieces of art that can be worn. Jewellery Designers can choose to make a one-of-a-kind art piece for a specific designer or make mass production of the same item. Either way, jewellery is in high demand in the society and is highly valuable. Jewellery Design, and more importantly, Jewellery itself is valuable to society.

For many years, Jewellery has played a large role in many cultures and life events. Such as a husband or partner showing affection, Jewellery, such as wedding band celebrating milestones, Jewellery used in tradition (as seen in many African tribes), as well as Jewellery being a good investment and storing wealth. Some qualifications you could obtain to become a Jewellery.

Designer and plummet into this lucrative industry are a National Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing, Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts- Jewellery Design and Metal Design, as well as joining courses, programmes, and apprenticeships to enhance your skills. Career opportunities in this Visual Art field are as a Jewellery Designer, Craft and Fine Artist, Fashion Designer, Wood Worker, as well as Metalwork.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Jewellery Design sector, here are some options for you:

PERFORMING ART BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Performing arts refers to art forms such as music, drama, and dance which are generally performed in front of an audience. All cultures within society use performing arts to tell a story, convey a message, and spark up conversation, emotion and questions.

Performing Arts are generally done in buildings, such as theatres, or opera houses, as well as on open-air stages, such as festivals, tents, and on the streets. Performing Arts are essential to society as it not only teaches self-expression and gives artists a way to convey their message, but also allows society to gain self-knowledge and an understanding. The main aim of theatres (a branch of performance art) is to point out the attitudes and mindset of society, hoping to educate the audience about the current conditions. Some examples of Performing Arts are Opera, Music, Dance, Musical Theatre, Theatre, Magic, Mime, Spoken Word, Circus Art, and Puppetry.

There are many fields of studies one could embark on in Performance Art, but mainly artists obtain a Bachelors of Arts in their preferred field- if they wish to teach the subject they are professionals in, they would need to obtain an additional Teaching Qualification or a Masters or Doctoral Degree. Some potential careers in Performance Art are an Acrobat, Stage Performer, Dancer, Musician, Vocalist, Public Speaker, Magician, Mime, and Teacher.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Performing Art sector, here are some options for you:

MUSIC BURSARIES FOR 2024 & 2024

Music is arguably the most popular art form in the world as everyone listens to some genre of Music. Music is a form of expression for Musicians who tell a story through their vocals or instrument playing. Music has also been used in cultures for thousands of years, from indigenous people dancing near fires to modern-day DJ’s- music is a form of expression that can evoke powerful emotion. As such, music is essential to society and people as it can highly impact our moods and well-being. Music allows people to feel almost all the emotions we experience in life and a society without music could arguably be one without much emotion. Musicians are responsible for composing, writing, playing, and/or singing music in a variety of different styles for their audience.

Qualifications in Music you could obtain are Diplomas in Sound Engineering, a Bachelors of Music, Bachelors of Performing Arts, as well as partake in courses, classes, and coaching to help you further develop your skills.

There are many job opportunities in music, some are Music Therapists, Music Producers, Teachers, Musicians, Sound Designers/Engineers, Special Effects technicians, and Sound Technician for film, broadcasting, and video.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Music sector, here are some options for you: