07 May IDC Partners to Support Back-up Artists
IDC Partners to Support Back-up Artists
Durban, KwaZulu Natal: Even though it’s over a year since we went into lockdown as a country, many households are still dealing with the crippling effects of little to zero income. Amongst those are countless families of back-up artists who solely rely on the performing arts for a livelihood. Even though various entities have made many efforts to assist those in the arts, back-up artists are still dealing with the harsh realities of food insecurity as fathers and mothers can still not earn a living from their talents.
‘As a corporate citizen, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is not only focused on funding businesses to grow our economy. We are also mindful of the critical challenges facing the communities within which we operate. We appreciate partnerships such as this one with Backing the Back-up Artists Initiative. This has enabled us to make a difference in people’s lives,’ says Tebogo Molefe, the Industrial Development Corporation’s (IDC) CSI Manager.
The Backing the Back-up Artists Initiative, led by the South African Economic Metamorphoses Institute (SECOMETA) and renowned frontline artists, aims to raise awareness of the plight of struggling back-up artists.
‘There are so many sectors affected economically by the lockdown, and some fell through the cracks. Imagine if a family was sustained for years by the talent and skills of their mother or father who had no high school education but travelled the world backing frontline artists through their ability to play a flute or guitar. They got sent into instant poverty after lockdown,’ says Bongani Shongwe, founder of SECOMETA.
‘We commend the IDC as they are the first entity to not only recognise that back-up artists are a vulnerable group deserving of support, but also came through and actually committed funding to help ease them out of food insecurity,’ adds Shongwe.