Klerksdorp Midweek, Klerksdorp - The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) is calling on passionate, talented, and dedicated young South African artists with a specific interest in studying arts at a tertiary or accredited arts institution in South Africa to apply for a coveted spot on the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2025.
If you are between the ages of 17 and 25, are eager to pursue a career in the arts, and are ready to take your talents to the next level, this could be the life-changing opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Are you a singer, dancer, actor, visual or digital artist? Do you qualify for tertiary study? Are you eager for an opportunity to receive discipline-focused training and mentorship? And do you want the opportunity to compete in Johannesburg for 1 of 2 scholarship prizes? Apply now at www.act.org.za/nyoloha. Applications close on March 30.
The ACT NSP is a partnership between the ACT and the Nedbank Arts Affinity, supported by Nedbank, and MTN Foundation South Africa. The programme was relaunched in 2022 after a 2-year break during the Covid-19 pandemic. This joint initiative creates an opportunity for young performing or visual/digital artists to receive professional arts training and potential scholarship funding towards higher education, which is limited to covering registration fees, tuition fees, and books or related study materials.
The undergraduate scholarship programme is aimed at youth aged 17 to 25, who are either currently in matric or already have matric with university under-graduate or college admission, and who are not already studying arts and are not professionals. The goal of this scholarship is to help these youth earn their first qualification in the performing, visual or digital arts at a South African tertiary institution or an ACT approved accredited institution.
One successful applicant in each category, that is performing arts and visual or digital arts, will receive a scholarship to start their studies in the 2026 academic year.
The scholarship amount is dependent on the institution of choice and is limited to R300 000 per person
Application process
- Category 1: Visual and digital arts – Candidates must submit portfolios in line with the application guidelines document.
- Category 2: Performing arts – Candidates must submit a 2-minute video in which they perform in their selected discipline (singing, acting or dance).
ACT will be accepting a total intake of 80 participants for this year’s scholarship programme. The submitted portfolio (visual/digital arts) OR video (performing arts) will be used to shortlist applicants for participation In the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme 2025.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the end of May.
The top 15 candidates across all disciplines will be the finalists and will compete in a gala performance showcase and/or visual and digital arts exhibition on October 2 and 4 respectively. The winners in each of the 2 categories will be revealed at the gala performance on October 4.
Who may not participate?
Professional artists or performers may not participate, as well as those who already have an arts qualification.
Those who are already registered with a tertiary institution or have already been accepted to register at a tertiary institution in 2025 may also not participate as well as those who may have participated in the ACT NSP over the past three years.
Visit www.act.org.za/nyoloha before March 30 to view the ACT NSP open-call details and start paving your way to a brighter future.
