A group of artists held a protest outside the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town to highlight the lack of government funding for the artistic and creative industries since the start of the country’s Covid 19 lockdown in March 2020.

Nikki Froneman, who usually runs a creative artists agency, in her capacity as the media liaison for the protest said it marked a year since the Covid 19 lockdown started and 25 days since artists in Johannesburg occupied the National Arts Council offices to demand what has happened to the government’s stimulus package funds which were intended for creative industries.

Musician Terry Fortune came out to support his colleagues and said he was lucky enough to make it through Apartheid as an artist of colour and was more fortunate than his younger colleagues who still had to pay home loans and provide for their children.

Another artist stated she was fortunate enough to find alternate employment within the arts as she has multiple skill sets.