The City of Johannesburg has walked a challenging path in trying to keep arts and culture alive and thriving. Challenges in budget allocation, insufficient security and vandalism have made it difficult to keep valuable art spaces such as the Joburg Art Gallery in pristine condition. Budget constraints have also limited the City’s theatres ability to develop new talent.
In an impoverished environment that Joburg currently finds itself, the debate will always be “how do you allocate money to the arts when people don’t have shelter, food and “critical infrastructure such as roads is collapsing”. It is a tough balancing act that requires one to be sensitive to the needs of the people on the ground and not restrict oneself to lofty intellectual debates.