Art Collection Overview
Art Collection Overview
Art and business in harmony at Telkom
As a company that has been collecting African art for over 17 years and running art education programmes since 2002, Telkom certainly takes a long-term view of the arts.
Telkom only collects pieces by African artists. The Telkom Art Collection, which started off in 1992, currently features over 900 artworks by around 300 African artists, some well established and others still up-and-coming.
These works are proudly displayed in Telkom buildings across South Africa so that employees and visitors can be inspired and uplifted as they go about their business.
Employees are also the centre of Telkom's art education programmes, which include art workshops for children, art therapy workshops for their parents, lunchtime talks with artists, craft-from-waste workshops for all ages, and art competitions and exhibitions.
This investment in employees and their families fits Telkom's focus as a caring employer and builds pride in South Africa's artistic heritage. "It is also aligned with the company's business strategy, especially our Green Initiative, support for community upliftment and our partnership approach," says Brenda Kali, Group Executive: Group Communication and Brand.
One of its most successful arts partnerships so far has been Artists in Conversation, a joint venture with the Wits History Workshop and Visual Arts. "Relatively little is known about the lives and personal histories of South African artists and this oral history project shed new light on the life, times and work of 14 prominent South African artists," says Kali. Telkom funded the project, with a supporting grant from Business and Arts South Africa (BASA). This innovative project was nominated for a BASA Award in 2006.
Then, at the BASA awards of 2007, Telkom won the International Sponsorship category for sponsoring the Lion King production – the fruit of another successful arts partnership. This saw Telkom not only sponsoring the production but also collaborating with Disney and the co-producers, Lebo M and Pieter Toerien, to share the costs of taking 38 000 children from disadvantaged background to see the show.
Other examples of Telkom projects that have brought art and business strategy together are Telkom's craft-from-waste workshops, 16 Days of Activism campaign and the commissioning of artwork for its National Business Services Centre.