The state of professional drama in the Free State: an investigation into professional drama more than 10 years post re-structuring of the Free State Performing Arts Council (PACOFS)

English: The Drama Department of the Performing Arts Council of the Free State (PACOFS) represented, for many years, the Professional Drama Company in the Free State. This department was closed down on the 30th of March 1997 as part of the restructuring of the Performing Arts Councils in South Africa in accordance with the stipulations of the White Paper on Arts and Culture of 1996. The major reason for the necessity of this restructuring was the public and government perception of the resident companies within Performing Arts Councils being predominantly white, and being concerned with predominantly Euro-centric productions to the exclusion of other cultural and artistic groups in South Africa. The White Paper proposed a dismantling of resident companies in favour of individual artists and companies applying to a National Arts Council for funding for projects and performing arts initiatives (including funding for private Drama Companies as institutions), then approaching the Performing Arts Councils for assistance with the staging of these projects, where the Performing Arts Council's role would be one of facilitating projects rather than producing them itself - as had been the case with the old Performing Arts Councils. The aim was for the Performing Arts Council to be more accessible to a wider base of artists and in so doing allow for a greater diversity of work to be produced and subsequently staged through the Performing Arts Council's facilitation of this work. This study investigates primarily what has happened in terms of Drama Companies in Bloemfontein (as representative of Free State trends) and compares them in nature and works undertaken to the former PACOFS Drama. The study attempts to provide a modest contribution to the activities of Professional Drama Companies in the Free State after dismantling of the Performing Arts Council resident Drama Company and proposes to render insights and recommendations for the future sustainability of Drama Companies as regards their current and future functions, activities and existence. Findings pertain to activities of Free State artists more than ten years after closure of the PACOFS Drama Department and provide insights into the accessibility of new funding structures and the Performing Arts Council to these artists. Qualitative findings pertaining to perceptions on the part of professionals, students and companies involved in the Free State Drama industry regarding Arts transformation render insights for possible change and redression. The following findings emerge: Drama productions continue to be staged by private companies in the Free State who make use of both local and outside professional artists as required by the production. Funding for these projects is secured from the National Arts Council, but to a lesser degree than other private and corporate sources or from the National Lottery. White Paper stipulations for transformation of PACOFS were followed and mandates seem to have been adhered to, but the greater accessibility of the facilities and services of the Playhouse is not perceived by artists as having had a beneficial effect on Free State Drama. The development of Arts festivals, most notably Volksblad Kunstefees, has become the most viable platform for presenting local work, and artists' only involvement with PACOFS is the extent to which PACOFS services and facilities are utilized by the festivals. Perceptions on the part of role-players in Free State Drama is that generally a redression of existing structures and Arts policy is required.