The Art of Responsibility and the Responsibility of Art: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility and the Performing Arts in Addressing Social Issues in South Africa

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral part of corporate operations in South Africa and CSR budgets are still the largest source of private sector funding for the arts, with marketing budgets second. The performing arts in South Africa have a history of addressing social and political issues, but social responsibility since 1994 has shifted from predominantly content-oriented work to skills training and job creation. The relationships between artistic social responsibility in the performing arts and corporate social responsibility through CSR and marketing support is explored. This includes the capacity of performing arts organizations and corporations to engage effectively with the CSR agenda in their ability to be strategic and critical about applications for and allocations of funding.