About Us

About the Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC)

The Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC) is a bold new initiative designed to transform the way South Africa’s creative sector collaborates, produces, and tours artistic work. Powered by a partnership between the country’s leading arts festivals and its only dedicated music mobility fund, the FEC is a two-year, R20 million investment in creative opportunity and sector sustainability.

Launched in 2024, the FEC brings together the National Arts Festival, Woordfees, Aardklop, Suidoosterfees, KKNK, and the Nasionale Afrikaanse Teater-inisiatief (NATi), in collaboration with Concerts SA and the Tribuo Fund, with strategic funding support from the Jobs Fund.

Why It Exists

The FEC was born from a shared recognition that greater coordination between festivals can unlock deeper impact for artists, audiences, and the broader creative economy. At a national indaba hosted by the Tribuo Fund in 2023, artists and producers called for a sustainable touring circuit — one that would allow new work to travel, generate income, and reach more diverse audiences across the country.

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What the FEC Does

The Festival Enterprise Catalyst supports:

  • Co-production funding: Backing works that tour across multiple festivals.
  • Collaboration: Strengthening partnerships between festivals to build a unified circuit.
  • Artist empowerment: Creating opportunities for consistent income, visibility, and audience reach.
  • Enterprise support: Offering tools, training, and guidance to help creative entrepreneurs thrive.
  • Job creation: Supporting sector-wide economic growth and stability.

With funding support from both the Jobs Fund and the partners themselves, the FEC funds works in all disciplines and languages, ensuring a diverse, inclusive national offering.

How It Works

Artists will continue to apply for festival programming through regular open calls. Works that show potential for co-presentation will be considered by the FEC’s curatorial body for co-funding and inclusion in a national tour circuit, reaching multiple festival stages.

A Broader Impact

The FEC doesn’t just serve artists — it’s also about building a stronger creative economy. By supporting night-time economies, bringing international producers into South African festivals, and providing artists with meaningful, repeatable platforms, the project aims to make the arts a central driver of economic, cultural, and social value.
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A Public-Private Partnership with Purpose

The FEC is funded through a unique model of partner contributions, matched by a contribution from the Jobs Fund; a National Treasury initiative focused on enterprise development and job creation. By supporting innovation and removing barriers to market access, the Jobs Fund aims to catalyse new growth — particularly for young people and women — within the creative industries.

Follow our partner organisations for updates and opportunities, and join us as we create a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable arts ecosystem in South Africa.