The mission of the Cultural Academy of South Africa (CASA) is to foster meaningful dialogue within the arts communities of South Africa and the United States. South Africa and the United States have historically always had close cultural ties, particularly in the arts when many Cultural organizations and artists in the United States gave increasing support to the cultural boycott to end Apartheid. Many South Africans also found refuge in the US during Apartheid. More recently, with so many cultural activities taking place between the two countries there is an increasing need for an organization to act as a clearing house and also continue to forge meaningful cultural links between the to countries.

 

The Cultural Academy of South Africa (CASA) aims to do the following:

• To mobilize skills for specific projects by tapping available expertise in the South African and United States cultural sector

• To provide a forum for interaction between the different structures, stakeholders, and constituencies in the Arts and Art Education sector between South Africa and the United States

• To provide opportunities for artists and individuals to develop intellectually, personally, and professionally in the field of arts and art education in South Africa and the United States

• To provide support to communities which encourage artists to participate in dialogue, art making, presenting, and preserving the culture of their communities

• To advocate for the empowerment of South African artists and visual arts, as well as previously disadvantaged cultural organizations institutions, audiences and volunteers in South Africa

• To provide a forum for the coordination of cultural activities between the two countries in the visual arts, including the networking of resources and cross-cultural opportunities

• To offer assistance and advice on cultural matters to individuals and organizations in promoting the visual arts from South Africa into the United States

• To promote exhibitions, research and scholarship in the visual arts