A powerful new chapter is unfolding for the creative arts at the University of the Free State (UFS). The recently launched International Institute of the Arts (IIA) has secured a R1,5 million grant from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) – a vote of confidence that signals growing national and international recognition of the university’s artistic vision and ambition. Approved at the trust’s December board meeting, the funding affirms the institute’s commitment to nurturing visual and performing arts that are deeply rooted in South African realities while resonating across global creative and academic spaces.

Spread over two years, the grant provides vital momentum for the institute’s operational growth and creative programming. More than financial support, it strengthens the IIA’s role as a vibrant space where artistic practice, research, and learning intersect, and where the arts are positioned as a catalyst for innovation, dialogue, and social engagement at the UFS.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, remarks: “The OMT grant is more than funding. It is a bold affirmation of the arts as a driver of knowledge, innovation, imagination, and societal transformation. Through the IIA, we advance Vision 130 by embedding creativity at the heart of responsible futures.”

From vision to lived creative practice

For the Director of the International Institute of the Arts, Prof Alexander Johnson, the timing of the grant is critical. As the institute moves beyond its initial launch phase, the funding allows it to translate vision into sustained creative practice. “At this formative stage, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust grant is both timely and catalytic, allowing the institute to consolidate the Artist in Residence Programme as a credible and long-term initiative within the university,” he says.

At the heart of the IIA’s work is a commitment to artistic practice that speaks from, and to, South African lived experience. The Artist in Residence programme creates the conditions for artists to slow down, reflect, experiment, and engage deeply with place, history, and community. Prof Johnson explains: “By providing sustained time and space for creative practice, the residencies enable artists to produce work that is distinctly South African in perspective, while meeting international standards of excellence and critical enquiry.”

The ripple effects of the grant extend well beyond individual artists. Through mentorship, collaboration, and structured residencies, students are drawn into the rhythms of professional creative practice, gaining exposure that bridges the gap between academic study and the creative industries. Emerging artists, too, benefit from expanded pathways for participation, ensuring that the institute’s work remains inclusive, interdisciplinary, and connected across campuses and communities.

“The arts are a language of possibility. With the OMT grant, the IIA becomes a crucible for ideas, innovation, and cultural dialogue. This grant will deepen research, foster talent, and amplify voices that shape a just and creative world,” says Prof Reddy.

The Dean of the Faculty of The Humanities, Prof Mogomme Masoga, describes the funding as a timely affirmation of the growing role of the arts within the university’s Academic Project. “This funding foregrounds the important work of the institute and positions us well to drive research, innovation, engaged scholarship, and teaching in the arts,” he says.

He adds that recognition from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust signals the value of arts-based scholarship and creative practice at the UFS. “It shows that we are creating impact both locally and internationally, and that we are well placed to take the creative arts to greater heights,” he says.

Shaping creative futures

Looking ahead, the OMT grant will enable the International Institute of the Arts to welcome a broader range of artists, deepen community engagement across the Free State, and strengthen national and international partnerships. As the programme matures, the funding supports its evolution into a recognised institutional offering, positioning the UFS as a national leader in residency-based artistic practice with enduring benefits for artists, students, and communities alike.

“Art is not peripheral; it is central to shaping inclusive, ethical, and imaginative societies. This grant empowers the IIA to lead in creating spaces where research meets creative practice for global impact,” observed Prof Reddy.