
Lakin Morgan Baatjies (photo: UJ Arts & Culture)
The Tribuo Fund, as part of their Tribuo Sessions series, held a conference from 5–7 June 2025 at STIAS in Stellenbosch. Discussions and presentations focused on how leaders and creators are navigating change, driving innovation and shaping the future of the arts in South Africa.
Lakin Morgan-Baatjies tells Naomi Meyer about her presentation at the recent Tribuo conference.
Please would you tell LitNet’s readers what you understand about Tribuo, and why it is vital for the arts?
Tribuo represents a much-needed intervention in the South African arts ecosystem, one that recognises that sustainable artistic practice requires more than talent and passion; it requires consistent, intentional support. At its core, Tribuo is about giving back – not just financially, but structurally. It is a fund built on the understanding that the arts are a public good, and that artists and cultural practitioners need systems that value their labour, protect their rights and empower their futures.
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In a country like South Africa, where the arts often carry the emotional and political weight of the nation’s past and future, a mechanism like Tribuo is not just helpful – it’s essential. It signals that the work of artists is valued, that their contribution to society is recognised, and that their ability to sustain a career should not be a matter of chance.
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What makes Tribuo vital is its commitment to fairness, transparency and transformation. It recognises the uneven terrain many artists work within, where access to resources, networks and opportunities is still deeply unequal. By providing direct financial support and strategic funding pathways, Tribuo is not only enabling individual artists to thrive, but also reinforcing the infrastructure necessary for the arts sector to evolve in meaningful, inclusive ways.
In a country like South Africa, where the arts often carry the emotional and political weight of the nation’s past and future, a mechanism like Tribuo is not just helpful – it’s essential. It signals that the work of artists is valued, that their contribution to society is recognised, and that their ability to sustain a career should not be a matter of chance.
This fund originated during the lockdown, but why is this fund and its ongoing support still in existence?
The lockdown exposed just how fragile the infrastructure supporting artists truly is. It wasn’t just a health crisis; it was an economic and cultural one. Artists lost income overnight, performances were cancelled, galleries closed, and freelancers were left without a safety net. Tribuo stepped in as a lifeline. But what became clear was that this wasn’t a temporary need; it was a structural gap.
The ongoing presence of Tribuo acknowledges that the precarity artists face did not begin with the lockdown, and it certainly didn’t end with it. Many creatives still operate without stable income, institutional backing or long-term financial planning. Tribuo fills a crucial role by offering sustained support that helps artists focus on what they do best: creating work that challenges, heals, connects and inspires.
Moreover, it signals a cultural shift – that artists deserve the same kind of investment, infrastructure and long-term planning that other sectors receive. The fund is now part of a broader call for economic justice, policy reform and sustainable practice within the creative industries.
What is your role in the arts and at the Tribuo Fund? Please tell our readers who you are.
Artists think about the arts. Maybe they don't even think about the arts – they create because they have no choice. However, artists need money to create more art and to pay their bills and to receive funds to keep creating. Please tell me about the mutual relationship between arts and money, and any other factors relevant, which are discussed at this conference. Could you elaborate on your specific presentation at this year’s Tribuo conference?
My name is Lakin, and I am a senior arts manager and the head of Marketing at UJ Arts and Culture. I work at the intersection of creativity, strategy and sustainability, often switching between roles as strategist, advocate, community builder and, quite often, firefighter.
That metaphor of the firefighter was central to my presentation at this year’s Tribuo conference. In arts administration, we are constantly responding to urgent needs – sometimes the fire is already raging, sometimes we’re trying to prevent one, and occasionally it’s just the smoke alarm going off. But in every instance, it’s our job to protect the people, the process and the possibility of creation. We are often invisible, but always essential.
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While the theme of arts and money is critical – artists absolutely need funding to continue their work – my presentation was not just about finances. It was about the often overlooked but essential role of arts administrators in the creative and cultural industries. I spoke about how arts administrators are no longer just support personnel; we are visionaries, policy influencers, systems-builders and change agents.
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While the theme of arts and money is critical – artists absolutely need funding to continue their work – my presentation was not just about finances. It was about the often overlooked but essential role of arts administrators in the creative and cultural industries. I spoke about how arts administrators are no longer just support personnel; we are visionaries, policy influencers, systems-builders and change agents. We shape environments where the arts can flourish. We navigate uncertainty, build sustainable models and lead with both heart and strategy.
The mutual relationship between art and money is not merely economic – it’s structural. Artists create out of necessity, but without systems of support, the conditions for that creation become precarious. That’s where arts administrators come in. We ensure that creativity has infrastructure: funding, audiences, spaces, partnerships and long-term vision. In this sense, Tribuo is more than a funding mechanism; it’s a signal that the ecosystem matters. That support is not charity, but investment. And that the future of the arts depends not only on the artists, but on the quiet, determined work of those behind the curtain – those of us who carry the hose, scan the horizon for smoke, and do everything we can to keep the fire burning brightly, not destructively.
This year’s conference gave voice to the entire ecosystem – artists, funders, administrators and visionaries – and asked how we move forward together. My contribution was to remind us that arts administrators are not just responders; we are architects of the future.
Also read:
Tribuo Conference 2025: an interview with Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni
Is jy wakker vir die kunste? ’n Onderhoud oor die Tribuo Wawyd-wakker-veldtog