Norma Kaplan, chief of the cultural affairs department of Arlington County, Virginia USA, has pioneered the Arts Incubator program, a model which creates partnerships between public, private and not-for-profit sectors to help arts organisations attain self-sufficiency.

The arts incubator program won the prestigious Innovations in Government Award from Harvard University's School of Business and the Ford Foundation. Ms Kaplan will be in South Africa next month and will conduct workshops on arts management, fundraising, and marketing in Durban on July 26 and Pietermaritzburg on July 27.

The workshops will deal with audience development and the structuring of a successful arts non-profit making organisation. Norma Kaplan will also discuss the arts incubator program as well as other innovative fundraising strategies. A number of South African arts role players will also participate in the workshop sessions.

The workshops are free and open to the public. For more information and to register, contact USIS at (031) 305-5060.