Adrienne Sichel's work, which has elevated the coverage of the arts to something that inspires readers and journalists, was recognised at the ninth annual Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Awards in Johannesburg on Wednesday, May 5.
Doyenne of South African arts journalism Adrienne Sichel - who has been described as a ‘national treasure' for her contribution to the coverage of the performing arts - is the winner of the 2009 Alan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever award presented by Mondi Shanduka Newsprint and the Newspaper Association of South Africa.
Much of her decades-long career has served to keep the arts alive in South African newspapers, even when the rise of youth culture and celebrity sensationalism threatened to dominate entertainment reportage.
Her motivation for following this course of journalism has been an awareness of the richness of South African cultural expression, driven by a combination of curiosity and care for the development of talent and creativity.
Documenting rising talents in dance and theatre, she has produced work that has ensured their registration within the mainstream media agenda. She knew who they were, long before they were recognised, and it was often due to her reportage that their gifts came to light, nationally and abroad.
Starting out at Pretoria News in 1970, Sichel began to hone her specialisation, which deepened after she joined The Star Tonight. In the early days, she covered a number of areas, including the court beat. "That was the best training for a theatre critic ... with all the drama of murder trials,"* says Robyn Sassen, freelance arts writer and academic.
Sichel wrote with such skill that the subject matter was made interesting, even for those who were not followers of the arts, and she has long been a role model and mentor to younger journalists.
Her integrity, insight and quality of her reviews have earned her respect from major figures in the arts world - a rare achievement for a journalist who retains her independence to criticise in a beat where access to sources is sometimes a delicate issue.
Sichel has been recognised with numerous arts-related awards, so it is fitting that with her retirement in 2009, she has been acknowledged by her peers in South Africa's premier newspaper journalism competition.
Director of the Dance Umbrella, Georgina Thompson, has been quoted as saying: "We will not leave Adrienne retired". Sichel's response: "I'm not retiring. Just changing gears."
The judges concurred that Sichel is a journalist whose work has elevated the coverage of the arts to something that inspires readers and her fellow journalists. In selecting her as the winner, they recognise that contributions to journalism extend beyond politics and press freedom, and that Sichel's work has helped us delve into the essence of how we define ourselves as South Africans.
They salute the achievements of a person who has demonstrated what journalism can do when enriched with specialist expertise, social conscience, solid ethics and excellent writing.
Previous recipients of this lifetime achievement honour include the late Dr Aggrey Klaaste (2004), David Hazelhurst (2005), Raymond Louw (2006), Mathatha Tsedu (2007) and Joe Thloloe (2008).
