![\"Amanda_Kunene_Pic_credit_Idols_SA\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Amanda_Kunene_Pic_credit_Idols_SA.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cWinning an ACT Scholarship has changed my life completely,\u201d says Kunene, \u201cnot only have my dreams of going to university come true, but I have been given the opportunity to further my knowledge on what I am passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 2009, ACT has been supporting arts students through their Scholarship Programme. The only difference this year is that with additional support from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), ACT is also able to make Scholarships available to first and second-year university students.<\/p>\n
After winning a Scholarship in 2012, Kunene used the funding to enroll at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard Campus. There she completed a three-year undergraduate degree in Music and Drama Performance.<\/p>\n
Pieter Jacobs, Chief Executive of ACT says; \u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding to see our Scholarship recipients achieve their goals and realise their dreams. We are tremendously proud of Amanda for making it to the top 16 of Idols SA and wish her the very best as she embarks on this exciting journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since graduating, Kunene has been performing around her community and around South Africa. \u201cI was also given the opportunity to represent Africa at the ANOC Olympic Gala Dinner in Bangkok, Thailand in 2014 with the legendary Madala Kunene,\u201d she says. Kunene believes this artistic and educational whirlwind has helped her grow both as a person and a performer. \u201cBeing able to step on different stages where phenomenal artists have performed is such a humbling experience. I am really fortunate to be able to do what I love and to work with well-respected individuals in the entertainment industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
During this year\u2019s popular production of Idols SA, Kunene wowed the celebrity judges, who granted her with a covetable Golden Ticket during the first round of auditions. This ticket, fast-tracked Kunene to the Top 16 of the competition\u2019s 12th season. \u201cBeing on Idols has been a wonderful experience,\u201d she beams. \u201cAnd being chosen to be in the Top 16 has been the most amazing experience ever!\u201d<\/p>\n
Gracing the small screen on a weekly basis has garnered Kunene a throng of fans. Every Sunday, the hashtag #AmandaKunene floods Twitter with messages of praise and support for the talented young songstress.<\/p>\n
She firmly believes her studies, which were made possible through the ACT Scholarship Programme, helped to get her to this point in her promising career. When asked what her advice for this year\u2019s Scholarship hopefuls would be, Kunene says; \u201ccontinue believing in what you love\u201d. \u201cYou are your biggest competition in life, never compare yourself to others because there is no one else like you on this earth,\u201d she continues. \u201cRespect is the most important thing in life, humble yourself, and always be willing to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kunene, who is currently working towards her Honours degree, firmly believes that hard work and practice make perfect. “Live and walk in gratitude because pressure builds diamonds,” she concludes.<\/p>\n
After a nationwide audition process, this years\u2019 finalists in the Grade 12, first and second years ACT Scholarship finals have been selected.<\/p>\n
The first and second years will go head-to-head in final showcases hosted in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the Scholarship recipients will be named at each respective event. The six Grade 12 scholars will showcase their talent at a glittering grand finale on Monday, 10 October at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. These winners will also be named on the night.<\/p>\n
Funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), and supported by the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO) and the Nedbank Arts Affinity, the 2016 Scholarships Programme will change the lives of dramatic arts, singing, dance and musical theatre scholars and students with scholarships to the value of R800 000.<\/p>\n
For more information, please visit http:\/\/www.act.org.za\/programmes\/scholarships.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2012, then matriculant, Amanda Kunene sang her way to the finals of the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Scholarship Programme. Since winning a Scholarship, the young starlet has performed across the country and currently holds a place in the Idols SA Top 16. \u201cWinning an ACT Scholarship has changed my life completely,\u201d says Kunene,… Continue reading ACT Scholarship Recipient Wow Idols Judges<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2230\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Issued by The Famous Idea on behalf of The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"