Bulawayo (New Ziana) – Artists should acquire business management knowledge, skills and competences to improve cultural governance, fundraising and development of the industry, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday.
Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Kirsty Coventry said this at the launch of an arts business and digital distribution project in Matabeleland region by Chenhaka Trust.
The trust supports the arts sector by creating platforms for artists to showcase and strengthen their capabilities either as individuals, groups or arts associations or music bands and unions.
The project is intended to promote use of digital technology to improve production, presentation and marketing of various arts products, including standardisation of salaries and performance fees.
The project is funded by the Sound Connect Fund, an initiative by the Music in Africa Foundation (MIAF) and Goethe-Institut through assistance from the European Union (EU) and Siemens Stiftung.
“The Cultural and Creative industry has had many challenges, mainly emanating from its informal ways of operations where most of the sector players do arts as hobbies but not business,” Coventry said.
“It is through such initiatives that will contribute to the recognition of the sector as a profession worth pursuing and positively changing people’s mindset towards the sector,” she added.
She underscored the need for cooperation between government and the sector to influence policy formulation so that the arts industry can function guided by such policies.
“Education, capacity building and training of sector players forms the backbone of the development of the sector and country at large. This project and its partners come in at the right time after the recent launch of the National Cultural and Creative Industry strategy, National Music Strategy of Zimbabwe.
“Capacity building, education and training are some of the priority pillars for the sector’s development strategies,” Coventry said.
She said such efforts by the Trust contribute to President Mnangagwa`s mantra of leaving no one or place behind and contribute to the overall achievement of Vision 2030.
She expressed gratitude to the development partners for their profound support and commitment towards the development of the Cultural and Creative sector in the country.
Coventry implored beneficiaries of the project to make sure they put all information learnt into practice.
“This is an important part of your career development and learning process which you should take seriously. Ensure that you share the information and knowledge with your colleagues and other players in the industry,” she said.
“I guarantee you that this project is directly contributing to the achievement which speaks to the utilisation of local resources and knowledge systems for social and economic development,” said Coventry.
Speaking on the same occasion, Chenhaka executive director, Taurai Moyo said the project will equip artists with modern production, management and marketing skills in the country.
“We believe that this project will go a long way to ensure the application of a standardised creative sector and the building of a consistent and competent creative industry with technical ability and proficiency in the use of technology and innovation in the production of creative works,” he said.
“We believe that all the participants will acquire skills that are essential for employment creation, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity…,” he added.
New Ziana
