SADC leaders urged to support arts industry

WINDHOEK, 22 AUG  – Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders have been urged to take more radical steps in supporting mechanisms for marketing of products and services in the art sector, so as to create value and enhance growth in the creative industry.
Chief Executive Officer of South Africa National Arts Council, Rosemary Mangope said this during the opening of the 2018 Arts Summit of Southern Africa in the capital on Tuesday.
The three-day summit is held under the theme ‘Human creativity is a vital economic, social and cultural resource’. It is hosted by the National Arts Council of Namibia in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture along with the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies.
Also delivering a presentation on Tuesday, South African Cultural Observatory Chief Executive Officer Richard Haines highlighted the role of cultural leadership in strengthening the creative economy.
“Cultural leaders with knowledge across the spectrum of the creative industries must be recruited and supported in their endeavours to develop the creative economy in the region,” Haines said.
He listed some challenges currently faced by the creative industry as new technologies, production and distribution of cultural goods, migration limitations and a lack of access to capital funding.
“The industry is still challenged by a lack of creative facilities such as creative schools, centres or hubs, which limits the opportunities to stimulate the public to engage and support creative exploits,” Haines stressed.
He added that it is particularly important to strengthen governance structures that effectively respond to the needs of the sector.
The summit will, amongst others, discuss arts education, policies for the creative industry, opportunities in creative economies, and employment opportunities in the creative economy to national development and regional integration.
Representatives from the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development; Ministry of Environment and Tourism and tertiary institutions are among those attending the summit.
NAMPA