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Zim wraps up arts and culture report

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NATIONAL Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari, said they have completed the validation process of the quadrennial report for the Unesco’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in Zimbabwe.

NATIONAL Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari, said they have completed the validation process of the quadrennial report for the Unesco’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in Zimbabwe.

BY ARTS REPORTER

Elvas Mari

In 2005, Zimbabwe signed the legally-binding convention and is required to submit quadrennial reports to Unesco on its implementation.

The country had, however, not compiled any report for the past 11 years due to reported financial constraints.

Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of a two-day National Arts and Culture Strategy Indaba last week, Mari said they had been coordinating the data collection process and are expected to hand over the national data collection document to Unesco before June 30.

“We will be handing the document on the national data collection on periodic reporting for Unesco’s 2005 Convention before end of this month. The report that was contributed by individuals and various stakeholders in the culture sector is a reflection of what we are doing as the arts sector in Zimbabwe and it will be shared with other countries,” he said.

Mari said some of the issues raised in the report included the need for proper infrastructure that allows the arts sector to produce work for international platforms.

He said there was need for readily available factual and numerical data to help in the crafting of arts and culture policies. Participants at the indaba debated issues around the status of arts and culture sector, and challenges artists were facing and the expected role of government in the development of a viable creative industry.

They called for an independent arts ministry to revive the creative arts industry.

Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture and Heritage principal director, Paul Damasane, Culture Fund director Farai Mpfunya, Zimbabwe International Film Festival director Elton Mjanana and Steven Chifunyise (pictured) were among the participants.