THE Arterial Network Zimbabwe Chapter chairperson and southern region representative, Stephanie Kapfunde, has challenged creatives to utilise insights gained from the Blueprint to Brush strokes: CCI’s Policy Evaluation Stakeholder Workshop which took place on November 27 and 28 at the Theatre in the Park in Harare.
The workshop brought together key representatives from various ministries, national departments and a wide cross-section of the cultural and creative industries, including arts administrators, industry leaders and practising creatives.
Kapfunde said creatives had the greatest opportunities to generate economy through their works of imagination.
She emphasised that they should learn more on policies and tailor their creativity to stimulate viability of business markets.
The conversations deliberated on the Ten Pillars of the National Cultural & Creative Industries Strategy (2020-30) and sharpened minds to embrace a monitoring and evaluation philosophy in executing their creative duties.
A plenary session moderated by Lisa Sadambe revealed that creatives face numerous challenges when developing and implementing strategies within the context of the 10 cultural pillars, which are essential to sustaining and advancing cultural
industries.
One major challenge lies in navigating the complexities of intellectual property (IP), where lack of awareness and protection can hinder creatives from monetising their work.
To address this, the creatives identified that education and capacity-building initiatives help to raise awareness on IP laws, ensuring they understand how to safeguard their creations.
Funding and financing remain persistent hurdles, particularly for emerging artists and small enterprises.
Strengthening connections between cultural markets and business development was suggested as means to facilitate access to investors, while governments and the private sector create dedicated funds to support the creative sector.
In terms of cultural infrastructure, many regions in Zimbabwe still lack sufficient spaces for creation, exhibition and collaboration.
Subsequently as means end, public-private partnerships can be a key solution here, investing in affordable venues and technological platforms that foster creative expression.
Additionally, the rapid evolution of media and ICTs presents both opportunities and challenges for creatives to engage with global audiences, requiring continuous training and adaptation.
Promoting cultural diplomacy could help creatives to access international markets by building cross-border collaborations and partnerships.
Finally, fostering robust cultural statistics and research ensures informed decision-making, enabling governments and industry stakeholders to better support the sector.
By strategically addressing these pillars through integrated policy, investment and education, creatives can be empowered to overcome challenges and thrive.
Several creatives, who include Wistone Nyekete, Kireni Zulu, Eunice Tava and Nobuciko Mathuthu, among plenty others, said the workshop was extremely insightful.
“We wish to accept this workshop as insightful and eye opening. Using the know-how acquired from this workshop, we would like to explore effective usages of the spaces in our communities,” Zulu said.
Arterial Network runs numerous training workshops incorporating African experts who are equipped to address pertinent issues, such as organisational health for arts organisations (the SHIRIKA programme), the ins-and-outs of cultural management and the numerous barriers that discourage women from taking up leadership positions (African Women in Cultural
Leadership programme).
Since 2017, Arterial Network has initiated the creation of African training hubs, currently being developed in three geographical areas, namely Abidjan, Nairobi and Harare.