By Kennedy Nyavaya The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in partnership with Magamba Network has launched ResiliArt Accelarator, a programme to equip female creative entrepreneurs with skills to run successful projects.
The programme, a first of its kind in the country, will run as a pilot for the next six months with five local artistes from Bulawayo and Harare having been chosen to participate before it goes regional.
Addressing a press briefing prior to the launch at Moto Republik Hub recently, Magamba representative Vera Chisvo said ResiliArt is a platform where the young artistes will gain necessary skills on how to formalise and maximise on their work.
“The idea is to create a platform for young female creatives to develop their businesses, I think we all know that in the creative industry there is very little formal training, a lot of people learn on the job,” Chisvo said.
“ResiliArt will create some form of formalised training through local coaches who understand how the industry works as well as tricks of the trade.”
She also said that the mentees will gain “necessary soft skills to run successful creative businesses through peer to peer exchanges and coaching sessions” from established African mentors.
The rising artistes picked from the music, fashion, visual arts, performing arts and spoken word will go through a hybrid training system consisting of 12 online and 12 physical mentorship sessions with trainers in their varied fields.
“Each beneficiary will be matched with a woman business owner in the same creative field with a proven track record of successfully developing a creative business in the region,” said Vera.
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Unesco manager for the project Mellisa Muchena said the initiative was put together to jumpstart the careers of the chosen creatives.
“I think they will definitely gain confidence in their business perspectives because the program will work towards launching them to an international career,” said Muchena.
“We are formalising informal creative businesses and the longevity of the training is testament to the kind of quality training this small group is going to benefit.”
