Inside the concept paper

The creative industry in the country has created a concept paper which has been presented to the Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe.

The concept paper was drawn after a consultative meeting held at Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe where among other players in the country's economy, the minister had an interface with the cultural sector.

The sector which wants more investment in the arts was represented at the meeting by Film Association of Malawi (Fama) President Ezaius Mkandawire, Christopher Magomero from the Malawi National Commission for Unesco and Malawi Music Crossroads Executive and Artistic Director for Sungani Zakwathu Culture Heritage Association Mathews Mfune.

Mkandawire says the creative industry has been neglected for so long despite contributing immensely to the development of the country and that it was now time that the government took a particular interest in the sector.

He said it is in this vein that they developed a concept paper that spells out plans that are underway to help improve the cultural sector.

"We have submitted the concept paper to the minister for consideration and we hope the industry will get the much needed support," says Mkandawire.

According to the Fama president, the concept paper running under the banner 'Integrated Arts Development Programme' takes a holistic approach to the development of the major artistic disciplines which include music dance, film, visual arts, creative writing, theatre, poetry and photography.

He says the concept paper has indicated some of the programmes which have been planned and attempts to address the identified gaps in skills and knowledge, access to finance and markets as well as distribution.

Mkandawire further says that the projects outlined in the concept paper seek to exploit the opportunities that have arisen with the development of digital technology.

Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) Senior Licensing Officer Rosario Kamanga said recently that there is a lot that needs to be done to uplift the creative industry, adding that one of them is to establish an arts school.

The concept paper, which The Daily Times has accessed, spells out three sub projects namely savings and credit cooperative for creators of content, a production and marketing cooperative and an arts training centre.

The concept paper comes up after the government recently also approved the Cultural Policy after years of outcry by the artists. With the approval, there is at least an egg in the basket for the artists to smile on but there is still a long way to go with implementation yet to start and then several other programmes have to follow.

The concept paper indicates that the programmes seek the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to consider allocating resources towards its implementation.

It says that the total cost for implementing the programme is K2 billion over a three-year period.

"In the current budget year we are requesting a financial allocation amounting to K525 000 000.00 of which K100 million will go towards capitalisation of Arts Sacco and another K100 million towards production and marketing cooperative," reads the paper.

The concept paper also indicates that K300 million will be initial cost for starting to build a school for the arts and that K25 million for the consultation and drafting of legislation for the establishment of the National Arts and Heritage Council.

Aluso Sacco

The paper says that the programme has already commenced with the creation of the Aluso Sacco.

"The Sacco has already started training leaders of arts associations and has appointed board members. The project is being implemented in partnership with Muscco and Ministry of Industry and Trade," says the paper.

With many employees benefiting from saccos in the country, the paper explains that this will also benefit the creators many of whom do not have adequate funding to propel their art.

According to the paper, deposits in excess of K4 million have already been mobilised. However, it says the amount is small to satisfy the demand from artists hence lobbying for more money.

The sacco has been registered with both the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Reserve Bank of Malawi.

Aluso Sacco benefits

The paper says that the Aluso Sacco will in turn spur productivity that has numerous advantages to the economy. Among others, the money will be used to bolster capacity of the credit cooperative in terms of putting up a secretariat and its associated furniture as well as an awareness drive for the initiative.

"At the end, the cultural sector wants to put up a productive Sacco where artists will be selling their merchandise and access production financing," says Mkandawire.

School for the arts and cultural heritage

Kamanga noted recently that there is talent in the country but it needs to be upgraded so that it produces the best for the market.

The paper hence notes that the arts, cultural industries and heritage sector remain the least developed amongst other development priority areas such as health, education and agriculture among others.

It says that this has come about because of lack of institutions that would cater for the education of personnel in the sector.

"As a result, the sector continues, 50 years after independence in Malawi, to operate using mostly untrained personnel. While the government established institutions to deal with general formal education, the sector has not been fully catered for due to the criteria that do not accommodate the education levels of people working in the sector," explains the paper.

Currently the University of Malawi – Chancellor College-is the only institution of higher learning that trains professional artists in fields like visual arts, music and theatre. However, for one to be selected, he or she needs to have six credits including in English two sittings of.

"This policy of six credits at MSCE as an entry threshold disqualifies many of the people who work in this sector. Furthermore, other institutions such as Teachers Training Colleges are too specialised for their sector to allow for establishment of schools for the training of the arts, cultural industries and heritage personnel at a lower technical level," says Mkandawire.

The paper thus indicates that Cosoma has already earmarked a space for the school for the arts and that plans and initial estimates for the institution have already been formulated.

National Arts and Heritage Council

With the approval of the Cultural Policy, the dream is now the establishment of the National Arts and Heritage Council.

The concept paper says the cultural industry is already organised with the existence of arts and culturla associations, cultural heritage foundations and centres.

It, however, says that the challenge is that these are not functioning at their optimum potential due to inadequate investment in the sector.

The paper says that alot requires the support of government citing, among others, the Cultural Policy which provides for the establishment of a National Arts and Heritage Council (NAHeC) combining several councils provided for in the various pieces of legislation on culture under one organisation.

According to Mkandawire, the council has been one organisation that the culture industry players have been asking government to establish.

"This is an opportunity for the organisation to become a reality. The cultural industry players hope that the 2015 – 2016 budget will include as, submitted by the Department of Culture, an amount that will help establish the NAHeC," he says.

According to him, NAHeC will have the mandate to promote, regulate, build capacities and raise resources for the sector and provide grants to artists.

It however remains, to be seen as to whether the government will provide the requested amount by the creative industry.

Once Nahec comes into effect it will surely help artists in the country who for now are being supported mostly by Cosoma since its creation in 1994.

In partnership with central and local government, and with artists and arts organisations, Cosoma has helped to create an environment where artists are valued members of society although the copyright body has faced the wrath of the artists for failing to fight piracy.

The body is said to have ensured that artists are remunerated when their works are used in public and has paid out in excess of K500 million in royalties.

Some quarters, have however expressed concern that some artists who passed away, their royalties are not being channelled to their relatives.