National Arts Council Calls for Government Support to Boost Zimbabwe’s Creative Industry
Executive Director of the National Arts Council, Nicholas Moyo, has called for government support to boost Zimbabwe’s creative industry, imploring for increased funding, increased artist showcases, and compliance with regulatory authorities to facilitate the industry’s growth.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Performing Arts Business and Digital Distribution Project launch on Tuesday, Moyo stated that the project offered to artists and creatives by Chenhaka Trust was one of the key pillars in the national strategy for Culture and Creative Industries, which was launched by the government about three years ago.
“The world is changing, technology is changing. We need to catch up with systems,” Moyo said. “We have seen that there is a gap of years in building the capacity of creatives in this country. In this one above all, it feeds into Vision 2030 because we need to grow an industry that has an understanding of our space.”
During the project launch, Executive Director for Chenhaka Trust, Taurai Moyo revealed that only two out of the 17 selected organizations are registered for tax with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, which is a true reflection that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to implement tax compliance in the dance sector, 98 percent of the selected groups do not have legal representatives and only two percent have their members covered for medical and funeral insurance.
Grim Stats
In response to the statistics, the executive Director of the National Arts Council stated that the grim statistics in the business sector are a reflection of the informality that prevails in the creative industry. He added that the compliance level with Zimra and tax laws amongst participants in the training workshop was only 2%, but he hopes that number will rise to at least 50% after the workshop.
“We’ll have about three days when Zimra is coming here and work with the groups and show them the benefits of actually being captured in the national database of people that create an economy and also are compliant with the tax laws of this country,” he said.
Nicholas Moyo also attributed the low uptake of medical skills by artists in the country to the income stream and the frequency of shows for dancers, which makes it difficult for them to pay the monthly premiums.
“It’s really not about as if people don’t want our social services. This brings a lot of stress to realize that it’s all about income streams,” he said.
The workshop was designed specifically for the dance industry, one of the least supported sectors in the creative industry. Moyo explained that this workshop was an excellent opportunity for the dancers to understand the sector and increase their level of professionalization, which is crucial towards the industrialization of the creative sector in Zimbabwe.
Bridging the Gap
Furthermore, Moyo espoused the need to bridge the gap between regional and international artists and Zimbabwean artists. Stressing the discrepancy is not just about the quality of productions but also the different markets that exist for both locals and internationals.
Morover, stating that capacity building of creatives in Zimbabwe is essential for the growth of the arts industry. He noted that Zimbabwean artists are just as good, and they need more support to reach the level of international recognition.
“It’s not about trying to convince someone foreign. It’s about being analytical and thinking clearly about the whole concept of trying to convey something foreign and something which is local. If you have to buy tablets that are done locally and you want to go and buy a substitute that is imported, it will be more expensive. It cuts across all sectors,” he said.
In conclusion, Moyo emphasized the need for government support to grow the creative industry in Zimbabwe. He called on the government to invest in the sector, increase the funding, and provide more opportunities for artists to showcase their work. He also urged the creatives to comply and work with regulatory authorities to pave the way for the growth of the industry.
Other News:
Survival Struggles: Child Vendors in the Shadows of Poverty
Informal Traders in Shops Clash with Pavement Vendors
Young Farmer in Bulawayo Leads the Way in Horticulture Farming
#News in Bulawayo #News in Zimbabwe Artist Arts BCC Bulawayo Bulawayo City Council Bulawayo Drugs Bulawayo economy Bulawayo industry Bulawayo news Bulawayo Police Bulawayo Water Bulawayo Water Crisis Bulawayo Women entrepreneurship Business Women Community Culture Currency Drug Abuse Drugs Economy Farmer Farmers Farming Informal Sector Informal Traders MSMEs Music News in Bulawayo News in Zimbabwe Police Police in Bulawayo Vendor Vendors water Water Crisis Water Shortage water supply issue Women entrepreneurship ZESA Zimbabwean economy Zimbabwe news Zimbabwe water crisis ZITF ZRP
Our stories told by us!
Join us for all News in Bulawayo and Bulawayo News in Zimbabwe.
Comments 1