Welcome to the November newsletter from the ARTerial Network. The ARTerial Network is an informal, dynamic network of individuals, organisations, donors, companies and institutions engaged in the African cultural sector.
The Network was formed to support the effectiveness and growth of the African arts and culture civil society and to enhance the sustainability of creative industries in Africa.
African World Summit on the Arts The National Arts Council of South Africa hosted an African Dialogue on the Arts from 26-28 October in Cape Town as part of the preparations for the fourth World Summit on the Arts and Culture to be held in Johannesburg from 22-25 September 2009. About 35 delegates from a range of African arts councils, funding agencies and ministries met to consider themes for the Summit, as well as the legacy that the Summit should leave after its first edition in Africa.
The Summit is an initiative of The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies which "aims to create an international resource and meeting ground for all those whose public responsibility it is to support excellence and diversity in artistic endeavour."
The theme for the 2009 summit is "Meeting cultures: creating meaning", with the arts viewed as an important vehicle to promote intercultural dialogue.
A Steering Committee comprising representatives of the National Arts Council, the Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Johannesburg and IFACCA is in place to drive the content and logistics of the Summit. The African Dialogue ended with the appointment of a Task Team comprising an NAC representative, IFACCA Board member Quresh H.Ahmed from Kenya, Marc Nkeitar of Creative Africa and Mike van Graan, Secretariat of the ARTerial Network to plan and drive the legacy component of the Summit.
An ARTerial Network meeting is planned alongside the Summit to ensure maximum participation in the summit by African delegates.
http://www.oncrm.co.za/references/resource?onRN01=bAlu.U3lZCWDMix0eXSlOklPm
odlqA3U70lyOCI5gaNN&fileName=/AN_Newsletter_1/group_photo.jpg
Contact the ARTerial Network Secretariat.
If you wish to make contact with the ARTerial Network or if you received this newsletter second hand and would like to be on our database, contact Margerie Vacle: margeriev@africacentre.net; Florence Mukanga: Florencem@africacentre.net or Mike van Graan mikevg@africacentre.net.
Showing posts with label ARTerial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARTerial. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Second Session of Conference of African Union Ministers of Culture
The theme of this session of African Cultural Ministers held in Algeria from 19-23 October 2008, was the harmonisation and coordination of cultural policies, programmes and activities contained in the Nairobi Plan of Action for Cultural and Creative Industries that emanated from the previous Ministerial gathering held in Kenya in December 2005, but which itself is an updated version of the Dakar Plan of Action on Cultural Industries adopted in 1992 by OAU Heads of State and Government.
Some of the priority areas outlined in the Nairobi Plan are:
1.addressing the needs for statistical data on cultural and creative industries
2.institutional capacity-building at national, regional and continental levels
3.facilitating access to markets
4.improving infrastructure and working conditions for African artists
5.protecting African intellectual property and
6.reinforcing African ownership and leadership of the processes and strategies to realise the Plan
Numerous strategies outlined in the plan resonate with current and future projects of the ARTerial Network, including:
1.undertaking research into the economic impact of the arts on the African economy
2.collecting and disseminating statistical and general information in support of the African cultural sector
3.opening regional and international markets for African cultural goods and services
4.developing capacity so that African artists and entrepreneurs can derive the maximum benefit from their work
5.lobbying for policies and a legislative framework conducive to sustainable arts practice and better working conditions for artists
While the African Union unites governments on the continent and IFACCA coordinates parastatal funding agencies in Africa, the ARTerial Network could potentially play an important role in helping to unite and mobilise civil society in the implementation of this plan.
Some of the priority areas outlined in the Nairobi Plan are:
1.addressing the needs for statistical data on cultural and creative industries
2.institutional capacity-building at national, regional and continental levels
3.facilitating access to markets
4.improving infrastructure and working conditions for African artists
5.protecting African intellectual property and
6.reinforcing African ownership and leadership of the processes and strategies to realise the Plan
Numerous strategies outlined in the plan resonate with current and future projects of the ARTerial Network, including:
1.undertaking research into the economic impact of the arts on the African economy
2.collecting and disseminating statistical and general information in support of the African cultural sector
3.opening regional and international markets for African cultural goods and services
4.developing capacity so that African artists and entrepreneurs can derive the maximum benefit from their work
5.lobbying for policies and a legislative framework conducive to sustainable arts practice and better working conditions for artists
While the African Union unites governments on the continent and IFACCA coordinates parastatal funding agencies in Africa, the ARTerial Network could potentially play an important role in helping to unite and mobilise civil society in the implementation of this plan.
Update on the UNESCO Convention for the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
On 14 October 2008, Burundi ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions bringing to 25 the number of African countries that have done so. Thus far, 92 countries have ratified the Convention which is an important tool for arts practitioners to lobby for greater support locally, and for developing countries to use to gain greater access to the markets of the developed world for their creative products.
Africa Fund for Arts and Culture
Article 14 of the UNESCO Convention calls for the establishment of an International Fund for Cultural Diversity, particularly to assist the growth of cultural industries in the developing world.
The ARTerial Network Task Team proposed that an African Fund for Arts and Culture be established - along similar lines to the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - in order to make resources available for the cultural sector on the continent. Various international donors have expressed interest in such a Fund as it would provide a continent-based mechanism, with African leadership, and with local capacity, to devise strategies relevant to the continent and to allocate funds in support of such strategies.
A research project - funded by DOEN and the Stromme Foundation - is currently underway to determine the viability, modalities, funding mechanisms, location and priorities of such a Fund.
One idea that has great currency is to approach FIFA and/or individual football federations and persuade them to contribute a percentage of every football ticket between now and the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, to such a Fund so that it leaves a lasting legacy in the area of arts and culture too.
The ARTerial Network Task Team proposed that an African Fund for Arts and Culture be established - along similar lines to the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - in order to make resources available for the cultural sector on the continent. Various international donors have expressed interest in such a Fund as it would provide a continent-based mechanism, with African leadership, and with local capacity, to devise strategies relevant to the continent and to allocate funds in support of such strategies.
A research project - funded by DOEN and the Stromme Foundation - is currently underway to determine the viability, modalities, funding mechanisms, location and priorities of such a Fund.
One idea that has great currency is to approach FIFA and/or individual football federations and persuade them to contribute a percentage of every football ticket between now and the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, to such a Fund so that it leaves a lasting legacy in the area of arts and culture too.
Arts Journalism Training Project
The first ARTerial Network project arising out of the Gorée Island gathering, was an Arts Journalism Training Project coordinated by African Synergy, a Zimbabwean-based cultural collective.
Fifteen journalists (6 women and 9 men) from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Mali participated in the seven-day workshop which ran from 28 July to 4 August, using the Bushfire Festival in Swaziland as the backdrop.
The goals of the workshop - funded by Africalia and the Danish Centre for Culture and Development - were:
a. to raise standards and appreciation through on-the-job specialized training
b. to generate peer-to-peer contact by building and encouraging exchange
to motivate quality arts coverage within a pan-African ethos
An exceptional group of 6 mentors covered a number of journalism disciplines (especially print and film), according to their experience and track record.
All training was constructed around real-time production, actual writing and development of stories and production issues. As a result of the workshop, there are now at least fifteen journalists around the continent who can feed information to the ARTerial Network newsletter and website on a regular basis.
Given the success of this project, it is envisaged that follow-up training workshops will be held to provide more in-depth training, while similar workshops will be repeated in other parts of the continent.
Fifteen journalists (6 women and 9 men) from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Mali participated in the seven-day workshop which ran from 28 July to 4 August, using the Bushfire Festival in Swaziland as the backdrop.
The goals of the workshop - funded by Africalia and the Danish Centre for Culture and Development - were:
a. to raise standards and appreciation through on-the-job specialized training
b. to generate peer-to-peer contact by building and encouraging exchange
to motivate quality arts coverage within a pan-African ethos
An exceptional group of 6 mentors covered a number of journalism disciplines (especially print and film), according to their experience and track record.
All training was constructed around real-time production, actual writing and development of stories and production issues. As a result of the workshop, there are now at least fifteen journalists around the continent who can feed information to the ARTerial Network newsletter and website on a regular basis.
Given the success of this project, it is envisaged that follow-up training workshops will be held to provide more in-depth training, while similar workshops will be repeated in other parts of the continent.
The Economic Impact of the Arts
The following is an edited extract from a media release issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 15 August 2008:
"The Creative Economy Report 2008, released by UNCTAD/UNDP in April (see http://unctad.org/creative-economy) showed that global trade in creative goods and services grew by 8.7% annually from 2000-2005, making it one of the most vibrant sectors in world commerce. The value of exports of creative goods reached US$ 335.5 billion in 2005, according to figures reported by over 130 countries, while exports of creative services totalled $89 billion.
Trade in creative products is dominated by developed countries -- they account for about 90% of exports of music and audiovisuals, for example -- although the world's poorer nations have achieved rapid growth in the creative sector recently.
An UNCTAD database providing trade statistics on creative goods and services is available to the public at http://stats.unctad.org/creative. The statistics cover about 235 products related to heritage, arts, media and functional creations.
Trade in creative products is dominated by developed countries -- they account for about 90% of exports of music and audiovisuals, for example -- although the world's poorer nations have achieved rapid growth in the creative sector recently.
http://www.oncrm.co.za/references/resource?onRN01=bAlu.U3lZCWDMix0eXSlOklPm
odlqA3U70lyOCI5gaNN&fileName=/AN_Newsletter_1/creative_economy_picture.gif
An UNCTAD database providing trade statistics on creative goods and services is available to the public at http://stats.unctad.org/creative. The statistics cover about 235 products related to heritage, arts, media and functional creations.
The database's statistics are based on information reported by national sources to the United Nations. Currently the site shows global trade flows for 1996-2006. The statistics are available as tabular reports, country profiles, tables, and charts. Selected products are listed along with the major exporters/importers in major markets for such creative products as art and crafts, music CDs and video/films.
The site is a "work in progress" that aims at improving market transparency and supporting governments in policy making. There are gaps in data, as traditional statistical methods are being updated to reflect accurately the rapidly growing international exchange of digitalized products such as music, films, videos, advertising, news, and all creative content that travel via the Internet and mobile phones."
The Nairobi Plan calls for "evidence-based and informed policies, strategies and plans of action through reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive data" and suggests one strategy in this regard would be to "conduct research on the economic contributions of cultural and creative industries in the economies of (African Union) member states".
DOEN and the Stromme Foundation have made available funds for the ARTerial Network to conduct such research. A company will be commissioned to collate all the research that has been done in this field in Africa over the last five years, to train a number of local researchers and to undertake further research into the economic impact of the creative industries. Part of the plan is have such ongoing research feed into an annual conference that will rotate from region to region, and which will feed into the formulation of appropriate policies and strategies further to develop the African cultural sector.
The ARTerial Network has begun discussions with UNCTAD about co-operating in this sphere. UNCTAD has launched a pilot, multi-agency project jointly with UNESCO and the ILO, in five ACP countries including Zambia, Mozambique and Senegal.
"The Creative Economy Report 2008, released by UNCTAD/UNDP in April (see http://unctad.org/creative-economy) showed that global trade in creative goods and services grew by 8.7% annually from 2000-2005, making it one of the most vibrant sectors in world commerce. The value of exports of creative goods reached US$ 335.5 billion in 2005, according to figures reported by over 130 countries, while exports of creative services totalled $89 billion.
Trade in creative products is dominated by developed countries -- they account for about 90% of exports of music and audiovisuals, for example -- although the world's poorer nations have achieved rapid growth in the creative sector recently.
An UNCTAD database providing trade statistics on creative goods and services is available to the public at http://stats.unctad.org/creative. The statistics cover about 235 products related to heritage, arts, media and functional creations.
Trade in creative products is dominated by developed countries -- they account for about 90% of exports of music and audiovisuals, for example -- although the world's poorer nations have achieved rapid growth in the creative sector recently.
http://www.oncrm.co.za/references/resource?onRN01=bAlu.U3lZCWDMix0eXSlOklPm
odlqA3U70lyOCI5gaNN&fileName=/AN_Newsletter_1/creative_economy_picture.gif
An UNCTAD database providing trade statistics on creative goods and services is available to the public at http://stats.unctad.org/creative. The statistics cover about 235 products related to heritage, arts, media and functional creations.
The database's statistics are based on information reported by national sources to the United Nations. Currently the site shows global trade flows for 1996-2006. The statistics are available as tabular reports, country profiles, tables, and charts. Selected products are listed along with the major exporters/importers in major markets for such creative products as art and crafts, music CDs and video/films.
The site is a "work in progress" that aims at improving market transparency and supporting governments in policy making. There are gaps in data, as traditional statistical methods are being updated to reflect accurately the rapidly growing international exchange of digitalized products such as music, films, videos, advertising, news, and all creative content that travel via the Internet and mobile phones."
The Nairobi Plan calls for "evidence-based and informed policies, strategies and plans of action through reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive data" and suggests one strategy in this regard would be to "conduct research on the economic contributions of cultural and creative industries in the economies of (African Union) member states".
DOEN and the Stromme Foundation have made available funds for the ARTerial Network to conduct such research. A company will be commissioned to collate all the research that has been done in this field in Africa over the last five years, to train a number of local researchers and to undertake further research into the economic impact of the creative industries. Part of the plan is have such ongoing research feed into an annual conference that will rotate from region to region, and which will feed into the formulation of appropriate policies and strategies further to develop the African cultural sector.
The ARTerial Network has begun discussions with UNCTAD about co-operating in this sphere. UNCTAD has launched a pilot, multi-agency project jointly with UNESCO and the ILO, in five ACP countries including Zambia, Mozambique and Senegal.
International Conference on African Culture and Development (ICACD)
At the same time as UNCTAD was launching the Creative Economy Report in Ghana, the International Conference on African Culture and Development was taking place.
The aim of ICACD - the Secretariat for which is based in Ghana - is organise an annual conference on the subject on culture and development so that within a decade, there will be significant information, analysis and empirical knowledge about the relationship between and integration of culture and development.
Much of the current culture and development trends emphasise the creative and cultural industries. ICACD is picking up on the two UNESCO Decades for Culture and Development that try to understand and practice development as a cultural process, rather than simply as an economic one.
The next ICACD conference will take place in June 2009 in Ghana again, with the theme "African culture and the Millennium Development Goals".
The aim of ICACD - the Secretariat for which is based in Ghana - is organise an annual conference on the subject on culture and development so that within a decade, there will be significant information, analysis and empirical knowledge about the relationship between and integration of culture and development.
Much of the current culture and development trends emphasise the creative and cultural industries. ICACD is picking up on the two UNESCO Decades for Culture and Development that try to understand and practice development as a cultural process, rather than simply as an economic one.
The next ICACD conference will take place in June 2009 in Ghana again, with the theme "African culture and the Millennium Development Goals".
Website on African arts, culture and heritage
The Arterial conference identified the absence of basic information as a crucial impediment to the growth of the African cultural sector. Accordingly, the Task Team recommended that a portal be established to make available information about the creative sector to facilitate networking, touring, development and cultural exchanges on the continent. Funds are in the process of being secured to develop and maintain this website - initially to be available in English and French - for the next three years.
Winter school on building sustainable advocacy organisations.
One of the key deficiencies on the continent is the lack of sustainable national networks representing the interests of artists and the creative sector within their respective countries. There is little local funding for such advocacy groups that are often regarded as threats by authorities. However, both for democracy and for the improvement of the conditions and status of artists, national, regional and continental networks are crucial.
It is likely that funds have been secured to run an annual winter school for the next three years to train and develop artists' networks, unions and lobbies on the continent in sustainable forms of management, fundraising and lobbying. The intention is that by the end of three years, there will be significant national, regional and continental networks that are representative, democratic and sustainable and that would represent the interests of the sector as required, with the ARTerial Network - currently playing a catalytic role - eventually ceasing to exist.
The first such winter school will be held in June/July 2009 for representatives of artists' networks in at least ten African countries.
It is likely that funds have been secured to run an annual winter school for the next three years to train and develop artists' networks, unions and lobbies on the continent in sustainable forms of management, fundraising and lobbying. The intention is that by the end of three years, there will be significant national, regional and continental networks that are representative, democratic and sustainable and that would represent the interests of the sector as required, with the ARTerial Network - currently playing a catalytic role - eventually ceasing to exist.
The first such winter school will be held in June/July 2009 for representatives of artists' networks in at least ten African countries.
Secretariat
HIVOS, DOEN and Africalia provided funds for the ARTerial Network's Secretariat for the period ending 31 December 2008. The Secretariat is now housed in the Africa Centre - a privately-funded institution based in Cape Town, committed to the development of the arts and culture of the continent. Margerie Vacle - a native French speaker born in West Africa - has been recruited to provide administrative and management support to the Secretariat as from 1 October 2008. Florence Mukanga, a Zimbabwean national who recently completed her Masters Degree in Arts Administration at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and then worked at the Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa, has been recruited to work as a project assistant and researcher. A website dedicated to the activities of the ARTerial Network (separate from the proposed Portal on African arts, culture and heritage), is in the process of development and will go live shortly.
"Arterial Network"-type network to launch in Asia
Given the potential of the Arterial Network, a similar initiative is being launched in Bangalore, India in mid-December to attempt to network artists and creative sector stakeholders in the region so that they may take collective action to advance their interests. One of the main actors in this initiative is HIVOS, a prime driver and donor partner of the Arterial Network in Africa. Other partners are the Open Society Initiative and the local partners are the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society. This meeting of cultural stakeholders in Asia is taking place under the working title "Culture and Civil Society Development in Asia - Connecting Divergent Asian Contexts.
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