Change on the cards for arts fund
The National Arts Council of Namibia (NACN) has completed its consultation tour of 14 regions aimed at finding new rules for the National Arts Fund.With the support of the UNESCO Aschberg Programme, sessions were held in all 14 regions of Namibia.
“The sessions provided a platform for artists, cultural workers and decision-makers to contribute to the redesign of the National Arts Fund Act No. 1,” explained NACN administrator Gretta Gaspar.
A total of 504 participants took part in the nationwide consultations. Katima Mulilo recorded the highest participation with 68 participants, followed by Oshakati with 55 participants.
As a typical concern, Gaspar mentioned a more comprehensive and inclusive framework for arts funding. “The insights gained in these discussions will be carefully considered by the drafters of the bill as they work on the bill,” she said.
Another benefit of the meeting for the NACN is the chance to raise awareness of its various initiatives among local people. "In addition, the tour has helped the NACN expand its database of artists from different disciplines, making communication easier in the future."
When asked how long it would take for the proposed law to be approved, Gaspar shared that the approval process is extensive, with several steps to be completed before the project deadline of 15 November this year. "There will be a validation meeting on 17 October to review the collected contributions from the regions," Gaspar said, adding that this will happen in parallel with both a national and an international expert reviewing and summarising the information.