Govt vows to up its game in arts sector

By Harriet Chikandiwa | 3h ago | 2 Min read

GOVERNMENT says it will up its game to improve the situation in the arts sector.

Sports, Arts and Culture minister Kirsty Coventry said this in Parliament while responding to written questions from legislators on the status of the arts sector in the country and government plans to improve the industry.

Coventry said her ministry's mandate was to develop and promote the arts sector, with the major focus being to create and promote a friendly and enabling environment for the cultural and creative industries sectors in Zimbabwe.

“Government’s efforts to improve the sector covers strategies like establishing a national association, guilds and unions so that the sector is better structured,” she said.

“(Government’s efforts also include) formalisation of the sector in order to create the much-needed employment. This is meant to create a sustainable economy around the arts.

“(There is need for) formulation of sector policies together with stakeholders. To date, we have the National Creative and Culture Industries Strategy, which gave birth to sub-sector policies like the music strategy and the film strategy development of a language policy.”

Coventry said after approval by Cabinet of the principles for a draft Languages Bill, the language committee has developed a draft National Languages Policy yet to be subjected to stakeholder validation.

Coventry also said Treasury had seen the support of the Arts Development Fund, which for 2024 has been funded to the tune of ZiG2 892 009.

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“The fund is meant to cater for administrative grants for associations, arts education scholarships, commercialised projects as well as mobility support,” she said.

“In the last few months, the ministry supported a request for travelling (mobility) to Netherlands, South Africa, Indonesia and Comoros.”