adminAS far as arts and culture are concerned, the year 2014 can only be described in the words of Thomas Hardy. The year was “a general drama of pain with an occasional episode of happiness.” All we can remember throughout the year is a dryness of creativity resulting from the difficult economic patch we are going through as a country. And one wonders whether the situation can still be called a patch, or it has just become a permanent condition. Cultural operators in Zimbabwe are struggling — we have serious cultural institutions that have been the beacon of hope now choking to death as support structures for the sector continue to break down. Once or twice during the year were we able to taste good news as a sector? Arts Focus will not bore you with details of the painful year. The difficult year can aptly be summarised by looking at the following:
The Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture
A year has gone since the coming in of a full Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture and yet the ministry is still understaffed, with a lot of important posts still to be filled. As we write the ministry is operating like a department. We remember well that when the new ministry came into existence the priority was to produce a national cultural policy document to act as the blueprint of arts and culture development in the country. One year later the document is not yet out, consequently stalling any meaningful progress in the arts and culture sector.
Also as we close the year the sector is waiting for the ministry to guide the sector in terms of how to relate to the much-talked about Zim Asset document. The sector is waiting for the ministry to produce sector-focused objectives that are guided by the Zim Asset document which will then inform and guide the whole sector. As long as this is not done most artistes and arts institutions will not relate to the Zim Asset document. Artistes need guidance as far as the Zim Asset is concerned and only the ministry can provide that kind of guidance.
Last year when the President announced the ministry there was a lot of excitement; many artistes and arts institutions had hoped things would change — that good times were here at last. Many of us hoped the arts would be a priority and that the Government would change the way things were being done relating to arts and culture. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. The arts continue to play second fiddle to sports and other areas.
In a recent speech the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr Thokozile Chitepo, said 2015 will see the ministry changing the way it does things, especially the way it deals with artistes and the sector. Yes, 2015 is just around the corner. We are waiting with bated breath to see these promised changes.
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) is a quasi-Government department. Its attitude and responses to issues in the sector best summarise Government’s attitude toward arts and culture. Of course we all know that the council’s heart is always in the right place — everything they do is done with the best intentions. Unfortunately, this important arm of Government is like an old aunt where one goes only for advice, and nothing more. The National Arts Council’s major weakness continues to be lack of resources. In the years that we have known the arts council, they have never given financial assistance to arts institutions or individuals artistes. The reason is because they have nothing to give out and this has been its major weakness.
Currently, the National Arts Council has a board that is in limbo. As a sector we are not sure whether a board that was announced by the former Minister David Coltart was actually sworn in or it was booted out when Minister Andrew Langa came in. The Honourable Minister is yet to come out very clearly on this issue. If the board is there, did it sit for 2014? If it is not there as a sector we would want to know when the Minister is appointing another board.
Arts Associations
Associations are critical to the growth of the arts and culture sector. Advocacy and lobbying works well in the hands of associations. They say power is in numbers and only associations can bring numbers to the table. But where are the arts and culture associations in this country? We know most continue to exist in name and in a few individuals’ briefcases. Where is the national association for dancers? How many members does it have? What are its yearly objectives and programmes? Where is the national musicians association? What are its members? What are its objectives and programmes? The same can be said for theatre, visual arts, film, fashion, writers, festivals and arts managers. The onus is for individual artistes to start demanding functioning associations that have the arts and its development at heart. For things have to change and 2015 must surely bring this change.
Dear readers, we wish you a happy and prosperous 2015.
Online Reporter