National cultural policy dialogue under spotlight

Fund of Zimbabwe and the British Council initiated a crucial dialogue on the process of reviewing the national cultural policy and its content. This was done at a meeting held in Murehwa, in the last week of October.

There were several paper presentations which dealt with issues such as the viable promotion of Zimbabwe’s music industry; experiences on the development of the creative industry in Britain and Europe.
Results of research undertaken on the cultural policy; review of earlier efforts in formulating a national cultural policy since 1982 and lessons learnt and experiences of other African countries in cultural policy formulation and critical features of a cultural policy, also came under discussion.

Equally essential were the varied comments made by the participants on the state and status of arts and culture sector and challenges artistes were facing and the expected role of Government in the development of a viable creative industry.
It was clear to most participants that such dialogues were vital as they offered opportunities for stakeholders in the arts and culture sector to brainstorm on challenges facing the sector and to proffer possible solutions and critical actions in the development of the sector.

Reverend Paul Damasane, the Principal Director for Sport, Arts and Culture in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture opened the workshop.
Participants also welcomed the announcement that two prominent cultural researchers and scholars, Professor Herbert Chimhundu and Pathisa Nyathi, had been assigned the task of putting together contributions from various cultural policy review dialogues into a draft cultural policy document. The document will be used in the next phase of cultural policy consultations.

The principal director encouraged individuals, groups, associations, institutions and communities to submit to him or to the team, their recommendations of what should be contained or dealt with by the cultural policy.
In his paper entitled “Developing a cultural policy-wither Zimbabwe: A process in the realisation of who we are”, Reverend Damasane observed: “Our past is one that had a colonial master who gave no credence or reverence to the culture and the creativity of our people.

“The philosophy and worldview of the same people was not considered. Three decades of post-colonial democracy did not do anything to unshackle the spirit of the Zimbabwean from the former master had socialised him/her to become.”
In his analysis of the state of affairs when the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture was established in 2009, he stated: “The ministry within which the issue of culture was housed had schools whose very practitioners were themselves ignorant, to varying degrees of painful darkness, of what culture as.

“They write the name culture and arts on their walls but in practice were delivering what even the god would shudder to call culture or arts education. The product from the system was thus ignorant as its producers and, needless to say, the social fabric was a result something no one would want to cherish.”
Reverend Damasane described the cultural policy review process his ministry has initiated since 2009, and observed: “The non-presence of a policy framework to guide

cultural and artistic practitioners was very loud and clear.
“This was not because there was no cultural policy in place but rather that the document that was available was an office generated desk applicable one.”

He summed up the following as essential realisations noted by the ministry when it stated the cultural policy review process in 2010:

The need to cover more aspects f culture and the arts in the policy.

To give clear guidance for cultural and artistic development in the education sector.

Need for conformity with best practice and international organs on culture seeing we were resuscitating a lot of bilateral agreements.

A more participative involvement of the creative sector in the formulation of the policy for greater buy-in.

A recognition of the role of culture and the arts in nation building and developing coherence in the society and community.

In 2010 the ministry held five provincial consultative meetings where “a cross-section of artistes, educationists and cultural practitioners” made inputs on what should be contained in the cultural policy.

The two cultural researchers appointed by the ministry are going through the provincial reports on the consultative meetings to put together a draft cultural policy.
Reverend Damasane pointed out that the cultural policy review process would see the presentation of the draft policy document to “other ministries and government department and agencies that have components dealing with culture. It is such a forum that the consultants are able to glean more views on the things to be included in a new cultural policy.

“After clarification of various positions, thoughts and differences, a second draft shall then be taken to a wide stakeholder consultation where a final draft will be made.”
This clarified a lot of issues about the cultural policy review process and the leadership role the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has taken.

It was good that one of the consultants tasked with the job of putting together a draft cultural policy, Professor Chimhundu attended the dialogue and was present when many participants made contributions on issues to be taken on board in the formulation of a national cultural policy.

One such presentation was made by the Executive Director of the of the Observatory on Cultural Policies in Africa, Professor Lupwishi Mbuyamba. He highlighted essential features of a national cultural policy and gave examples of cultural policy review and formulation exercises in various African countries, what lessons have been learnt and what assistance OCPA can provide to such projects.

The presentation by Dr Angeline Kamba also provided a host of salient issues that should be considered in cultural policy formulation or review.

Equally essential was the presentation by Florence Mukanga of the Arterial Network on the research she had undertaken on Zimbabwe‘s cultural policy.
Several questions she posed are worth taking note. Also raise by some participants were questions about the nature of the cultural policy and whether the cultural policy review or formulation exercise would take on board outcomes of consultative meetings held by sections of the arts and culture sector on the formulation of a national arts policies.

Tied to these questions is the issue of how comprehensive the cultural policy would be.
Should one assume that there will be room for other specific policy documents on such issues indigenous knowledge, safeguarding of the intangible and tangible heritage, traditional medicine, and the creative economy.