Eastern Cape to host economic indaba focused on the arts

EAST LONDON – Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape will host a two-day creative economy indaba in East London from Thursday.

According to one of the Indaba organisers, Vukile Pokwana, the indaba intends to target the arts, cultural and heritage sectors and will enlighten artists about grants, funding, loans and sponsorships in the creative industries. 

“We want to stop people looking at the arts as just something to play and have fun, we want them to look at it as a job creating sector which empowers people,” said Pokwana.

Pokwana said a lot of people have talent in the Eastern Cape but lack access to funding.

The second component of the indaba will deal with film and television and how artists can get loans. “We want artists to see themselves as brands but also as people who have a potential to employ other people, from publicists to people who will manage them,” Pokwana added.

He went on to say that gone are the days where people have to go to big cities to “make it” in the arts industry.

“We must start making an enabling environment in the Eastern Cape for creative arts practitioners to be able to access markets anywhere in the world. We are not forcing them to leave but we are saying if they are not in a bigger city they must create environments where they are able to employ people to market their craft,” added Pokwana.

– African News Agency (ANA)

Source: iol.co.za