PERFORMERS from Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have joined forces to kickstart a five-year project aimed at securing additional funding for arts and culture in Africa. The initiative, called Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA), seeks to persuade African governments to allocate at least 1 percent of their budgets to support the vibrant arts and cultural sector.
CfCA is a collaborative effort between the African Union and Selam Ethiopia, a non-governmental organisation known for leveraging film, music, and circus performances to address crucial issues like women’s rights.
‘We want to empower artists. Many artists are eager to engage in discussions about good governance and human rights, but they often fear the consequences,’ said Lucy Ilado, the regional programme director at Selam, emphasising the project’s goal of enabling artists to actively participate in important societal dialogues.
However, the project faces the challenge of convincing African governments to allocate more funding to the arts, especially considering their current struggles with debt repayments and high living costs. The feasibility of dedicating additional financial resources to the arts sector remains uncertain.
The African Union and Selam Ethiopia aim to foster dialogue and advocacy to promote the value of arts and culture in Africa. By encouraging governments to prioritise arts funding, CfCA seeks to provide artists with the necessary support to showcase their talent, creativity, and contributions to society.
Further details and comments from the African Union were not immediately available at the time of reporting.
