The invisible creative industry

27 Apr, 2014 - 00:04 0 Views

The Sunday News

Arts Focus Raisedon Baya
AFTER a visit to the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) this past week, I was left wondering whether the country does actually have a creative arts industry or not? Here was the biggest business showcase attracting every industry in this country including international companies and businesses and the so-called creative art industry was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the creative industry was conspicuous with its absence.

Throughout the one week International Trade Fair, there was one small corner exhibition under the Ministry of Education. This corner had on display a few art-related artefacts like a drum, ibhetshu and a small traditional dress obviously sewn by a pupil. This could have been better but it was not even meant to represent the industry but to act as a window through which one could have a glimpse of arts education in this country. The small corner exhibition was obviously from one or two primary schools and the professional actors and the whole sector itself was nowhere to be seen.

With this absence at important business platforms like the fair no wonder it is difficult to convince businesspeople that the arts and culture are themselves a business — a viable business for that matter. It is only when the arts are seen on these business platforms that the arts can learn the language of business. And once creative people start talking business in the language of business it will be much easier to create business between the two. Artistes must not wait to be called to entertain during breaks, and at cocktails. They must find business during the day. Let us also disabuse ourselves of the notion that art business is found on the stage only. Art business should be anywhere.

In the past the arts sector (I shall not call it an industry) has been at pains to try and explain the concept of the creative economy and how much creatives are contributing to the national economy. The argument is based on the idea that arts and culture are not merely recreational services but are part and parcel of a large business that generates huge amounts of money for Government. Artistes argue that there is a lot of money generated by selling creative goods and services that goes into the economy every year. In other countries, especially Europe, the creative economy is said to be the fastest growing economy, generating billions of dollars. To support that artistes and cultural workers in these countries are top earners. The examples that immediately come to mind are musicians and film stars in America. Recently, there was news that Nigeria’s economy has surpassed that of South Africa as a result of Nollywood’s contribution to the Nigerian economy.

The concept of the creative industry and economy has been difficult to explain to a lay person. How do you argue that artistes are bringing in something to the fiscus when most artistes are not paying taxes, when the general public is not even aware how much an artiste gets paid per week or per month? The arts business is shrouded in serious secrecy and this has made the attempt to explain and convince State parties about the value of arts and culture very difficult, if not impossible.

Just a year or two ago the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust  in collaboration with Zimbabwe Statistics through support from Unesco, did a baseline survey on the contribution of arts and culture to the Zimbabwean economy. The survey looked at Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton. Most because of the area covered and the secretive nature of artistes the survey’s results were not conclusive enough to put a figure or a percentage of the contribution made by arts and culture to the national economy.

That there is an animal called the creative economy is not deniable. This economy is supposed to be built and supported by creative and cultural industries. These industries are the ones that we are not seeing. They are invisible. We need them visible and platforms like the trade fair are the best places for their visibility.

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