Stakeholders Urged To Support President's Day Competitions

Cavin Kanoko | Monday July 8, 2019 12:21

The meeting hosted at the Gaborone International Convention Centre had company representatives and guests from different embassies located within the city who have been partners with the ministry in the past.

Makgalemele says the arts industry has a lot of potential, which they have set out to unearth through the competitions further adding that in order to do this effectively they need the support of the different organisations present. He said this year alone the value of the prizes to be given to the finalists is at P2.9 million since they are given monetary winnings.

“Participation has grown from 3,274 in 2008 to 14,280 in 2019,” Makgalemele said.  He pointed out this shows growth of the competition since they began, saying that this prompts the need for the pledges and support of attendees and their organisations.

When answering a question from one of the attendees of how the competition has contributed to the growth of the arts industry since its inception Makgalemele singled out some of the previous winners who have gone on to grow their businesses through the support of the ministry, also pointing out that there is a directory that has catalogued all the participants since 2008.

Meanwhile, the British Council made the audience privy to the initiatives tailored for people in the performing arts industry in Southern Africa.