President's Day Competitions participation drops

Spira Tlhankane | Friday July 20, 2018 14:22

Participation in the competition from last year’s 18,971 has now dropped to 14,813 this year.

The decline comes just a year after Masisi’s predecessor Ian Khama proudly announced that the competitions had seen growth from 3,274 in 2008 to 2017s 18,971.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Olopeng said the decline is due to artists growing and exiting the competitions to give a chance to the new entrants to showcase their talents. 

“I believe that this development is a reflection of the impact of these competitions on the livelihood of our artists,” he said.  

He added that his ministry is keeping up with its mandate, for the arts has cultivated the ground for the winners to step onto the international stage as and when the opportunity arises to showcase culture, music and dance. 

“Our artists often get invited to popular exhibitions and festivals around the world, through our friendly cultural exchanges with international and bilateral partners,” he said.