Use The Arts To Sell Botswana Khama

54598,Goitsemodimo Kaelo,php4B2C.tmp.jpg, | Wednesday May 23, 2018 00:00

Botswana would go on to compete with the best in terms of producing diamonds of higher value, and beat the rest as the safest home for many endangered species and Africa’s elephants.

However, it was other beauty that had not been unleashed to the world before until recently through the I Love Botswana Ensemble performed at ITB Berlin, Germany in 2017. Their performance caught the attention of the world.

Now as the assemblage prepares to stage the biggest art production Botswana has ever exported in Broadway, New York City, the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama has called for a refocus to use the arts to sell Botswana.

Khama said this recently at the Three Chiefs Monument in Gaborone when the assemblage was launched.

He said that since I Love Botswana Ensemble’s performance at the ITB last year, the number of visitations to Botswana went up by 18%.

He said whilst many people were not amused with the money spent on this, the returns have been huge.

He said the invitation to perform at Broadway is an exceptional opportunity for both the country and local artists to sell themselves and give the world a taste of what Botswana could offer in the performing arts.

“Broadway is exceptional. We are talking big. They have given us a chance, so we should demonstrate what we could do as Batswana.

It should not be about how much you have spent. If we get such an opportunity we must take it, weigh the costs against the returns and make a calculated decision,” he said.

Khama stated that sometimes the country is its own biggest challenge.

“We don’t have synthetic options in the arts. Everything is genuine; we don’t know where synthetic options are going to come from and where they will take this country,” he added. “We should go to Broadway and showcase the best of Africa so that our skills in arts and culture are recognised. We should demonstrate who we are, because we are more than just about elephants and diamonds.”

The I Love Botswana Ensemble under the directorship of Andrew Kola is scheduled to stage three performances beginning August 22 to 23, 2018 to over 3,000 audience members.

He said that performing at Broadway is a big dream for many artists around the world, so Batswana artists should grab the opportunity with both hands.