The creative industry in Botswana has over the years succumbed to the stigma of being regarded as a hobby without enough government support. Creatives always share similar grievances - that despite being an industry that can create jobs and reduce unemployment, many end up not pursuing careers in it because it is considered useless and just a hobby.
“Careers in the arts have become synonymous with instability. Government has never valued the arts as much as they deserve to be valued,” some have said in the past.
There has been concern amongst those in the creative sector that the government does not support them enough purely because they see their jobs as glorified hobbies, rather than the source of their livelihoods.
However, a solution could be in the offing to address some of the concerns of the creatives. Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe could possibly be the answer to some of the concerns. For instance, his deliberations during the recently held Budget Pitso focused on how to make the creatives profitable and employment creation avenues.
Speaking during the Budget Pitso, Ndaba called for effective interventions to come out of the current economic and social problems. He mentioned the creative sector as one sector brimming with potential and untapped economic opportunities.
“The creative industry is more than just a source of entertainment. “It is a driver of economic growth, cultural preservation and social transformation. Music, film, fashion, digital arts and crafts and storytelling, all of these foster innovation and project identity. Who we are, the food we eat, the dance we dance, the tears we cry and the smile we smile. The creatives project our identity,” he said.
While President Duma Boko’s maiden State of the Nation Address was somehow not inspiring to a creative, with only a line mentioned about the industry, Ndaba’s recent words are encouraging and offer optimism.
In addition, the recent Creative Arts Pitso is also something worth mentioning in terms of addressing the concerns of the creatives.
There has always been disgruntlement within the creative industry, with stakeholders oftentimes feeling neglected. However, the interaction between the industry players and the Minister and authorities from the National Arts Council of Botswana is a step in the direction. The Pitso offered both the ministry and the creatives an opportunity to exchange notes on how to improve the sector going forward.
Amongst its election promises, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) highlighted the plight of the creatives as matters of serious concern. The UDC is of the view that a youthful population is potentially a great social and economic dividend for a country where innovations, creativity and critical analysis of ideas and adoption of technologies are critical to enhance productivity and competitiveness.
However, it says despite these advantages associated with a youthful population in the country, several challenges face this segment of the population but the previous ruling party had proved incapable of dealing with these challenges.
Through its election manifesto, the UDC promised to develop a comprehensive plan to unearth and encourage youth talent from primary schools through to tertiary education institutions. The UDC also said it would establish state-of-the-art youth infrastructure and facilities for arts, culture and music to support the development of world-class status.
“The UDC will also establish a Fund for sports and creative arts promotion in both primary and secondary schools and identify and/or import teachers in these areas. It will also increase the acquisition of STEM and Fourth Industrial Revolution skills and knowledge to enhance innovativeness, creativity and problem-solving skills,” reads the manifesto in part.
Furthermore, the UDC pledged to establish a Creative Arts Fund for the youth to be accessed for self-employment and business growth. It also promised to promote and support district, regional, national and international youth arts, sport, cultural and music competitions to acquire technical and entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for business growth.
Additionally, the coalition promised to build regional hubs/academies for creative arts and revive and improve the utilisation of arts technical training institutions such as the Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology.
While the first 100 days were always going to be difficult for the UDC government to meaningfully address some of the concerns due to what it inherited from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) budget, indications are that the new administration would like to take the creatives on board.
