Arts practitioners in and outside Zimbabwe should thrive to have collaborations with their counterparts so as to grow their brand and market the country, Scandinavian based cultural ambassador, Manluckerz has said.
By Problem Masau
The award-winning artist whose tentacles spread across music, dance, writing and business management said it is high time Zimbabwe claim its rightful place in the creative world through building up bridges among cultures and nationalities.
“It is high time as artistes inside and outside take a leading role in growing our economy and tourism through collaborations The cultural and creative sector plays a very important in documenting our history and heritage, telling our true narrative, shaping the country’s identity, brand and moving dreams and contributing to the country’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.
Manluckerz sentiments were also echoed by the Creative Industry Association of Zimbabwe (CIAZ).
“The industry has huge potential to stimulate national pride, social cohesion, promote tourism, create jobs in the visual, performing, film, fine, literary, digital arts, clothing, design, production, marketing, digital and related arts.
“It is a sector of the economy if resourced and capacitated can contribute to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs, and earn the country the much needed foreign currency, generating enterprises in ideas, innovation, entertainment, cultural and technological issues,” said CIAZ in a statement.
Zimbabwe’s creative community continues to defy the daily challenges, inspiring the nation to dream whilst making a great impact on the social fabric, entertaining and contributing to the economy as a whole. Hundreds of amazing artists are scattered across the globe in the diaspora and are craving to plough back skills, networks, knowledge, ideas, resources that could leverage the local industry on the global stage.
However, inconsistency, disunity, lack of cohesion across the sectors, poor leadership have seen the creative industry battle for space, recognition and further hindered by the lack of a shared vision, inadequate state support, weak strategic development, investment, lack of standards, technical, infrastructural and financial support.
