ACAESWA ON INCREASED ARTS BUDGET

MBABANE – The Association of Christian Artists in Eswatini (ACAESWA) has tabled its responses and expectations for the arts industry, following the increased budget that was allocated to the industry on Monday.

ACAESWA was responding to a questionnaire from this publication, which was aimed at getting their views on the increased arts budget. They responded through ACAESWA President Mcolisi Vilakati. Last year, the sector was allocated a sum of E8 682 735 million, and this year the budget was increased to E10 814 692million. When asked how they envision this financial boost impacting their artistic endeavours and the broader arts community, he shared that this is not the first time an increase has been made. “You will agree with me that this increase is not the first, and I so much wish we had a tool in place that would assist in measuring impact, but from a general point of view, there will be very minimal impact on our endeavours in the sector.

Endeavours

“Not unless we take a new and different approach that is centred around the intense development of the sector, we can only applaud the fact that our office will now be able to address day-to-day endeavours more promptly. “One question that comes to mind is, ‘From this increase, how much is available and accessible to artists?’” Vilakati wondered. They were further asked to share their insights on the potential opportunities, challenges and long-term implications that this increased funding might bring to the table. When it comes to potential opportunities, they said there were a number of opportunities that were available to the sector, and they singled out three of them.

Stakeholders

“If we can utilise funds to subsidise venues to host events with different stakeholders, like municipalities in the different four regions of the country, or rather build our own arts centres that would be available to our artists to showcase. If we can also begin building a regulating mechanism that will ensure our local artists take priority on national events and any other events hosted locally, If we can also maximise on exposing our sector to international platforms,” he said. When it comes to challenges, they said they cannot give any negativity to the increased budget. “I will not preempt any negativity that would come with an increase in the budget, more especially because accountability is directed somewhere else; however, we would only forward a suggestion of an increase of members in the ENCAC Board and have more of the sector representatives who would take mandate from the membership on development projects that will assist the sector grow.

Implications

“On long-term implications, well, long-term is far-fetched over a very small margin of an increase that is meant to cater for a 12-month period. However, if we can begin to redirect the usage of the funds to assist in the economic stimulation of the sector, it can help to have more self-sustainable artists and associations and that will go a long way towards having long-term positive implications,” Vilakati said. The president further stated that they believed they were yet to get missions and visions for the upcoming arts and culture policy. “I believe we have a number of projects as associations, and ACAESWA will be sharing them all at the upcoming AGM, but the most important aspect is whether they align with the office’s business strategy. We are looking forward to the arts and culture policy that will clearly outline long-term missions and visions that we shall all adhere to,” he said.

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