ARTS AND CULTURE TRUST FUND IN THE PIPELINE

MBABANE – Creatives are expected to benefit as the Arts and Culture Trust Fund has been finalised by the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC).

This was revealed by ENCAC Chief Executive Office (CEO) Stanley Dlamini, during an interview with this publication. He mentioned that they have finished compiling the Bill that is set to be passed in Parliament to enable the operations of the fund. “We actually finished crafting the arts and culture Bill a while ago, but it has not yet reached Parliament, where it has to be passed. The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs is yet to take the Bill to Parliament,” Dlamini said.

Initiatives

An art trust fund can help support the arts by providing funding for exhibitions, educational programmes and other initiatives. In countries such as South Africa, creatives are able to benefit from a fund known as ‘Arts Moves Africa.’ This trust fund gives grants to artists and arts professionals to travel within the African continent in order to engage in the exchange of information, the development of networks and the enhancement of skills. There is also the Thami Mnyele Foundation, which runs a unique three-month artists-in-residence programme in Amsterdam for African artists.

Any professional in visual arts can apply anytime because there is no deadline. Creatives can apply on the link: www.thami-mnyele.nl. According to the Eswatini National Council of  Arts and Culture Policy, the Arts and Culture Trust Fund will be sourced from different collections that will be made in the arts industry.  “ENCAC shall establish an Arts and Culture Trust Fund to be sourced from special government contribution, collection of levies determined from time to time, collection of licence fees issued to foreign artists and exhibitors, corporate social responsibility grants received from private companies and state-owned enterprises (negotiate a tax rebate for this initiative), a percentage of earnings from all authorised national lotteries, earnings from exhibitors, promotions and commercial activities,” reads part of the arts policy.

Other areas where the fund will be sourced include grants from international agencies and non-governmental organisations, a percentage from copyright earnings, and donations from the private sector and individuals. When launching the policy, the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima shared that acquiring such knowledge will help them and the council of arts and culture to improve their work in ensuring a sustainable environment for artists. “It is through acquiring such knowledge that we can upscale our work to ensure that our arts are managed as easily as possible.

Input

‘‘The government heavily invests in such successful arts because we recognise they can be a vehicle for economic empowerment and the alleviation of the many ills facing our people.
‘‘It is for this reason, therefore, that we launch the new arts and culture policy, which will guide government and stakeholders’ direction and investment in the arts and culture sector over the next five years.  ‘‘I have been pleased to note that the policy was developed through strong and valuable input from artists as well as other programmes, such as the National Programme Centre, the Traditional Pillars Association and the Events and Promoters Association. It was important for us to develop a policy that will reflect the views of all stakeholders on the ground,” Nzima said.

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