Government has launched the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) strategy for the Period 2020 to 2030 which will guide the development and growth of the sector for it to become a critical player in the matrix of attaining an Upper Middle-Income Society as spelt out in Vision 2030.
In an online address to stakeholders to officially announce the policy, the Minister of Youth Sport Arts and Recreation Honourable Kirsty Coventry said the strategy identified ten pillars that need to be accorded immediate attention within the timelines given.
“Attending to these pillars will firmly position the CCIs as pivotal for the sector’s role in national economic development and employment creation. Products from the CCIs sector which inherently contribute to building social cohesion, peace and the marketing of Zimbabwe will also gain a foothold,” she said.
The ten pillars identified are; Cultural markets and business development, Intellectual property, Funding, financing and investment, Education, capacity building and training, Cultural infrastructure, Cultural statistics and research, Media, information and communication technologies, Cultural diplomacy and global business, Cultural governance and Safeguarding cultural heritage.
The Minister implored agencies such the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ), The CCIs sector genres of Film and Video, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Music, spoken word, Literary Arts, Fashion, Graphic Design, Crafts etc to glean from the National Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy to craft their strategies.
“It is also critical for me to underline that during the implementation of the Strategy, Ministry will include a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors; As a Ministry, we invite the corporate world, development partners, agencies and educational institutions to feel free to pick aspects among the ten pillars that they wish to run with or partner the Ministry or CCIs sector players in their implementation support processes”, Minister Coventry said.
She added that her ministry will work through the NACZ and NGZ to collaborate with Government Ministries, other government agencies, CCIs practitioners, Arts Associations and Organisations, development partners, the corporates, civic society and well-wishers.
“Most importantly, the various State and private-owned institutions, which include the media, Universities, Polytechnics, Teacher Education Colleges and those specialised institutions that not only offer technical training but also nurture and expose creative talent, including the film and theatre schools, will be duly courted”, the Minister said.
Hon Coventry also announced that the Ministry will also be reaching out to organisations and individuals who are interested in unlocking the inherent value and potential of CCIs to become a formidable and robust economic sector for Zimbabwe.