Veteran Arts Administrator Mr Farai Mpfunya has been selected to the International Programme Advisory Committee (IPAC) for the 9th World Summit on Arts and Culture, which is scheduled to take place in Stockholm, Sweden from 31 May-3 June 2022.
In a statement, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) said Mr Mupfunya is part of a seven-member panel that has been tasked with developing a world-class programme that will explore issues pertaining to the safeguarding of artistic freedom from different angles including examining a diverse range of lived experiences and perspectives.
“The Summit will address the theme of Safeguarding Artistic Freedom and will bring together leading policymakers, researchers, managers and practitioners from the arts, culture and related sectors from around the world”, said the IFACCA.
Mr Mpfunya is the founding Executive Director of the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that drives active social transformation by working with communities, investing in innovative and sustainable creative sector capacities, and mainstreaming culture in sustainable development.
“Cohosted by IFACCA and the Swedish Arts Council the global summit will explore artistic freedom as a fundamental pillar of cultural policy and also consider the conditions for its existence, including rights and responsibilities, and examine how it can and should be safeguarded,” the statement said.
The appointment is in line with a model adopted for the 8th World Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Other members of the panel are IPAC Chair, Mr Olu Alake (United Kingdom), Mr Brook Andrew (Wiradjuri/Celtic, Australia), Mr Alfons Karabuda (Sweden), Ms Pamela Lopez (Chile), Ms Anupama Sekhar (India) and Ms Farida Shaheed (Pakistan).