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Senior Arts Reporter
THE Government launched the Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy (CCIS) yesterday, which will boost the arts sector.

The strategy is a roadmap that will guide the development and growth of the cultural and creative industries sector.

It has 10 pillars — 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.

Speaking during the launch via a Zoom meeting where some local arts practitioners took part, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry said the cultural and creative industry sector had become a critical player in the matrix of attaining an upper middle income society as spelt out in Vision 2030 as addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I wish to officially pronounce online to Zimbabwe, to our CCIs sector and its practitioners, our stakeholders, sister Government ministries and parastatals, our development partners, captains of industry and commerce, as well as our civic society and well-wishers, that the National Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy for the period 2020 to 2030 is now in place,” she said.

“The strategy identifies 10 pillars that need to be accorded immediate attention within the timelines given. We have invited the corporate world, development partners, agencies and educational institutions to pick aspects among the 10 pillars that they wish to run with or partner the ministry or CCIs sector players in their implementation support processes.

“The ministry is 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.”

Minister Coventry said the virtual platforms were the new normal and people should embrace the culture.

“This is our ‘new normal’ induced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said. “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. I want to implore our agencies, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 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 this National Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy so that from it, you can also craft your own strategy,” she said.

She said that it was also critical to underline that during the implementation of the strategy, the ministry will include a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

“We will work through our agencies of National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) to collaborate with Government ministries, other Government agencies, CCIs practitioners, arts associations and organisations, development partners, the corporates, civic society and well-wishers,” said Minister Coventry.

“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.”

Minister Coventry said they were inviting the corporate world, development partners, agencies and educational institutions to select aspects among the 10 pillars that they wished to run with or partner the ministry or CCIs sector players in their implementation support processes.

“The ministry is 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,” she said.

“The CCIs document will be available and accessible online from today onwards.”