Local businesses have been urged to invest in the creative industries.
This was said at a breakfast meeting organised by the British Council on creative industries in Zimbabwe on Thursday March 2, 2017.
“Corporates should partner more with the creative sector in a relationship that is beneficial to both parties. We have seen how business thrives on the arts sector through the way they use artists for advertising,” said Pamberi Trust creative programmes coordinator, Peter Churu.
National Gallery of Zimbabwe chief curator Raphael Chikukwa also aired the same sentiments saying business is added value by art.
“The creative sector gives value to business, so there should be a mutual synergy that in return must also benefit the creative and arts sector,” he said.
Guest speaker at the meeting, Jim Galloway, from the Scottish city of Edinburgh council said there is an economic value that can be unlocked if there is a strong collaboration between business and the creative industries.
“The recipe for success is culture, creativity and collaboration. In Edinburgh we have creative festivals and also 20% of the city’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from creative industries and as such, they can also bring economic development,” said Galloway.
He further encouraged the establishment of more community based creative hubs which can in turn act as centres for collaborations with the private sector.
“My simple advice is for you to take into consideration place, people and pound. This means create places were creators and businesses can meet and money is made,” he added.
Zenzele Ndebele from the Centre for Innovation and Technology however said that the establishment of these creative hubs was being stalled by lack of support through provision of operating spaces from responsible authorities.
“Artists should come together in creative places such as the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre in Bulawayo, but our challenge is that priorities are misplaced as most of these places have been taken over by churches,” he lamented.
