CREATIVES CONVERGE IN NAIROBI TO PAVE WAY FORWARD FOR THE INDUSTRY

Celebrities from various creative fields converged in Nairobi for the first ever government held workshop to engage with the industry stakeholders.

The two day workshop dubbed Usanifu kicked off at the Kenya National Theatre. Personalities from music, fashion, crafts, jewelry, theatre, film and digital media, photography, publishing, gaming, dance, creative applications, as well as other emerging mediums were given audience by the State Department of Culture and the Arts. In attendance was the Principal Secretary, Arts & Culture Joe Okudo.

The government ministry hosted the public dialogue workshop to develop and validate a national creative economy strategy in line with its mission. They aim to “develop promote, preserve and disseminate Kenya’s cultural and arts heritage; promotion of sports; development of the Kenyan film industry through formation and implementation of policies programmes and projects for improved livelihood of the Kenyan people”.

The State Department of Culture and the Arts, and in collaboration with the Kenya Private Alliance (KEPSA), HEVA Fund and the Creative Economy Working group are collecting opinions, proposals and ideas on how to make the creative sector viable.

The two day workshop provides a platform for artists to discuss and validate a national creative economy strategy, develop a scoping for a sector baseline and develop an implementation framework for catalyzing the growth of creative industries in Kenya, in line with the vision 2030 development in blue print.

The stakeholders workshop discussed cross cutting issues like legal, regulatory and policy assets, production, performance and selling infrastructure, finance, taxation, rebates and fiscal incentives.

Other themes revolved around national identity, culture, arts and national brand building, training, talent management and the national talent pipeline and sector representation and public sector engagement.

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