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Preferential treatment measures to enhance cultural mobility of African artists (Kenya)
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Kenya has negotiated and signed several bilateral agreements with China, Ghana, India, Korea, Nigeria and Venezuela, among other countries, to foster cultural cooperation and promote the mobility of artists. These have included provisions to support the movement of artists and cultural professionals to and from Kenya, as well as the flow of cultural goods, notably film and music production equipment, through tax reductions.
Beyond these agreements, embassies of other countries have supported the travel of Kenyan artists abroad. For example, the Swedish Embassy and the Swedish Institute sponsored twelve Kenyan artists to travel to Stockholm to participate in capacity building activities on the cultural and creative industries.
Kenya’s Ministry of Culture has also facilitated foreign artists from Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, United Kingdom and Venezuela to visit the country by helping them to access visas, provide special passes and tax waivers on equipment. Conversely, the Ministry has also provided recommendation letters and certificates to Kenyan artists to enable them to access travel documents to participate in international festivals and exhibitions.
The implementation of both Goal 2 of the Convention and SDGs 8 and 10 is therefore being achieved by Kenyan authorities. The free movement is enhanced through specific programmes and preferential treatment measures addressing mobility (Target 10.a), ensuring equal opportunity for artists and cultural professionals from the Global South (Target 10.3). Cultural and creative industries are also strengthened by the Kenyan import strategy for cultural goods (Target 8.3).
Kenya has negotiated and signed several Cultural bilateral cultural agreements aimed at fostering cultural cooperation and promoting cultural and creative industries . The Cultural protocols negotiated and signed have enhanced the mobility of artsits beteen nations including entry and movement of equipment used in production and performaces. The protocols have further resulted to new tax measures on entry of film and music production equipment. These cultural protocols have encouraged implementation of several cultural exchanges between the Kenya Government with foreign freiadly nations. Through cultural protocols signed the country witnessed vibrant cultural excahges between cultural enaterprenuers artits and public officilas who have participated in several official exchange cultural programmes. The Protocols have created an enabling environment for international exchage and numerous kenyan artsits and creators have been invited to participate in international cultural fetivals, fairs exhibitions and competitions related to the cultural and creative sectors. The Kenya Government through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts has been facilitating foreign artists travelling to Kenya on cultural exchange programmes to access visas, special passes and tax waivers on equipment. Further, the Ministry has provided Kenyan artists with recommendations and in processing of travel documents to enable them benefit from opportunities offered by developed countries. The Ministry has also facilitated some of the artists with air tickets to participate in international cultural festivals and exhibitions.Kenya has benefited from several cultural exchanges from several countries aimed at fostering cultural cooperation and promoting cultural and creative industries. The ministry of Culture also works with varous foreign Cultural Institutes such as; French Cultural Centre, British Council, Italian Cultural Centre, Goethe Institute, Chinese Culture Institute and Swedish Embassies to foster international exchanges.
The main feature of the cultural protocols and exchages has been the oppotunity provided to kenyan artsits, cultural entrepreneurs and pubilc officials to travel to foreign countries to participate at international cultural programmes such as ; festivals, exhibitions, conferences and trainings. The exchages and protocols have provided easiers aceess to international markets for cultural goods and services and have contributed to building of capacities for the sector. Implementation of the measure has assured timely access of travel documents and passes , facilitation in movement of cultural goods and services which ahs increased mobilty of artsits from kenya to other countries and mobility of foregn artists to kenya. The Kenya Government through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts has been facilitating and making recommendations to facilitate foreign artists travelling to Kenya on cultural exchange programmes to access visas, special passes and on tax waivers on equipment. Further, the Ministry has provided Kenyan artists with recommendations to access oppotunities offered by developed nations and also has been faciliating timely processing of travel documents to enable them benefit from opportunities offered . The Ministry has also facilitated some of the artists with air tickets to participate in international cultural festivals and exhibitions.
-Improved market access
-Transfer of skills and technology
- Establishemnt of new networks and oppotunities
-Better quality of cultural goods and services
- Mutual understanding and dialogue of cultures
- Generation of incomes and jobs
Measure is not allocated any direct budget but cultural programmes draw from the general line cultural promotion budgetary allocation by the government. However implementaion of some of the cultural programmes is wholy funded by the developed nation that has provided the oppotunity.