Creative industries development for the diversity of cultural expression-strengthening the sustainability of creative industries in Uganda
With 65 indigenous communities, Uganda has a rich culture heritage that offers potential for abundant growth of creative enterprises. The mapping of cultural/creative industries in Uganda, which was undertaken by the UNESCO National Commission of Uganda in 2009, showed that the culture sector in the country fosters economic growth, job creation, exports earnings and promotes social inclusion, cultural diversity and human resource development.
In 2015, Uganda ratified the 2005 Convention on the Promotion and the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The present project supports Uganda to start the implementation of the Convention at the national level. Furthermore, the capacity-building programme to be implemented through this project is in line with the National Development Plan which prioritizes development of visual arts and crafts and links this to the promotion of indigenous knowledge, local artisans and creative industries for economic empowerment and sustainable development. The Uganda National Culture Policy (2006) also emphasizes the promotion of positive cultural values and cultural cooperation for mutual benefit, respect, understanding, shared values, enrichment and peaceful co-existence among diverse cultures and peoples of Uganda and beyond.
General Aim:
The objective of the project is to strengthen the artistic, design, marketing and management skills of Ugandan craft workers in order to improve the production and quality of their products for economic empowerment and sustainable development.
A mapping and assessment of the craft sector was produced.
A training manual was drafed.
3 task force meeting with 120 participants were held
The project launch and the first Task Force meeting were held at the National Theatre in Kampala on 27th July 2016. Over 125 participants from various creative domains, including crafts, film, theatre, dance and music attended the launch.
After the Iaunch event, UNESO in partnership with the Ugandan National Commission conducted a mapping and assessment of the craft sector in three regions of Uganda. In partnership with Makere University, a training manual for crafts workers in artistic design, marketing and management skills was elaborated.
The findings of the mapping and the assessment were discussed at the second Task Force meeting held in July 2017. Drawing upon the deliberations of this meeting, a third Task Force meeting was organized in September 2017 to review the contents of the training manual.
According to the original work plan, the three training workshops to test the manuals were scheduled between October and early December 2017, but it was discussed that the workshops needed to be postponed to allow the manual to be revised. The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda expressed its keen support to accompany the revision process and to make the manual part of the Ministry’s work. Building the capacities of crafts workers and the validation, publishing and dissemination of the training manual as well as the organization of an exhibition at the National Museum displaying some of the works produced through this project will be conducted soon.