Music In Africa Foundation Annual Report for 2018 - 2019

It is an honour to share my first report as Chairperson of the MIAF. Firstly, I must register my sincere gratitude to the former leadership, in particular my predecessor Ms. Aisha Deme, the Board, Directorate and partners for laying a solid foundation that enables the MIAF to excel as a truly pan-African organisation with a clear vision and mission rooted in developing the African music sector.

We have a critical role to play in African music, especially now that the global spotlight is on the continent. Yet a majority of our musicians and related professionals lack fundamental knowledge, skills, resources and opportunities to advance their careers.

In the year under review, the MIAF continued to build on its impressive portfolio of online and offline programmes championed by the Music In Africa portal (www.musicinafrica.net) and a wide range of complementary projects, notably the ACCES music conference, artist mobility support via the Music In Africa Connects project and various capacity building initiatives.

As a woman working in the cultural sector in Senegal, and having travelled extensively across the continent, I fully understand the challenges faced by my peers in the industry, particularly in Africa. This is why I am extremely proud to place an emphasis on the introduction of the Music In Africa Gender@Work programme, which will work specifically on upskilling women from different African countries in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

It is undeniable that funding for arts programmes is particularly constrained in Africa, especially with regard to music. The MIAF continues to make progress in diversifying its funding base, and by developing new revenue models in line with our sustainability plan. We need to remain vigilant in this area; in order to be more sustainable, we have to develop and implement more long-term sustainable programmes that have a real impact in more communities across Africa. I am fully confident in the competence of the MIAF leadership to succeed in this area, both at Board and Directorate level.

Appreciation

In the year under review, the sixth Annual General Meeting appointed a new Board on 15 November 2018. I am pleased and honoured to have been elected to serve as Chairperson of the MIAF Board for the next two years. I wish to emphasise that as the Board, we are committed to use our combined skills, diversity and experience to guide the organisation to much greater heights.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the directorate and all staff under the leadership of Mr. Edington Hatitye for their relentless hard work and commitment to the work of the MIAF. I wish to acknowledge and thank our founding partners, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut, for their continued support, and lastly, all members of our advisory committees: Human Resources, HR and Risk Management.

Miss Maimouna Dembélé - Chairperson