Selam and SIDA to spearhead new Connect for Culture Africa project

Connect for Culture Africa will intertwine advocacy efforts at regional and national levels through a multistakeholder regional network. It will aim to bring culture advocates together to raise awareness on the benefits of investing in culture for democratic, inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable social and economic development.

Selam will work closely with the African Union Culture Division, cultural institutions, government agencies, research institutions and universities, the media, artists and civil society organisations, among others. This effort is expected to result in increased political will for the sector, which will lead to budget proposals, budget bills and, in countries where the process is further along, discussions on increased budget allocation to the culture and creative sectors.

The AU Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative Industries focuses on potential areas for the development of the creative economy sector on the continent, including markets for Africa’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs), education, capacity building and sustainability, finance and investment, intellectual property rights, information and communication technologies, cultural infrastructure, cultural and creative industry statistics, and social inclusion and cohesion.

Among its objectives are to ensure an increase in national budgets and resources allocated by member states to CCIs, copyright compliance in member states by protecting intellectual property rights of creators through effective legislation and enforcement, and the emergence and growth of CCI businesses within member states that are globally competitive.

“This Plan of Action recognises the role of the sector in engendering inclusive development, good governance, economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, job creation, trade and regional integration,” Selam founder and executive director Teshome Wondimu said.

“This plan articulates the priorities and paths for the development of African CCIs as well as provides a framework that allows for effective coordination of inputs from member states, strategic partners and stakeholders towards a common goal.

“In addition to the plethora of regulations and laws that are constricting the growth of creative businesses, the lack of funding and proper infrastructure to create and distribute are a major drawback. The reality is that as much as we are witnessing a deep appreciation for talent and creativity on the continent, there is still some hesitation when it comes to investing in the creative industry. Therefore, our goal will be to advocate for a stronger public investment in the culture and creative sectors through various activities on education, research, conferencing, network building, lobbying and campaigns.”

Commenting on the new agreement with Selam, SIDA’s head of regional development cooperation in Africa, Ulla Andrén, said: “We are proud to expand our collaboration with Selam and are convinced that this project will lead to a deeper understanding of how culture can be a vehicle for peace, gender equality and democratic values on the African continent.”

Connect for Culture Africa is a continuation of Selam and SIDA’s work on the continent as advocates for a well-structured culture ecosystem. Presently, Selam is also implementing the Pan-African Network for Artistic Freedom (PANAF) regional project in Nigeria, the Gambia, Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. Funded by the Swedish Arts Council, PANAF seeks to create an inclusive pan-African voice for organisations connecting African artists and culture producers defending artistic freedom to lobby for better policies that allow artists to freely create and distribute their work without fear of being censored.

Selam is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit culture organisation with offices in Stockholm and Addis Ababa. It organises and promotes festivals, concerts, tours, club nights and forums presenting global music. It also owns the independent record label Selam Sounds.