Whats in it for the creatives?
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday September 9, 2024 10:07
Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)
The UDC is of the view that a youthful population is potentially a great social and economic dividend for a country where innovations, creativity and critical analysis of ideas and adoption of technologies are critical to enhance productivity and competitiveness. However, it says despite these advantages associated with a youthful population in the country, several challenges face this segment of the population but the ruling party has proved incapable of dealing with these challenges.
Through its election manifesto, the UDC promises to develop a comprehensive plan to unearth and encourage youth talent from primary schools throughout to tertiary education institutions.
The UDC also says it will establish state-of-the-art youth infrastructure and facilities for arts, culture and music to support the development of world class status.
“The UDC will also establish a Fund for sports and creative arts promotion in both primary and secondary schools and identify and/or import teachers in these areas. It will also increase the acquisition of STEM and Fourth Industrial Revolution skills and knowledge to enhance innovativeness, creativity and problem solving skills,” read the manifesto in part.
Furthermore, the UDC says it would establish a Creative Arts Fund for the youth to access for self-employment and business growth. It also promises to promote and support district, regional, national and international youth arts, sport, cultural and music competitions to acquire technical and entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for business growth.
Additionally, the coalition promises to build regional hubs/academies for creative arts and revive and improve the utilisation of arts technical training institutions such as Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology. Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
On the other hand, the ruling BDP says it recognises the immense potential of the creative industries to drive economic diversification and foster employment opportunities, particularly for our youth and marginalised communities.
“By harnessing the power of creativity, we will stimulate entrepreneurship and promote and present our cultural heritage to the world. The BDP is committed to igniting and transforming the creative industries into a thriving business sector that generates sustainable employment and contributes to national development, unity, and preservation of our culture,” reads part of the BDP manifesto.
Among other things, the party is pledging to build appropriate infrastructure such as incubation and content creation hubs, performing arts production facilities, fine art studios and galleries. It also pledges to actively engage with the private sector to increase investment in creative industries, to provide much-needed financial support to emerging as well as established entrepreneurs in the sector. The BDP manifesto also promises to develop creative talent through the implementation of arts and cultural projects in schools and communities to raise awareness about viable career opportunities within the sector and national pride.
Furthermore, it promises to nurture, develop, and harness artistic talent among the youth especially, to produce a pool of competent creative artists who can grow Botswana’s creative and cultural industries sector and bring economic prosperity.
“The BDP government will protect the intellectual property rights of creative artists and ensure they are duly rewarded for their work and empower creative artists on copyright and intellectual property laws through educational campaigns,” reads the party manifesto.
Additionally, the BDP has pledges to ignite the local film industry through investment in critical infrastructure and training. This includes supporting initiatives to facilitate capital raising, post-production, distribution, and marketing. The party says it would also introduce a Performers Protection Bill to protect performers against exploitation and other unfair business practices and ensure fair compensation and recognition for their work.
Moreover, the ruling party says it intends to introduce a tax on advertising revenue generated by social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube from advertisements targeted within Botswana. “The revenue collected will be allocated towards the enhancement and support of the creative industries across the nation. Develop a sustainable financing mechanism for the sector,” adds the manifesto.
The BDP says it would also ensure that content creators in Botswana can directly derive monetary benefit from their content posted on social media platforms and build institutions of learning for growing the creative sector in talent for production and management.