Renovate your social halls! Time is now for artists to reap from their creativity

The creative sector was this week gathered at the UNCTAD14 for the Heva Forum that brought together high level panellists and practitioners in art and culture for two critical discussions – sustainable financing and how to catalyse the growth of the creative industries.

Panellists included Cabinet Secretaries and ministry representatives, scholars and researchers, artists, representatives of donor agencies and of banks among others.

Given the profile of the panellists, and the prominence of UNCTAD, one would have expected the inking of some deals and that government would take advantage of this platform to at least commit to something substantive.

But that was not the case. However, there was no dearth of brilliant ideas coming out of the forum, whose rallying call was “The Time is Now!”

The conversation about the role and place of the creative economy has recently picked up steam around the world, and Kenya is not left behind.

For the last two years, the Creative Economy Workgroup has been stirring the waters, leading the conversation about how Kenya can tap the potential of the creative economy.

Sitting on the workgroup are artists and representatives of academia, art organisations, media, government and cultural players.

Some of the issues they have been addressing include recognising the role of culture, knowledge and innovation in development and social transformation, access to funding, establishing a facilitative policy framework, intellectual property, market access, strategic investment, quality control and training.

There is a push from the ground as the influx of young people into the creative industry creates pressure on government to mainstream and support the largely informal industry. As Dr Njoki Ngumi, who moderated the event said, let’s not just milk the art and culture cow, let’s feed it too.

Africa is the world’s fastest urbanising region. According to World Bank estimates, by 2030 half of the population will be living in urban areas. Urban areas are centres of innovation, trade, cultural expression and setting trends. Four out of five Kenyans are below the age of 35.

This presents an unemployment challenge but also a massive opportunity for young people to be absorbed into the creative sector and contribute to the economy.

And 43 per cent of Kenya’s population being under age 15 gives us more reason to plan the future with these teenagers in mind. It is time to embrace the restless energy of youth, which leads to innovation. The mushrooming art hubs in Nairobi, for example, have provided a platform for creatives to express themselves, exchange knowledge and showcase their talent. Kuona Trust, Pawa 254, GoDown Art Centre, The Nest, Mau Mau Arts and Creatives Garage are a few that come to mind.

Cultural Times, Unesco’s 2015 report on the creative economy worldwide, provides some eye-opening statistics on the contribution of television, visual and performing arts, newspapers and magazines, radio, gaming, music, books, film, architecture and advertising.

According to the report, the creative economy generated three per cent of the world’s GDP in 2013, even topping global telecommunications.

In Africa and the Middle East, the creative economy fetched $58 billion in revenues (3 per cent of the total) and created 2.4 million jobs (8 per cent of total jobs).

According to the Kenya Copyright Board, Kenya’s creative sector contributed 5.32 per cent of the national GDP in 2013, and has the capacity to hit 10 per cent by the year 2050.

That the scales are tipping in favour of the creatives is evident in the fact that the Culture Bill, Languages of Kenya Bill, the Creative Economy Bill and the National Music Bill are all being drafted concurrently.

But just like in this Heva Forum players from different sub-sectors put their heads together, the creative sector should huddle up and create one Culture Bill and one National Arts Council, with subsectors guided by individual policies.

When it comes to alternate funding for artists, Heva Fund, the convener of the event is the trailblazer. This local company is offering custom-made loans to artists, using flexible models that take into account the unpredictable nature of most creative markets, the erratic cash-flows and the lack of collateral.

Artists have been left out of traditional funding environment due to the nature of their work and the fact that most artists are not business-savvy. Equity Bank also has Maridadi account, tailored for the creative industry.

For physical infrastructure, we need a diversity of spaces for production, presentation and trade. As Prof Kimani Njogu who sits on the Creative Economy Working Group pointed out, it’s time to renovate our social halls and community art centres, and repurpose our warehouses.

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