Two years after Parliament passed the National Arts and Heritage Act, Malawi’s creative sector is still waiting for the National Arts and Heritage Council (Nahec) to become operational with industry stakeholders calling for the process to be accelerated.
The council is expected to provide a formal institutional framework for the development and regulation of the country’s creative and heritage industries, including registration and regulation of the sector as well as marketing and creative engagement, resource mobilisation and sector funding.
However, stakeholders say the delay in putting the council fully in place continues to leave artists and other creatives operating without the level of institutional support they need.
Speaking during a media and stakeholder engagement on Nahec status in Mponela in Dowa District on Friday, Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM) president Vita Chirwa said the sector needs the council to become fully functional because of the opportunities it could provide.
“It’s been two years since Parliament enacted the National Art and Heritage Act. We believe if the council was now in full operation, it would be a plus for musicians and the industry,” he said.
Chirwa said a fully operational council could help address some of the challenges creatives are facing through provision of funding, training and capacity building.
“With a council in place, it would help in empowering musicians because there would be funding, trainings and everything that goes with promoting and enhancing the creative industry as a whole,” he said.
Chirwa acknowledged that while progress is made with the interim secretariat, having a strategic plan draft in place is crucial for the process to move faster.
Film Association of Malawi (Fama) president Dorothy Kingston concurred with Chirwa that the establishment of the council could provide much-needed support for the film industry and the wider creative sector.
She said filmmakers need access to training and expertise not only in production, but also in marketing their work after production.
Kingston said many Malawian films struggle to go beyond their premieres because individual filmmakers lack the resources and expertise to market them effectively.
She said: “We have talented people in Malawi. We have filmmakers. But after production for one to market these productions as an individual is hard.
“On the other hand, I believe Nahec could be critical in attracting industry experts who know about marketing films and exposing filmmakers to international platforms.”
The concerns come at a time interim Nahec secretariat is in place while work is still required to establish a formalised secretariat and put the structures necessary for the council to function fully.
Meanwhile, Nahec Task Force chairperson Ron Muphuwa said a study has shown that, if properly managed, the creative industry could contribute about 3.6 percent to Malawi’s gross domestic product (GDP).
He said this demonstrates the need for government and the private sector to invest in and support the industry, which has the potential to contribute to economic growth, employment and tourism.
Muphuwa said the task force will continue to lobby government, particularly the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation to provide the necessary resources for the secretariat and the council to take off.
“We are coming from a background of lobbying for the passing of the Bill and now that the law is in place, our role is now to lobby with government to provide the necessary funds to the secretariat so that the council can take off. We need to lobby even with the corporate world to come in as well,” he said.
The task force will also lead efforts in creating awareness among creatives about the importance of supporting efforts to establish a functional council.
The lack of coordinating bodies to support activities in the creative and heritage industries has left many creatives operating individually without adequate support from government and its agencies.
Muphuwa said this situation makes it difficult for creatives to fully benefit from their work, particularly because many lack the knowledge and capacity to effectively monetise their creative products and services.
For government, the challenge now is to ensure that the council does not remain a legal framework without the resources and personnel needed to function.
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Principal Secretary for Administration Francis Zhuwao said government is set to operationalise the council by December this year.
“We want to see to it that the arts and heritage council is fully functional. We don’t want to create an institution that will be a white elephant,” he said.
For artists, the expectations go beyond the establishment of another government institution.
