Creatives convene for school of arts 3rd cohort

MONETISING THE MUSE—Mandala

Nico General Chief Executive Officer Donbell Mandala said Tuesday that the creative sector remains vital in contributing to the country’s economic growth and the aspirations of Malawi 2063 vision.

Mandala said this in Mangochi during the official opening of the third cohort for the Investment School of Creative Arts running under the theme ‘Luso: Create, Own, Invest’.

He dared the 50 creatives from the various art disciplines selected to be entrepreneurs for their creativity to become wealth.

“Our support to this year’s cohort is K150 million and it underlines Nico Group’s commitment to support the creative sector,” Mandala said.

He said as a leading homegrown financial services Group with interests in banking through NBS Bank, asset management, pensions and insurance among others, they want to create opportunities, build wealth and contribute to national development.

“Our support to the creative industry is therefore an investment in people and talent. While agriculture, tourism, and mining are often highlighted as key enablers of Malawi 2063 vision, the creative economy also plays an important role,” Mandala said.

The two-day platform which started yesterday and ends today has engaged creatives in topics such as finance, investment, branding, proposal writing, intellectual property, contract management, insurance and business development.

Principal Secretary of Administration in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Francis Zhuwao said creativity is Malawi’s wealth.

“Our nation is blessed with extraordinary artistic talent. Creative works entertain, educate, inspire and define who we are as Malawians. However, we have witnessed a painful paradox: immense talent but limited livelihoods,” Zhuwao said.

He saluted Nico Group, NBS Bank and Eris Properties and its partners for offering business and financial literacy to help artists convert their craft into sustainable livelihoods.

“This is a visionary intervention, because talent alone does not build an industry,” Zhuwao said.

He said talent empowered with entrepreneurial knowledge, financial discipline, and understanding of rights as artists will help build the local economy.

“In terms of financing, the government has this year allocated K4.5 billion under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) specifically for creative arts and innovation. This translates to K20 million for every constituency,” Zhuwao said.

He appealed to creatives in the country to make inquiries through local councils and make applications for funds.

Some of the creative that have made the third cohort include singer and guitarist Maggie Kadrum, BFB, Hyphen, Nester and content creators Nya Uyu and Tupochele.

Spearheaded by Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) through Copyright Fund, the Investment School of Creatives Arts has this far trained over 200 creators.