A network of arts administrators and artistes from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe last week resolved to lobby policy makers and governments to ensure that culture, as a tool for development, was accepted as the 9th Millennium Development Goal.

Members of the network also agreed on the need to empower artists with emphasis on respect for cross-cultural diversity, enhance self-esteem of artists and promote regional/international artistic emancipation, while strengthening various industries for both artistic and economic development.

Known collectively as United Cultures for Development Network(UCDN), the group made these decisions during an annual meeting held at Aloe Ridge, a serene game park with the largest privately owned telescope located on the outskirts of the South African capital, Johannesburg.

Moderated by Jan Drissen, Director of Mundial Productions, a cultural/development outfit based in Tilburg, The Netherlands, Gerard de Groot, Director, Development Research Institute, Tilburg University and Dr. Pieter, Bon, Director, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, the network consented to jointly and severally influence policy makers at all levels to culture and cultural industries as an indispensable part of development policies and cultural entrepreneurship.

It would be recalled that Ghana took the initiative in employing culture as an instrument for development when in 2005, it incorporated culture as part of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II)- a move hailed by local international financial institutions.

Some participants at the meeting were also introduced to various aspects of cultural administration by the Cultural Development Trust, a partner in UCDN, based in Johannesburg. Topics treated included organizational development, cultural entrepreneurship, business plan writing, financial management, budgeting monitoring and report writing.

Ghana was represented at the meeting that was sponsored by Mundial Productions by Noyam African Dance Institute, the only privately owned dance academy in the country. Other participants included Association Benebnooma(Burkina Faso), Sarakasi Trust(Kenya), Bridge Tuzla(Bosnia & Hezegovina), IBIS(Brazil), Daci(Surinam), Ngaari Laaw (Senegal), Raiz di Polon(Cape Verde) and Music Crossroads from Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda.

Participants were exposed to music and dance traditions of South Africa by various artistic groups. These include the internationally acclaimed dance group Moving Into Dance Mophatong, Kwani Experience, Taiwa Band, Tholulwazi Theatre Project, Dinganga Theatre Group, Binang Mmimo and Dinganga Theatre.


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         The Mirror                                  page 31                         Saturday, February 7, 2009