06 May 2013

Kingdom Arts Academy, an institution of opportunities and exploration of talents, with emphasis on music, was launched in Gaborone over the weekend.

The academy offers a unique opportunity for talented and committed young musicians from all backgrounds who want to be inspired, challenged and encouraged in their aim to make the most of their musical ability.

Its mission is to encourage young people to develop to their full creative potential through the visual and performing arts.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, Ruth Maphorisa commended the academy for helping young people discover their talent which they may not have been aware of until the establishment of the school.

She said the arts are one of the main ways that humans define who they are, as they often express a sense of community and ethnicity.

“The arts are not just multi-cultural, they are transcultural, they invite crosscultural communication. They teach openness towards those who are different from us,” she said.

Maphorisa also noted that the creative economy has the potential to be the leading sector in generating economic growth, employment and trade as is the case in many advanced economies.

Furthermore, she said music in particular has the potential to create employment, alleviate poverty and contribute to the broader national economic development, noting that it was for this reason that government, through her ministry has been supporting a number of talent development programmes in the country.

 Entertainment was provided by Kingdom Arts Academy students who performed live music pieces at the launch.

A  South African group from a music academy, Committed Artists for Cultural Advancement (CAFCA) also entertained the guests.

The launch also provided a platform for Kingdom Arts Academy to benchmark from CAFCA as there was a music workshop. ENDS