13 Apr 2016

Director of Maitisong says development of arts infrastructure in Gaborone is a step in the right direction.

Speaking at the official opening of Maitisong Festival Visual Arts exhibition, Gao Lemmenyane said it is an exciting time in the creative arts industry as Matisong Festival sees an array of visual and performing arts coming together as the festival enters its 29th year.

“This festival has the potential to become bigger and even better and we are also grateful that this year the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture has come on board and this is evidence of great things to come,” said Lemmenyane.

He indicated that the festival is organised in a way that one can attend all of the week long activities in different locations. “One can go to Maitisong, Maruapula School, the moving space and Thapong Visual Arts Centre to get a chance of witnessing different activities,” he said.

Lemmenyane further urged collaboration between different aspects of art to ensure one voice with which to lobby and advocate for suitable legislature that could support creative industry and enable it to thrive. “We cannot do things in isolation,” he said.

Lemmenyane went on to state that Maitisong Festival Visual Arts exhibition will go on for a week at the national museum and urged people to visit the exhibition and support art in Botswana.

For his part, coordinator of Thapong Visual Arts Centre Reginald Bakwena said the exhibition provides an opportunity for visual artists to work together. “Such exhibitions are good because they set an agenda for art appreciation in Botswana and it also encourages artists to have one voice,” he said.

Bakwena further said the creative arts industry has the potential to diversify the economy of the country as government has made repeated calls for such. He indicated that he was not happy with the number of people that came to the official opening and this was because there was a misunderstanding about the venue.

“Some thought it would be at Thapong and some were not properly advised by the security people here at the national museum,” said Bakwena. He went on to explain that as the coordinator of Thapong Visual Arts Centre, he was happy that visual art and performing art were on the same level with one common goal of showcasing and growing the arts industry in Botswana.

“We still have so much to do and so much room for growth and we will get there,” he said. ENDS