04 Dec 2017

Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development, Kefentse Mzwinila has  encouraged artistes to craft and perfect their talent and turn it into intellectual capital that could make them survive in the market.

Mzwinila said this during the Maun International Arts Festival 2017 commonly known as Poetavango on Saturday.

“The ultimate consumers of your creativity are Batswana, therefore, you have to convince them to purchase your CDs and tickets by producing quality work,” he said.

He said government could only assist by developing artists from grassroots to international level but at the end of the day their relationship with customers determine their visibility, success and sustainability in the market.

Mzwinila thanked the organisers of the festival for having positively sustained it for seven years pointing out that many branded events, not just in Botswana but in other parts of the world, do not survive this long.

He stressed that the longevity of an arts and culture festival primarily depends on organizsr’s vision, passion and resilient character.

He said the ministry was proud to be aligned to the event as it carried several of the ministry’s mandates such as the promotion of the creative industry.

He said the creative space was broad in nature and it was a communication medium for an artist and his audience.

Mzwinila said Poetavango was first funded with only P50 000 but as a ministry, they continued to fund the event, with the amount growing steadily year after year, and in return, translating to more arts and performances as well as more spectators.

He said Poetavango and the ministry had the same mandate of youth engagement and empowerment, culture development and arts promotion.

Mzwinila said as a ministry, they were pleased to have noticed throughout the years that other donors, sponsors and other stakeholders had come on board to assist the government in promoting creative industry.

He therefore implored the private sector to continue with this great gesture. “Today, the Maun International Arts Festival is a calendar event inscribed on our walls and those of other government and private organisations.”

“This is an indication that as we mould these passionate young people collectively and guide them, we can achieve the creation of independent thinkers and the growth of cultural tourism in our country,” he said.

Batawana chief representative, Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo was proud that the event had grown immensely presenting a rich opportunity for the district in the sense that it provided a platform for cultural exchange.

He said the festival also encouraged economic growth through cultural tourism as people lodged in hotels.

“Let us all appreciate the arts and creative industry sectors contribution to the economic growth of the local community and the country at large,” he said.

The night was characterised by beautiful melodies from local artistes who serenated it with titillating songs and creative poetry. BOPA