The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) has partnered with UNESCO to implement two projects: the UNESCO-Aschberg Project, and the Open Digital Roadmap, aimed at improving the status of Artists in Uganda.
The two projects have been running simultaneously since February this year, being implemented within the frameworks of UNESCO’s internationally-renowned statutes and programmes on culture, notably the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
The overall objectives are to; Strengthen the process of data collection and analysis to provide evidence through comprehensive digital archives and studies on the status of the artists. Ensure a new law is documented through consultations with a number of Government Agencies and Artists. Raise awareness of Government Policy makers and other stakeholders on the status of the artists through five regional dialogues and National Dialogues. Build the Capacity of 10 Government Agencies in Cultural programming through Policy briefs to inform provision of measures in their annual plans, programs and projects.
In Uganda, however, unfavourable regulatory frameworks, limited skills amongst practitioners and limited access to the global market among a host of other challenges have long prevented the local sector from realising its fully potential.
The project activities will include; development of principles for the new Law, capacity building workshops for film practitioners, Community Screenings for Promotion of Local Content digital platform, regional Stakeholders Consultations and capacity building for MDAs.
And as part of their role on the projects, the ministry will work with two Ugandan culture industry experts – Amos Tindyebwa, a cultural policy analyst, and Polly Kamukama, a film lecturer at Makerere University – to deliver on the two projects; the project targets to directly impact 100,000 stakeholders and indirectly 500,000 stakeholders. I now take this singular owner to declare this UNESCO project “improving the status of Artists in Uganda”, officially launched.
The writer is Naumo Juliana Akoryo, Commissioner for Culture & Family Affairs Ministry of Gender Labour & Social Development