Namibia’s creatives band together to strengthen sector
ESTER KAMATIWINDHOEK
Namibia’s creative community turned up in full force this week as the education, arts and culture ministry rolled out its consultation sessions on the draft cultural and creative industries strategy.For Namibian artists, it provided a long-awaited and welcome chance to share ideas, raise concerns and help shape a roadmap for elevating the sector, with stakeholders eager to highlight areas that need strengthening.
The ministry said the strategy aims to support the professionalisation of the industry.
Public policy and development consultant Patrick Sam, a former chairperson of the National Art Council of Namibia, told participants that the discussion is focused on improving infrastructure, building capacity and ensuring artists have access to meaningful funding.
The strategy’s vision is to “nurture, develop and celebrate the cultures, heritage and artistic expressions of all Namibians and to harness these for human, social and economic development,” Sam explained.
He presented a preliminary framework and encouraged creatives to openly contribute.
Sam also underlined that the absence of a central body for collective bargaining makes it difficult for artists to negotiate fair rates.
He urged stakeholders to propose practical solutions that the ministry could adopt.
Nurture local voices
Former College of the Arts lecturer and Ndilimani Cultural Troupe co-founder Ueshitile ‘Banana’ Shekupe encouraged the industry to take ownership of its cultural identity.
He emphasised the need to develop a defined “Namibian sound” and to promote it confidently on local and global stages. “We don’t promote our own traditional movements enough,” he said. “People should hear our music and instantly recognise that it comes from Namibia. We have to protect and strengthen our own creative identity.”
Participants also proposed including a broader range of art forms in the strategy, from comedy and magic to storytelling, traditional games and chanting.
Payment and professional standards again emerged as a key focus. Several performers stressed the need for standardised rates across the sector.
Comedian Slick the **ck explained that variations in artists’ fees create challenges.
“If I charge N$6 000 and someone else takes N$300, the standard drops for everyone. We need consistency if we want the industry to grow.”
Value creatives
Visual artist and cultural advocate Papa Shikongeni stressed the importance of fair compensation for traditional groups in particular.
He pointed out that it is not uncommon for a 15-member group to earn only N$3 000 for a performance. “If we can allocate proper budgets for catering, we should be able to budget properly for artists,” he said, adding that the issue isn’t that the money doesn’t exist, but that creative work is not prioritised and valued.
Clemencia Jacobs, a senior intellectual property officer at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa), reminded artists that earning from their work begins with setting clear standards for how it is shared and distributed.
“If you want to make a living from your creations, you must treat them professionally,” she said. “You can’t share your work freely and then expect full protection. It begins with valuing your own output.”
The feedback from the sessions, which ran from Monday to today, will now be compiled into a revised draft of the strategy.
The updated document will be presented at a validation workshop before moving to a national consultation phase. Once complete, the strategy will be reviewed by the National Council and ultimately presented by the minister.
With strong participation and fresh ideas from creatives across the board, the process points to a sector ready to grow and excited about shaping its own future.
Namibia’s creative community turned up in full force this week as the education, arts and culture ministry rolled out its consultation sessions on the draft cultural and creative industries strategy.For Namibian artists, it provided a long-awaited and welcome chance to share ideas, raise concerns and help shape a roadmap for elevating the sector, with stakeholders eager to highlight areas that need strengthening.
The ministry said the strategy aims to support the professionalisation of the industry.
Public policy and development consultant Patrick Sam, a former chairperson of the National Art Council of Namibia, told participants that the discussion is focused on improving infrastructure, building capacity and ensuring artists have access to meaningful funding.
The strategy’s vision is to “nurture, develop and celebrate the cultures, heritage and artistic expressions of all Namibians and to harness these for human, social and economic development,” Sam explained.
He presented a preliminary framework and encouraged creatives to openly contribute.
Sam also underlined that the absence of a central body for collective bargaining makes it difficult for artists to negotiate fair rates.
He urged stakeholders to propose practical solutions that the ministry could adopt.
Nurture local voices
Former College of the Arts lecturer and Ndilimani Cultural Troupe co-founder Ueshitile ‘Banana’ Shekupe encouraged the industry to take ownership of its cultural identity.
He emphasised the need to develop a defined “Namibian sound” and to promote it confidently on local and global stages. “We don’t promote our own traditional movements enough,” he said. “People should hear our music and instantly recognise that it comes from Namibia. We have to protect and strengthen our own creative identity.”
Participants also proposed including a broader range of art forms in the strategy, from comedy and magic to storytelling, traditional games and chanting.
Payment and professional standards again emerged as a key focus. Several performers stressed the need for standardised rates across the sector.
Comedian Slick the **ck explained that variations in artists’ fees create challenges.
“If I charge N$6 000 and someone else takes N$300, the standard drops for everyone. We need consistency if we want the industry to grow.”
Value creatives
Visual artist and cultural advocate Papa Shikongeni stressed the importance of fair compensation for traditional groups in particular.
He pointed out that it is not uncommon for a 15-member group to earn only N$3 000 for a performance. “If we can allocate proper budgets for catering, we should be able to budget properly for artists,” he said, adding that the issue isn’t that the money doesn’t exist, but that creative work is not prioritised and valued.
Clemencia Jacobs, a senior intellectual property officer at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa), reminded artists that earning from their work begins with setting clear standards for how it is shared and distributed.
“If you want to make a living from your creations, you must treat them professionally,” she said. “You can’t share your work freely and then expect full protection. It begins with valuing your own output.”
The feedback from the sessions, which ran from Monday to today, will now be compiled into a revised draft of the strategy.
The updated document will be presented at a validation workshop before moving to a national consultation phase. Once complete, the strategy will be reviewed by the National Council and ultimately presented by the minister.
With strong participation and fresh ideas from creatives across the board, the process points to a sector ready to grow and excited about shaping its own future.
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