By Juma Nsubuga
Uganda’s Artists have started advocating for an independent ministry in charge of Art, culture and creative industry.
Artists revealed this during a stakeholders engagement meeting with the management of Uganda national cultural centre (UNCC) held at national theatre.
The Artists say that government should creat a fully fledged ministry responsible for Art, culture and creatives than keeping them as a mere department in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development which they claim is overloaded to handle their issues.
Dick Matovu a retired admin at the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS), says government needs to copy from other African countries like Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa and Ethiopia among others that have independent ministries in charge of Art and culture.
“We want to have a fully fledged ministry for culture under which culture and creative industry is managed and administered by that ministry instead of being kept as a department within another overloaded ministry” he noted adding that other African countries that have independent Art and culture ministries are well nurtured and catered for hence their flourishing arts industry.
Meanwhile, Uganda national cultural centre (UNCC) executive director Francis Peter Ojede confirms that Artists want an established ministry purely in charge of Art and culture to enable them (Artists) perform to their expectations.
“They (Artists) also resolved to review the UNCC Act which they feel it is too old and doesn’t cover everything in the area of Art and culture” Ojede noted adding that they also asked the UNCC management to lobby government to continue financing Art and culture sector because it is one of the most important sector that are underfunded.
The chairman UNCC board of trustees professor Okaka Opio says Art and culture is too big in terms of its roles and cannot be handled under another ministry.
“Stakeholders (Artists) have recommended to have an independent ministry in charge of Art and culture. They want a ministry that is focused specifically on Art and culture” Opio said.
