THE cultural and heritage sector contributes US$2,25 trillion to the global economy and has created 30 million jobs worldwide, according to Unesco.
This was said by deputy minister of basic education Faustina Caley yesterday, when she called on cultural artists in Namibia to continue the push to put the country on the global map and get the rest of the world to experience the impact of arts.
“I want Namibia to be part of this one… Seeing you attending these workshops, I really want you to make an impact that our country sees this industry as the most important for economic development,” Caley said.
She emphasised the negative impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the arts and culture sector of the country. She added that the ministry, in collaboration with the National Arts Council of Namibia, established a grant that aimed at mitigating the effects of the pandemic on the entertainment and arts sector.
“The National Arts Council of Namibia, financed by the ministry of education, instituted a national response aimed at mitigating the impact of Covid-19, particularly on the arts, culture and heritage sector,” she said.
Caley said this at the ‘Social protection for artists and cultural professionals’ public discussion at the National Arts Gallery of Namibia yesterday.
She said the implementation of the Arts and Culture Relief Fund included workshops as well as conducting feasibility and marketing activities.
Speaking at the same event, deputy director labour inspectorate Shou-Henok Amukwe said the creative and arts sector has the potential to contribute to the economy of Namibia. He added that the ministry has an act in place to protect the rights of employees in Namibia.
“The Namibian Labour Act of 2007 aims to protect the rights of employees in Namibia regardless of the sectors as long as there is an employment relationship,” he said.
He said the act is put in place to regulate the relation between the employee and the employer and this includes critical sectors such as that of the arts and entertainment sectors.
Amukwe said labour union representatives must come together with creative industry experts in order to a draft of persisting issues faced by the industry.
“Unions must bargain and discuss the pertinent issues surrounding this sector so that all dimensions and all issues be brought to the table in order to form a collective agreement,” he said.
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