Strengthening the Creative Industries in Zambia - Unctad

56 PART 4.SECTOR SPECIFIC-OVERVIEW
Action: The mobility of talented artists should be encouraged, through travel to international art
biennales, particularly those in the cities of developing countries, such as Cairo, Dakar and Havana.
Contacts with promoters of international auctions and fairs could also be fruitful.
Action: Assist the Visual Arts Council in creating an internet art gallery. Provide capacity-building in
terms of managerial and entrepreneurial skills for the Visual Arts Council, which would transfer these
skills to groups of artists – at least two sessions a year, based on the ILO model. Visual artists should
also learn the fundamentals of intellectual property rights, in order to protect their works from illegal
reproduction.
Action: Encourage tax exemptions for materials and supplies used in the visual arts sector
Figure 14. Paintings by Zambian artists
Henry Tayali
William Miko
There are a number of private art galleries already established
throughout the country. These range from galleries run privately by
locally established entrepreneurs who invest in art, to smaller galleries
owned and run by individuals. The Henry Tayali 118 gallery is a local
venue and meeting point for many artists, as well as being the
headquarters of the Visual Arts Council. It has received crucial support
for its activities from NORAD.
An interesting project has been initiated by William Miko, a local
artist who also works as a curator, in conjunction with the Hotel
Intercontinental. Miko rents part of the lobby at the hotel, and exhibits
works by local artists. This is an optimal way of promoting Zambian
art, on account of the international visitors who pass through the
hotel. It is also through this kind of visibility that international
investors can be found. Miko has also undertaken a project in
cooperation with local corporations, to facilitate the exhibit of local
Zambian art in their office buildings.
4.5.2 Art crafts
Art crafts are the only sector of the creative industries where developing countries have a strong
participation in world markets. Exports from developing countries increased from $9.2 billion in 2002
to $20.7 billion in 2008 119 . This is not a negligible market, but regrettably, it is usually disregarded and
disconnected from public policies. Art crafts are not only vectors for jobs and export earnings, but also
a tool for poverty reduction, the transfer of community-based skills, and cultural diversity. 120
118
Henry Tayali played a very influential role in the cultural and artistic development of Zambia.
119
Creative Economy Report 2010: The Creative Economy: A feasible development option. UNCTAD and
UNDP, 2010.
120
See: Creative Economy Report 2008: 114–117.