South Africa’s creative industry was one of the hardest hit sectors by the coronavirus pandemic over the last two years.
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In a bid to aid the sector, a partnership between the Funda Community Centre and the city of Joburg held its first Soweto Arts Economy Revival workshop in Diepkloof.
The three day workshop attended by creative arts practitioners, policy makers and, industry representatives aimed to explore solutions for local arts economic recovery, and encourage Soweto’s participation in the economic development of the city.
City of Joburg Arts, Culture and Heritage directorate, Nondumiso Radebe said, “What we have been doing with Funda Center for the past six months is planning some arts, culture and heritage programmes.
“The City of Joburg is trying to revive the arts particularly in Soweto.
“We thought lets assess what their needs are in terms of trying to revive the arts economy and arts in general.
“When we spoke, we had collaboration with the director and he highlighted a few areas part of which this workshop is trying to address.”
Motsumi Makhene, Executive Director of Funda center said it intends to leverage the workshop to map out its creative industry opportunities in their bid to revive the centre.
”We are looking at Funda developing its curriculum around the whole arts industry including multimedia and film and also the electronics and energy space.
“In order to provide a curriculum that responds to the needs of Soweto, we want to understand the creative industry in Soweto,” said Makhene.
According to a report by the University of Johannesburg most of Johannesburg’s creative industries are located in the two affluent communities of Randburg and Sandton and a far less number in South West.
Makhene said the biggest contributor to challenges faced by the creative industries in the township was the lack of investment by the private sector.
“This is a neglected economy of the township,” he told attendees.
“This study shows the amount of investment that the private sector puts in, it shows the dominance of white capital.
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“This shows that even JHB Central cannot compete with Randburg and Sandton. We are an ironic and historical place globally, but have little to show, our tourism is none existent.
It only starts and ends at Vilakazi Street in Orlando West and yet we could be creating from Bara right up to Jabulani, a whole corridor of cultural and creative industries.”
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