By Andrew Magombo:
Players in the Art industry have asked government and relevant stakeholders to start prioritizing creative arts as medium for fostering communication and participation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the local masses.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday in Lilongwe, Director for Gender Lead, Sharon Nkhwanzi said art is useful tool, which transcends beyond entertainment purposes.
Nkhwanzi, an award winner of a sexual and reproductive health participatory approach programme for students, said it was high time Malawians understood SDGs through various channels of art, which informs and educates.
Nkhwazi pleaded with government to invest more in the creative industry, which only has the University of Malawi as a higher learning institution, which trains Drama, Music, Films and Visual Arts.
Academician and Theatre Practitioner, Roselyn Dzanja said there is a strong need to develop art from the grassroots just like other essential professions.
“Creative arts instill a top down approach for instance using a play to explore different ways in which you can achieve a communal goal like public finance management,” she said.
Dzanja called for policies that would enhance monetization of art as a driver for SDGs saying investing in Arts gives room to infrastructural development, employment, generating revenue, and job creation.
