This month, from the 20 -29 July 2015, AFAI will be bringing together 23 African Cultural Entrepreneurs to Cape Town for a 10 day business programme.

Talented “artrepreneur” performers, publishers, designers, musicians, activists, filmmakers, DJs and visual artists hailing from 14 African countries will share their local experiences as entrepreneurs in the creative and cultural field in their countries and explore what it means to be a “cultural” entrepreneur within the landscape of social innovation.

This unique gathering of entrepreneurs forms part of AFAI’s “African Cultural Leadership Programme” which is entering into its 4th year. Supported by the European Union, the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and Goethe Institute, together with partners in all 4 regions of the continent, the programme has already graduated 178 trainees from over 40 African countries. The growing alumni network of creative leaders and inspiring visionaries from this programme forms a vital lifeline for the protection, promotion, enhancement and sustainability of the continent’s creative assets and resources.

Working with local partners – CCDI

Part of the ethos of the programme is to partner with local players where possible in order to build local capacities, and this year we are pleased to be partnering with the Cape Craft and Design Institute who will be providing the venue as well as co-facilitating the workshop with AFAI.

Cultural Entrepreneurship – the next hot topic? – Diarise Tuesday, 28 July 2015

For one night only, AFAI will be hosting a free public debate and performance on Tuesday 28 July at the District Six Museum’s Homecoming Centre (15 Buitenkant Street) at 17:30 – 21:00. Panellists drawn from the entrepreneur group will tackle this complex field of entrepreneurship opening up to the floor for rigorous debate and ending with an experimental performative event designed by the group.

RSVP is essential latest by Mon 27 July: [email protected]. Light snacks will be served.

The EU-supported African Cultural Leadership Programme lays the basis for five regional training hubs for Cultural Leadership, Train-the-Trainer and Entrepreneurship programmes including a professional placement programme. These hubs have been established by AFAI in Southern Africa, and by project partners Racines in Morocco, serving North Africa; by Groupe 30 Afrique in Senegal, serving West Africa; by Doual’art in Cameroon, serving Central Africa and by The GoDown Arts Centre in Kenya, serving East Africa. Other important partners include Arterial Network, Goethe Institut and National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund of South Africa.

The programme’s ultimate goal is to advance the cultural dimension of development and cultural diversity in Africa through improved cultural governance. The Institute proposes to capacitate skilled leadership effectively to formulate and implement policies and strategies, and effectively to manage civil society organisations and public institutions.

The programme targets young leading arts professionals, government officials responsible for culture, especially those responsible for implementing cultural policy drawn from the membership of Arterial Network – a pan-African arts and culture advocacy body with membership in over 40 African countries.