08 Jul 2018

Efforts by government to encourage government institutions to acquire artworks and craft items produced by Batswana visual artists to adorn offices and public spaces have helped to improve sales of artworks by Batswana thereby improving livelihoods of individual artists.

Officially opening the 2018 President’s Day Competitions; national art, basket and craft exhibition at the National Gallery, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) CEO, Keletsositse Olebile, noted that in 2008 government emphasized the need for government institutions to acquire artworks and craft items produced by Batswana visual artists.

In 2015, he said government further extended efforts for the procurement of arts and culture products and services by ministries and independent departments by establishing a fund through the Presidential Directive CAB 1 (B) 2015 Oversight of the Proposed Budget Provision to Support Local Culture, Arts and Crafts.

“Therefore artists are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

Olebile said BITC as an entity and through Brand Botswana, was a partner in marketing and promotion of the arts.

He said they were also engaged in the drive towards development of the arts as part of the diversification of the country’s economy through the creative sector. 

“The creative industry plays a vital role in the physical and emotional make up of a country. Arts and culture activities must underpin the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD),” said Olebile.

He noted that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development in collaboration with Companies and Intellectual Property Authority and Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry were developing a creative industries strategy that would provide guidance in structure, development and growth of the creative industry in Botswana.

He said the strategy would also assist in coming with tools to quantify the contribution of the arts sector to the Gross Domestic Product.

Olebile further said Brand Botswana had been given a robust mandate of promoting the country and as part of this promotion, it was impossible to position the country favourably without talking about our arts.

He said the arts were an engine of growth and the soul of a nation. 

“By that, we mean that images and stories of important aspects of life that are held in high esteem in any nation can easily become the way a nation is defined or branded.

Besides the economic and financial spinoffs that are also huge, the practice of the visual arts has throughout the world invoked self-employment,” he said. He said BITC was currently working very closely with Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development and plans were at an advanced stage to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Key to this MoU, Olebile said was the ongoing response strategy to the Africa Growth Opportunities Act, which has since been extended to arts and crafts.

“To this end, BITC and MYSC are working together to develop the sector such that Botswana meets requirements of the act.

There are plans to capacitate the artists (basket weavers), help them with quality control issues as well as assist them with marketing of their products,” he said.

Meanwhile, the competition had over 10 categories which included jewellery, beadwork, tapestry, closed basket, open basket, sculpture, textile, printing making, leather work, drawing, painting, ceramic, woodcarving, photography and graphics design among others.

Some of the winners of their respective categories included Botlhe Bailelwang (jewellery), Jacqueline Moremi (beadwork), Lesego Rushwaga (tapestry), Nomba Makushe (closed basket), Ngande Seore (open basket), Keitshokile Lebogang sculpture), Tumelo Malwetse textile), Ntetsang Kgojane printing making), Botha Dinah leatherwork), Ndlovu Mathews drawing) and Slyvester Koweno (painting). ENDS