16 Apr 2023

 Advisor to the Okayama Arts and Culture Associates in Tokyo, Japan Mikio Sugiura has emphasised the importance of a National Arts Council in any country.

Speaking recently at Thapong Visual Arts Centre, Sugiura said art management provided for better welfare of artists, international cultural exchanges and contribution to tourism.

Touching on the role of the arts council, Sugiura He said such a body was important for connecting people through art and cultural activities. 

“The roles of a national arts council includes support for artists financially, talent and audience development,” he noted.

An advocate for artists with disabilities, Sugiura also noted that through the arts council, unlimited support for activities of artists with disabilities could be achieved. 

He said cultural and artistic initiatives, social, educational and economic development were some of the changes that could come with the existence of the arts council.

“This was a fruitful talk, we need these conversations to continue developing the arts and other think tanks in Botswana,” said Reginald Bakwena of Thapong Arts Centre. 

Bakwena said Botswana needed to train more people in art management in order to manage the creative industry.

He also emphasised the importance of interacting with other countries to share skills and knowledge. 

“We need to exchange with other countries, to learn from them as well as share our rich and diverse culture with them,” he said.

Tumelo Bogatsu, Art Case Gallery director, also applauded the initiative, saying the conversation was a good foundation for art industry practitioners to understand the creative system. 

Learning from the conversation that an art manager is a bridge between the artists being capacitated to execute high value work, Bogatsu challenged the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) to engage with art managers and creative administrators.

“The National Arts Council of Botswana should start from strategic level to develop projects and programmes for the art industry that are empathetic, practical, robust, decentralised and socially impactful,” Bogatsu stated.

Sugiura is a graduate of Tokyo University of Arts and holds a Master’s Degree from Graduate School of Creative Cities, Osaka City University. 

He established the Okinawa Arts Council in 2012 and became its programme director before establishing regional Arts Councils in Nigigata City and Miyazaki Prefecture. 

He is currently a part time lecturer at Gunma Prefectural Women’s University and Jissen Women’s University. ENDS