Media Centre

A collection of narratives of African artists currently living and working in the Western Cape is one of two publications to be launched by the African Arts Institute (AFAI) at the Franschhoek Literary Festival on 14 May. The other is a Birthday Calendar featuring writers from across the African continent

Arterial Network in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and DOEN Foundation has today launched Adapting the Wheel: Cultural Policies for Africa, a generic cultural policy which aims to strengthen support for the cultural sector in Africa. Adapting the Wheel addresses the lack of strong cultural policy in many Commonwealth countries, twenty of which are in Africa. It was developed by a twelve-member Task Group, and aims to assist artists, cultural practitioners and stakeholders in Africa to develop effective policy in order to raise the standard of arts and cultural practice.

This is the latest Arterial Network brochure.

Arterial-Network, a continental network of artists, cultural activists, artistes and other arty personnel, has been officially launched in Liberia. Arterial Network-Liberia was launched in the Auditorium of the University of Liberia on Saturday, November 13, 2010, with over 100 registered members of diverse professional backgrounds in attendance.

Many African countries do not have an arts and culture policy, or have an outdated policy. To address this Adapting the Wheel: Cultural Policies for Africa, is one of four publications to be launched by Arterial Network (AN) at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe this week.

Seven Africans, including Basma El Husseiny from Egypt, Stephen Chifunyse from Zimbabwe, Youma Fall from Senegal, Francisod’Almeida from Togo, William Codjo of Benin and South Africans Avril Joffe and Mike van Graan, Secretary General of Arterial Network, have been appointed by UNESCO and the European Union to a database of 30 technical experts to provide assistance to developing countries to help them to formulate appropriate cultural policies.

The Arterial Network (AN) hosted its third and biggest ever Arts Advocacy and Networking Training Programme in Bamako, Mali, from 10 to 16 April. The five-day event was attended by 40 participants from 29 African countries with at least four countries represented for the first time. These were North Sudan, Rwanda, Algeria and Liberia.