Hmmm! I'm really lazy.
No wonder am founder/director of Lazyism, a movement that intellectualizes minimal work by putting
thought into doing nothing... but that's a story for another day.
I haven't published for 5... Maybe 6 months. Been doing some reading and
mercenary writing in between lazying about... long story.
But now am back!
March 4th heralded a (not so)
new chapter in the Kenyan history. Elections.
Whether transparent, free and fair is beyond point. My preferred candidate
didn't win but oddly enough the winner's manifesto had something about the
industry I jaywalk in.
As a not-so-young artist, I've
been practicing professionally during the two previous governments’ tenure and
coupled with a culture ministry that doesn't comprehend my visual art practice,
I've never heard any ‘senior’ government
official utter any word that is remotely connected to the contemporary visual
arts practice in Kenya.
On numerous occasions, I've angrily listened to government
representatives and technocrats go about their rhetoric when reading written-for-them speeches while not at
all believing or even understanding what they are bubbling about. I must admit
I had personally lost hope of any serious
government involvement in the visual arts...
Until the Jubilee Coalition came to the scene!
Forget the solar powered laptops... and the world class stadia. Someone seems to have done their research. It
may not be comprehensive but it’s the thought
that counts. Am either bloody optimistic
or naively believing a white lie just like a good girl swallowing hook, line
and sinker serious bulls**t from a good-for-nothing common thug.
Extracts from the Jubilee Manifesto:
“… Our
collective love of sport and the arts is one of the strongest factors that
unite us. At home our culture is vibrant and thriving. However, successive
governments have too often neglected sports and creative industries. As a
result, the potential in these sectors has not been accorded a chance to
improve our quality of life or boost our economy. While we have some of the best
creative talent in Africa, our copyright laws and production systems seem
skewed against them.
We will
take measures to ensure that they are able to flourish and contribute to our
economic growth and general well-being as a nation.
We will pursue
tax incentives for individual and private sector investing in Sports, Arts &
Entertainment sectors. We shall establish a series of ‘creative industry hubs’
with full infrastructure facilities such as high-speed internet facilities and
design studios as low-cost incubators for new creative industry offshoots and
artists. Fund cultural and sporting projects and facilities and increase
support for the Kenya Film Commission…”
It’s quite
ambitious me thinks. And if they really are serious, they need all hands on
deck!
Now the ball is in the important
peoples' court. The cultural managers, Curators running public spaces, lecturers
of public universities, writers with influential platforms, senior artists-those
with presidential honors and awards. Those
(that work in the industry) with important titles, those whose signatures on
letterheaded emperor paper can get you an American visa (no pun intended).
Maybe it's time to disregard all those bottlenecks that previous governments
have used and start all over again. Maybe it's time to set up that task force.
It could be a time to lobby!
It is now up to us to keep them in check. To demand what they have
promised. And if they’re clueless, it’s for us to help them achieve that dream.
People listen to (very) important
persons, Doors are opened to people with titles.
Maybe this year is the year. I got hope. Don't care whether it's false but I
got it. What's more? I saw paintings in the president's house when he was getting
his security briefing.
If this government just tries to implement the creative clause, it won't
matter who I voted for. All that will count will be that they will have kept
their word and that will be a massive shot in the arm of the visual arts.
I hope that one day in 2013 we shall witness the formation of a
very professional Kenya National Arts Council
and we shall attend an exhibition opening at our highly reputable National Art Gallery with our president Uhuru Kenyatta in
attendance as Patron of the arts.
But kama tulidanganywa, pia ni sawa tu. Sasa tungoje!
...what you and the government can do together.
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