An open letter to the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture
Honourable minister Sanet Steenkamp and deputy minister Dino Ballotti,
Congratulations on your appointments to lead this vital ministry. Your leadership brings hope for progress and transformation across the diverse sectors under your purview.
While I am confident in your ability to drive change, I must caution against repeating the oversights of previous leadership by disproportionately prioritising education and sports at the expense of arts and culture.
Namibia’s cultural sector, encompassing music, film, fashion, and other creative industries, deserves the same level of attention and investment as education and sports. While we applaud the ministry’s commitment to building new sports infrastructure and deputy minister Ballotti’s active engagement with athletes, we also want to see similar enthusiasm for cultural events.
A glance at platforms like My E-ticket will reveal a vibrant Namibian arts calendar – spaces that deserve your presence and support.
The music industry, for instance, has suffered from neglect. Namibia has not hosted the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) since 2020.
This once-prestigious event was a cornerstone for recognising and promoting local talent. Its absence has left a void that cannot be ignored. The same urgency applied to renovating stadiums should be mirrored in reviving platforms like the NAMAs. Furthermore, our creative industries need infrastructure such as a dedicated film school to nurture talent and elevate Namibia’s standing in global media and entertainment.
The fashion industry is another arts and culture genre that has shown immense potential but continues to face developmental gaps. Initiatives like the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week demonstrate the talent of young Namibian designers and their ability to celebrate cultural diversity through their craft. However, these efforts need sustained support to thrive.
Systemic change needed
While I acknowledge the government’s grants for arts and culture projects, I urge you to review their structure. As much as we appreciate these grants, they are not sustainable in their current form. Most grants are below N$150 000 – a sum that barely scratches the surface of what is needed to transform lives or build lasting creative enterprises.
What we need are million-dollar investments in arts and culture projects – investments that can create systemic change, spur innovation and position Namibia as a cultural powerhouse on the continent.
The Namibian media landscape has already demonstrated excellence with limited resources. Take, for example, the exceptional coverage of major national events by our journalists. To maintain and elevate this standard of excellence, we must prioritise skills development within the arts and media sectors.
Honourable leaders, I call on you to intervene decisively. Summon corporate stakeholders to sponsor cultural initiatives like the NAMAs. Ensure that arts and culture receive equal footing in your agenda for progress. The same way we celebrate athletes and academics, let us celebrate musicians on stages, filmmakers behind cameras, and designers on runways.
[email protected]
Congratulations on your appointments to lead this vital ministry. Your leadership brings hope for progress and transformation across the diverse sectors under your purview.
While I am confident in your ability to drive change, I must caution against repeating the oversights of previous leadership by disproportionately prioritising education and sports at the expense of arts and culture.
Namibia’s cultural sector, encompassing music, film, fashion, and other creative industries, deserves the same level of attention and investment as education and sports. While we applaud the ministry’s commitment to building new sports infrastructure and deputy minister Ballotti’s active engagement with athletes, we also want to see similar enthusiasm for cultural events.
A glance at platforms like My E-ticket will reveal a vibrant Namibian arts calendar – spaces that deserve your presence and support.
The music industry, for instance, has suffered from neglect. Namibia has not hosted the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) since 2020.
This once-prestigious event was a cornerstone for recognising and promoting local talent. Its absence has left a void that cannot be ignored. The same urgency applied to renovating stadiums should be mirrored in reviving platforms like the NAMAs. Furthermore, our creative industries need infrastructure such as a dedicated film school to nurture talent and elevate Namibia’s standing in global media and entertainment.
The fashion industry is another arts and culture genre that has shown immense potential but continues to face developmental gaps. Initiatives like the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week demonstrate the talent of young Namibian designers and their ability to celebrate cultural diversity through their craft. However, these efforts need sustained support to thrive.
Systemic change needed
While I acknowledge the government’s grants for arts and culture projects, I urge you to review their structure. As much as we appreciate these grants, they are not sustainable in their current form. Most grants are below N$150 000 – a sum that barely scratches the surface of what is needed to transform lives or build lasting creative enterprises.
What we need are million-dollar investments in arts and culture projects – investments that can create systemic change, spur innovation and position Namibia as a cultural powerhouse on the continent.
The Namibian media landscape has already demonstrated excellence with limited resources. Take, for example, the exceptional coverage of major national events by our journalists. To maintain and elevate this standard of excellence, we must prioritise skills development within the arts and media sectors.
Honourable leaders, I call on you to intervene decisively. Summon corporate stakeholders to sponsor cultural initiatives like the NAMAs. Ensure that arts and culture receive equal footing in your agenda for progress. The same way we celebrate athletes and academics, let us celebrate musicians on stages, filmmakers behind cameras, and designers on runways.
[email protected]
Comments
Tobias Ndhila
the newspaper for today.