OS8: The socio-economic empowerment of Zimbabwean cultural actors has been durably reinforced

The overall program in Zimbabwe is focused on the empowerment and professionalization of partners in order to enhance the supply of and access to quality Zimbabwean cultural products and services. In this way, cultural actors participate in social, economic, and political innovation & creativity, and contribute to sustainable growth on a humane scale based on the knowledge economy. In addition, culture contributes to advancing gender equality, with a particular consideration for the youth. By providing access to culture for all, it helps to limit the talent drain and promote local consumption. The empowerment approach is based on 6 result areas: (1) A political dimension where Africalia will strengthen the mediation and advocacy capacities of partners by equipping them with appropriate tools and skills and by encouraging coalitions. (2) A dimension focused on the individual and collective governance of cultural actors, i.e. to improve the managerial capacities of partner organisations and to encourage networking and corporate groupings of actors. (3) A dimension focusing on training capacities or a need for quantitative and qualitative reinforcement in terms of pedagogical content and certification. (4) A dimension related to improving the quality of the works produced and increasing the volume of production. This will involve adopting a common vision of the criteria defining ‘quality’. (5) A dimension focusing on improving the dissemination capacities of partners. (6) The 6th and last dimension aims to strengthen the partners' capacities in terms of economic viability through marketing and diversification of funding. The socio-economic empowerment of Zimbabwean cultural actors (artists, entrepreneurs, operators, associations, collectives, umbrella organizations, networks) has been durably reinforced.