The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will hold a workshop for the Western Cape artists at the Monwabisi Community Hall, in Langa, Cape Town on Friday, 6 December 2013 from 9h00. The purpose of the workshop is to assist members of the creative industry, including musicians, actors, composers, film producers, dancers, poets, and artists to formalise their businesses.
The workshop is part of the implementation of a resolution that was taken at the anti-piracy conference in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni in 2010, where the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Thandi Tobias-Pokolo launched the national anti-piracy campaign.
“One of the commissions at the conference and launch dealt with the need to assist artists to formalise their businesses by providing them with information on how to register their businesses, access financial and non-financial supports from various government departments and agencies, protect their intellectual property rights, as well as issues related to copyrights and collection of royalties. This is intended to assist artists to commercially use their talent, skills and knowledge as business rather than for entertainment only,” says Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo.
She adds that the ultimate objective is to ensure that the creative industry is an economically viable sector that will also contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and address some of the ills and inequalities that the creative industry players have been complaining about for some time. She says the programme is also intended to elevate the industry’s capacity to create sustainable and decent jobs.
“the dti views the South African creative industry as one of the strategic industries, which has the potential to create meaningful economic opportunities for various types of artists,” says Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo.
The South African government’s strategy to assist the creative industry is also a result of the sector meeting and consultation with the industry that President Jacob Zuma had in November 2009, as well as a subsequent meeting that Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo had with artists in April 2010.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Twitter: @the_dti
