Gauteng takes Conversation with Creative Industries to the public through live radio
Creative industry plays significant role in South Africa’s economy and social order. It continues to play a significant role in the formation of South Africa’s national identity, archiving key moments in the country’s history and offering critical imaginaries for the future.
Amid the latest public debate on the state of the country creative industry, the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in collaboration with Power FM radio, will host a live studio conversation on the ‘State of Creative Industry’ in the province.
The 2-hour live broadcast will be held on Tuesday the 15th October 2019, and it seeks to confront the challenges that the industry is facing. The live conversation will start at 10:00am to 12pm on Power Talk hosted by Aldrin Sampear.
The live conversation will follow a panel discussion format with role players including artists, media owners, production houses, government participating and listeners will also participate through call-ins.
There is no doubt that such a ‘meeting of the minds’ is necessary for the development of the creative industry, not only as a consumable product, but also discuss the challenges, which reflects the industry struggles, challenges and aspirations.
Says Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mbali Hlophe: “The latest development and narrative presents a momentous opportunity for all role players to work towards common goal in uniting, transforming and developing the sector. We need to progressively arrive at a point where we now respond and intervene to questions including why artists die poor among others”.
Since her appointment, MEC Hlophe has been engaging the industry to find ways to work together and according to her, there’s a need to address the lack of unity across the sectors as it affects the development of the sector.
Gauteng government has placed the creative industry at the heart of the growth and development of the province.
Speaking during her maiden budget vote speech earlier this year, MEC Hlophe said: “As the Gauteng Government, we are committed to ensuring we create conducive conditions that allow cultural environments and creative industries’ disposition to breed economic prosperity”.
According to a 2014 mapping of the sector, South Africa’s creative economy contributes in the region of 2.9 percent (R90.5 bn) of GDP, exceeding agriculture for example, and at the time had created between 162,809 and 192,410 jobs according to Snowball, 2016 report. And in 2014, for example, 22 percent of employees in South Africa’s creative sector were said to be younger than 18 years, 18 percent between 19 and 24, and 19 percent between 25 and 30.
This would mean that 60 percent of those working in arts and culture were younger than 34 (Snowball, 2016).
The media is invited to the live conversation as follows:
Date: 15 October 2019
Venue: Power FM House, Houghton; 79 Central Street
Time: 9h30 for 10h00
Enquiries:
Thabo Sephuma: MEC’s spokesperson
E-mail: Thabo.Sephuma@gauteng.gov.za
Cell: 066 299 1139
Tel: 011 355 2789
Nomazwe Ntlokwana: Departmental spokesperson
E-mail: nomazwe.ntlokwana@gauteng.gov,za
Cell: 083 507 8068
Tel: 011 355 2578
