News

Arterial Network envisions launch of African Festival Network

27 October 2010

At the invitation of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), Arterial Network co-hosted (with ZIFF) a two-day symposium on African festivals with a view to launching a continent-wide network of festivals and major events in all disciplines. Forty-one delegates representing more than twenty festivals including FESPACO in Burkina Faso, Harare International Festival of the Arts, the National Arts Festival of South Africa, analysed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing African festivals and events and agreed on the need for a network that would help festivals address their challenges and realise their possibilities. A Task Team comprising six members was elected to work towards recruiting other festivals and major events in dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, film and music into the network which will be launched formally by the end of 2010. The British Council – a member of Creative Coalitions (an informal alliance of 17 European agencies engaged in the African creative sector) – has indicated its desire to work as a partner of this African Festival Network. Members of the Task Team are Charity Maruta (Zimbabwe), Brenda Asio (Uganda), Lina Chaabane (Tunisia), Jean-Michel Kobushi (DRC), Martin Mhando (Zanzibar) and Ardiouma Soma (Burkina Faso). Arterial Network’s secretariat will provide logistical and strategic support to the Task Team. To become part of this network, write to info@arterialnetwork.org, with the details of your festival . [http://www.arterialnetwork.org/]Find out more at the Arterial Network website.