Arts Education for Social Transformation
NEPAD Agency CEO Dr Ibrahim Mayaki has underscored the critical linkages between Arts Education and Africa’s social transformation. Dr Mayaki spoke yesterday during the opening of the 1st NEPAD Regional Conference on Arts Education in Africa in Johannesburg.
Under the theme ‘’Advocacy for Arts Education in Africa’’, the NEPAD Agency in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), is hosting the 1st NEPAD Regional Conference on Arts Education in Africa for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region. It is regarded as an inaugural platform for African Union member States to consolidate an African Position on Arts Education that will be replicated in the other Regional Economic Communities (REC’s).
According to Mrs Rejoice Mabudafhasi (above), South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, the conference will ‘’contribute to jobs creation especially for youth by bringing together regions to deliberate on the formalisation of arts education in education systems in the continent and will ultimately increase demand and consumption of cultural goods and services.’’
Professor Mzobz Mboya, NEPAD Education Advisor says the main focus will be to ‘’address the imperative of peace and stability, human rights, self-reliance, social justice, gender equality, creative and innovative skills and cultural identity.’’
The objective is to develop an advocacy and policy framework for the SADC region in order to strengthen and harmonise Arts Education and Training Policies, as a strategic intervention and contribution in regional integration, social cohesion and sustainable development in the continent.
The 1st NEPAD Regional Conference on Arts Education is critical as the SADC region begins the process of defining a common African position on Arts Education in line with the outcome of the 2nd UNESCO World Seoul Conference on Art Education held in 2010, as well as other frameworks such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The three-day Conference ending on March 13 is supported by the Department of Basic Education- Republic of South Africa, National Arts Council of South Africa, Goethe-Institut, Pro Helvetia, University of Witwatersrand and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).