By Natasha Boyer
In keeping with regional developments, Zimbabwe does not have a separate ministry for arts and culture nor has the nation linked the arts to national development, despite the rhetoric of NDS1, which held the promise of a committed government dedicated to developing the arts for the first time in the country’s history.
The economic synergies intrinsic in the arts for socio-economic development are innumerable and yet are by their very nature, an exclusive niche – reserved for the gifted, inventive and creative human resources of a nation.
The creation of a separate ministry of arts, including culture and heritage, would be an unprecedented effort by government to address the long-neglected challenges in the arts sector. A ministry of arts and culture would be uniquely positioned to create, preserve and promote the rich and diverse arts and cultural heritage of Zimbabwe.
Since the attainment of independence in 1980, with the exception of Shona stone sculpture, a inherent traditional skill from MaDzimbahwe, lack of government funding and poor administration in the arts, coupled with lackluster financial backing from the private sector and corporate institutions have crippled the visual arts of this country, which were once hailed as the flagship of Zimbabwe.
According to Dr. Tony Monda co-director of Springstone Art Gallery – “The insights derived from art into the rich culture and traditions of Zimbabwe’s people should not be underestimated.
Zimbabwean arts play an important role in interpreting social realities and form a contemporary cultural memory bank for further study and appreciation. The all-embracing pantheon of Zimbabwean sculpture for instance, is of considerable value in that it sheds new light on a broad range of socio-cultural issues and challenges, both old and new”.
Zimbabwean contemporary arts thrived in the 1960s and1970s and even throughout the years of unilateral declaration of Independence (UDI), declared by the separatist Rhodesian Front government of Ian Smith and the ensuing UN sanctions imposed on the country from 1965 to 1979.
This, notwithstanding that the National Gallery of Zimbabwe never had an indigenous Zimbabwean African director at its helm until the mid-1990s.
A host of other restrictions were in force during this socially and economic restrictive period; including socio-political unrest and economic austerities in the country witnessed during the war years prior to independence, which resulted in the severance of all diplomatic links and the withdrawal of international organizations.
Some of the best artworks produced in pre-independent Zimbabwe, especially Shona stone sculpture, evidence the resilience of the arts and the profundity of meaning in the works of art produced under duress, in trying or restrictive socio-political times during political conflicts, such as during the 14 years of civil war.
“Only a robust, stand-alone ministry for the arts administered and manned by far-sighted and practical arts administrators and arts practitioners will develop the creative industry on a national, regional and international level to yield the much-needed opportunities for national development and economic growth”, says Monda.
As early as 1995, as co-director and curator at Springstone International Art Gallery on 5 Idlehurst Way in Avondale, Monda was invited to the seminal Africa ‘95 Art Critics Conference at the Courthauld Institute, London. Pan-African artists and art critics from North to South Africa, all advocated for the development of separate ministries to govern the arts in their respective countries. Together, they advocated for the de-colonisation of arts administration, improved art education, more national funding for the arts and the development of post-colonial contemporary arts for their nations.
With this in mind, the Avondale-based Springstone International Art Gallery was at the forefront of art education, development and promotion, especially for underprivileged artists and scholars in Zimbabwe prior to 2000, notwithstanding the economic difficulties being experienced. The down turn in artistic activities that followed was linked to the collapse of the economy following the land reform exercise and the resultant lack of tourism – the major source of patronage.
International organizations and diplomatic links were tenuous at this time, and foreign engagements and funding were reduced. Europe and the United States imposed sanctions which have been in force since 2008; yet somewhat Springstone International Art Gallery withstood these socio- economic tides and prospered.
Monda of Springstone worked closely with various African government agencies and diplomatic missions on Arts related issues including curriculum development, curatorship, public art, intellectual property and socio-economic development, especially for underprivileged artists, school children and women Currently, Africa is posting the fastest economic growth of all the continents. New wealth leads to demand for luxury goods including art; and African art is currently soaring in value, sought by collectors not only from abroad, but also in countries from South Africa to Nigeria.
“Most of the countries in the southern African region have worked to develop an independent and pro-active arts and cultural sector to create a practical and sustainable platform for more inclusive job creation, more equitable national development and better international relations through the arts”, notes Monda
Where is Zimbabwe in this matrix?
As complex as it might sound, a stand alone Ministry of Arts and Culture is of great importance to better coordinate the activities related to the documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement and transmission of the intangible and tangible arts and cultural heritage of the nation for national development and for future generations.
It is incumbent however, for an autonomous ministry for the arts to have the support and input of all appropriate government ministries, departments and other government agencies as well as from the private sector to succeed.
“One of the most distinctive features of Zimbabwean art is its appeal to both African and Western ideals of art. Hence its universal appeal. Further, our art has been known to provide qualitative solutions to socio-cultural problems that are creative, innovative, empathetic, ecologically grounded and socially responsible”, according to Springstone Art Gallery’s curator.
Whilst the past decades have strained the prospects of Zimbabwe’s visual art and its purveyors, including Springstone International Art Gallery, due to the ailing and often volatile economic landscape, the authentic cultural expressions articulated in Zimbabwe’s art have lasting aesthetic, cultural and economic value and attest to Zimbabwe’s rich cultural heritage.
Further, the arts of Zimbabwe’s have a tried and tested capacity to create wealth and employment as well as attract foreign interests and tourism is well known and should not be taken for granted or stymied, but should be encouraged and developed by an appropriate ministry of art mandated to educate, encourage, promote, protect the arts and their patronage, welfare and continuity of the nation’s culture and heritage.
Whilst globalization today allows artists to reach out to vast international audiences and shape their own future. The establishment of a separate ministry for art will facilitate such development and create incentives for the creative industry to flourish in tandem with a number of interrelated industries, thus promoting a rush of dealers to purchase contemporary Zimbabwean works of Art.
Only then can Zimbabwe once again be the destination of choice for art collectors, cultural scholars, anthropologists, corporate business collectors, gallerists, art enthusiasts and cultural tourists for the economic development and benefit of the nation.
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