Question NW303 to the Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture
08 March 2023 - NW303
Luthuli, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture
(a). How does his department intend to ensure the protection of artists, considering that they have been left out of most national addresses which speak to their marginalisation, and (b). What efforts will the departments make to ensure that artists are protected seeing that a policy that provides such protection is currently non-existent NW317E
Reply:
(a). The Department does not determine but contributes to what the President conveys to the public through his national addresses. My department’s interpretation is that the President has expressed himself on the plight of the creative sector through his national interventionary programs such as Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP). This has a significant budgetary contribution, deliberately and specifically for the retention, creation of jobs, inclusion, and access.
(b). The Department has an approved White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage whose core objective is to protect the interest of all practitioners in the sector. To further solidify that, the Department has developed and is processing the following specific policy instruments to regulate and protect the sector:
b.1 Masterplan on Cultural and Creative Industries- Approved
b.2. Copyright Amendment Bill- At Select Committee level.
b.3. Performers Protection Amendment Bill- At Select Committee level.
b.4. Theatre and Dance Policy- en route to the Clusters
b.5. Design Policy -Sector consultations
b.6. National Book Policy-Sector consultations
Additionally, the department: (1) has a strategy that assists creatives financially (MGE) (2) has developed an intervention programme to assist artists with their psycho-social well-being (Silapha Wellness Programme) (3) has an initiative that takes into consideration artists living with disabilities (We Can Arts Festival).