By Levison Lester

Lilongwe, February 12, Mana: The Malawi Government, through the Department of Arts, has secured sponsorship from the UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for the establishment of the Malawi National Arts and Heritage Promotion Fund.

Briefing the media on Monday in Lilongwe, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Unity and Culture, Owen Chomanika, said Malawi is among other seven countries that have secured the sponsorship from UNESCO.

Chomanika said the funding is of great importance, saying once the National Heritage and Arts Council is established, there will be a robust promotion of cultural diversity, adding artists will be able to enjoy their artistic rights.

He said: “The sponsorship which Malawi Government, through the Department of Arts, has secured from UNESCO is in form of technical assistance for the development of regulations that will help in the establishment and operationalization of Malawi National Heritage Promotion Fund. This offer comes with a complementary budget of US$30,000.

“The fund will also support Malawi 2063 which calls for the policy intervention within arts and culture as one of the centres to grow the economy through income generation among artists in communities where arts and culture thrive.”

In his remarks, senior assistant executive secretary at the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO, Christopher Magomero, said Aschberg programme will help Malawi in the development of regulations that will support already existing policies, thereby promoting the cultural industry.

 “UNESCO wishes to see through this support the development of regulations that will support existing policies, cultural policies and regulations that will ensure that there will be funds within the context of National Arts and Heritage Council.

“We would also like to see regulations that will be able to promote artistic freedom and promotion of artists and their works in Malawi,” said Magomero.

Speaking earlier, Director of Arts from the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Humphrey Mpondaminga, hailed UNESCO for the sponsorship, saying this is a big milestone in creativity flourishment in the cultural industry.