By Aluta News
Potters Gallery Initiative says it’s launching a new project to improve access to markets for artists with disabilities in Nigeria.
Donald Unanka, Creative Director of the Gallery made this known in an interview in Abuja
He said the project, “improving market access for artists with disabilities”, was to reinforce the capacities and networks of persons with disabilities.
Unanka said it was also to strengthen stakeholders’ commitment in the creative industry toward facilitating the inclusion of artists and creatives with disabilities.
“It is to promote access to national and international markets for artists and creatives with disabilities through digital platforms,” he said.
The director added that the key activities under the project included setting up boot camps in Lagos and Abuja to build the capacities of civil society organisations and creatives with disabilities.
“We will also hold a media roundtable to engage stakeholders in the industry, focus group meetings in Lagos and Abuja to deepen the engagement of key stakeholders and creatives with disabilities on policy issues.
“Publishing a policy brief on issues and strategies for the inclusion of disabled artists and creatives into the cultural and creative industry in Nigeria,’” he said.
To drive the market access project, Unanka said a mobile application that would help to showcase the creative works of persons with disabilities would be unveiled by the gallery.
“We will also conduct a communication campaign that includes daily and weekly posts on Potters Gallery social media channels as well as blogs.
“The organisation will also coordinate a stakeholders validation meeting in Abuja to present the policy brief and to launch the mobile application to the public,” he said.
The creative director further said that the project would be funded by the International Fund for Cultural Diversity, one of the key instruments of international cooperation and assistance of the UNESCO.
He noted that the objective of the fund was to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector in developing countries that are parties to the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
He added that It’s target was to strengthen capacity to create, produce, distribute and provide access to a diverse range of cultural goods and services.
It is also to contribute to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and gender equality, Unanka added.