Value of Culture Uganda, 2011

From 4 to 14 of April, 2011, CREARE Foundation, together with  Bayimba Cultural Foundation run the Value of Culture course in Jinja, Uganda. The course aimed at developing participants’ understanding of economics as it applies to the world of art and culture, with a special focus on Africa.

It introduced critical questions about the concepts of culture, value, valuation of the arts, the creative economy, and the special role that the arts have in contemporary economies. A particular emphasis was devoted to those aspects of culture and cultural policy in Africa.

The faculty involved academicians and professionals from various countries in Europe, India and Africa in order to provide participants with direct experiences and examples that present similarities with their daily practice. 

Participants to the course are all already active in the cultural sector in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. Their contribution to the course with their own experience, struggles and success was invaluable, making it more interesting and challenging. They brought in the course their own cultural skills and sensitivity enriching it further.

The differences that characterize the African cultural sector makes it a very interesting field of study and, at the same time, show how, potentially, it is a field open to changes, experiments and innovation. We also feel we learn a lot from the course. It was a very special edition. The location, the people involved, the issues raised led to a continuous exchange of ideas, experiences, and thoughts. We hope to have the chance to repeat and, possibly, extend this experience: it was great!

It was interesting also because we had the chance to be there at a time when a crucial debate is taking place about the destiny of the Ugandan National Museum. It is the only museum displaying items and artifacts representing the culture of Uganda. It has become a concrete example of the way cultural and economics values, sometimes, struggle if the right balance between the two is not acknowledged. Here you can read more about this case.