The Namibian Society of Composer and Authors of Music (Nascam) has called on the government to include the arts and creative industry on those who will benefit from the stimulus package announced last week.
This, according to Nascam chief executive officer John Max, will help creatives who are hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic as its no longer business as usual for them.
“I would also like to appeal to authorities that deal with cultural and intellectual properties protection to avail grants to the creative industry and assist with their basic needs. Through this the government will have a national statistic on the creative industry and its needs,” he said.
Max also asked applications developers to consider the development of an online site that displays visual arts designs, paints and crafts as a means of generating income for creatives.
“There is a need for a site where one can log on and view beautiful visual arts. Most people love seeing visual arts works, ornaments, arts-statutes and different types of designer sceneries. I, therefore, encourage creators to do that as it contributes to the creative industry,” he said.
Acknowledging the drastic effects on songwriters and composers Max says that artists can only stay afloat if radio stations level up the usage of local music.
“Musicians are hit hard by this situation as they mostly make a living out of live performances which are currently on hold. Streaming services may also help them generate income but I strongly encourage broadcasters to continue using local music and pay their copyright music license to Nascam for Namibian artists to benefit from royalties,” he said.
Last week local artist Venaune Kandukira famously known as Big Ben made a similar request to local radio stations and the public to place a priority on local music and entertainment content.
“Help feed your own creatives, play local music,” called Kandukira.
Photo: contributed
