CHINGOLA ARTISTS SPEAK, GOVERNMENT LISTENS: COPPERBELT CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT BUILDS MOMENTUM

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and National Arts Council engage Chingola and Chililabombwe creatives as Copperbelt working visit continues to Kitwe

The ongoing Copperbelt arts engagement has continued to build momentum following a highly interactive and meaningful meeting between artists, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and the National Arts Council of Zambia in Chingola yesterday.

The engagement brought together artists from Chingola, Chililabombwe and surrounding areas, providing an important platform for creatives to speak directly with national leadership about the realities of working within the arts and creative sector on the Copperbelt.

Rather than being simply a meeting where officials addressed artists, the engagement developed into an open conversation in which practitioners were able to raise concerns, seek clarification, share their experiences and discuss some of the challenges affecting the growth of their respective creative disciplines.

The delegation from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and the National Arts Council, in turn, used the opportunity to explain ongoing Government programmes, interventions and developments being put in place for artists and the broader creative sector.

A PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS TO SPEAK AND LEADERSHIP TO LISTEN

One of the strongest aspects of the Chingola engagement was the opportunity for artists themselves to participate in the conversation.

The creative sector can only develop effectively when those working within it have opportunities to communicate directly with the institutions responsible for policy, regulation, development and support. The Chingola meeting created that space.

Artists openly expressed their concerns and aspirations, while the visiting leadership provided information on the direction being taken by Government and the opportunities that are being developed for the sector.

The discussions demonstrated the importance of taking national institutions closer to the people they serve. For artists, particularly those operating outside Lusaka, direct access to decision makers can help close information gaps and provide a clearer understanding of programmes that may otherwise appear distant from their everyday realities.

It was equally important for Government and the National Arts Council to hear directly from practitioners on the Copperbelt, because policies and programmes are strengthened when they are informed by the experiences of the people working on the ground.

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES AND THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS

The engagement also provided an opportunity for the delegation to highlight some of the measures Government is putting in place for artists and the wider creative sector.

The message emerging from the discussions was that the future of the creative sector should extend beyond occasional activities and short term interventions. Artists need an environment in which creativity can develop into sustainable careers, enterprises and employment opportunities.

For many practitioners, understanding what Government is putting in place is just as important as the programmes themselves. Artists need information about opportunities, institutional structures and the direction in which the sector is moving if they are to position themselves to participate effectively.

The Chingola engagement therefore became an important bridge between policy and practice.

It allowed artists to ask questions directly while giving the Ministry and the National Arts Council an opportunity to explain the work being undertaken and the possibilities ahead.

TAKING THE CREATIVE CONVERSATION TO THE CORPORATE SECTOR

The working visit in Chingola also extended beyond the artists themselves, with the delegation engaging key corporate stakeholders operating within the area.

This is an important part of the broader conversation about developing the Copperbelt creative economy.

The Copperbelt is home to some of Zambia's major corporate institutions, particularly within mining and related industries. At the same time, it has a large community of musicians, filmmakers, actors, theatre practitioners, photographers, designers, content creators and other creative professionals.

Strengthening the relationship between these two communities can unlock new possibilities.

Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, can play a meaningful role in supporting artistic infrastructure, festivals, training programmes, community arts initiatives and talent development. However, collaboration between the corporate sector and creatives can also go beyond CSR.

Creative practitioners are businesses and professional service providers in their own right. Companies require advertising, photography, film production, documentaries, graphic design, digital communication, entertainment, event production and many other services that can be provided by the local creative economy.

Building stronger relationships between artists and the corporate sector therefore creates an opportunity for a partnership that can benefit both sides.

NAMA WELCOMES THE ENGAGEMENT

At the conclusion of the engagement, National Association of Media Arts, NAMA, President Morgan Mbulo delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of the creative community, acknowledging the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and the National Arts Council for taking time to engage artists directly.

The appreciation also extended to the artists who participated and openly contributed to the discussions.

The success of engagements such as these ultimately depends on participation. Artists must not only ask for opportunities to be heard, but must also make use of those opportunities when they are created.

The Chingola meeting demonstrated what can happen when practitioners, Government institutions and sector leadership sit in the same room and engage openly about both the challenges and possibilities facing the creative sector.

FROM CHINGOLA TO KITWE, THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES

Following the Chingola engagement, attention now turns to Kitwe, where the Copperbelt arts engagement continues today.

Artists from Kitwe, Ndola, Luanshya, Kalulushi and surrounding areas are encouraged to participate and take advantage of the opportunity to interact directly with the visiting leadership.

The Kitwe engagement provides another important opportunity for creatives to listen, ask questions, raise concerns, understand Government programmes and contribute their own ideas about the future of the sector.

This should not be viewed merely as another meeting on the calendar.

It is an opportunity for artists to become part of the conversation about the environment in which they work and the future they want to build.

REVITALISING THE COPPERBELT CREATIVE SECTOR

The wider significance of these engagements lies in the opportunity to begin reconnecting the different pieces of the Copperbelt creative ecosystem.

The province has historically been one of Zambia's most important centres of music, theatre, broadcasting, film and popular culture. That history provides a strong foundation, but the future of the sector will depend on what is built today.

Revitalising the Copperbelt creative sector will require artists, Government, arts institutions, associations and the corporate community to work together.

It will require stronger creative infrastructure, more professional development, greater access to markets, better information sharing, stronger creative enterprises and meaningful partnerships with the corporate sector.

Most importantly, it will require artists themselves to participate.

The engagements in Chingola and Kitwe therefore represent more than individual meetings. They are part of a broader conversation about rebuilding confidence, strengthening relationships and creating an environment in which the Copperbelt's creative community can once again flourish.

The Chingola engagement has demonstrated that artists are ready to speak, ask questions and contribute.

National leadership has also demonstrated the importance of coming closer to practitioners, listening to their concerns and explaining the programmes and opportunities being developed for the sector.

The task now is to keep that conversation moving and translate engagement into stronger relationships, greater participation and tangible progress.

Today, the conversation moves to Kitwe. Artists from Kitwe, Ndola, Luanshya, Kalulushi and surrounding areas are encouraged to come through, participate and be part of the next chapter of the Copperbelt creative sector.

By Morgan MbuloPresident, National Association of Media Arts, NAMAMedia Consultant

NAMA 2026 ©