Tanzanians call for urgent measures to promote decent creative arts
MOROGORO: ARTS stakeholders have called for urgent measures to promote decent work in Tanzania’s fast-growing arts and creative industry, warning that without structured protections, the sector’s contribution to the national economy may remain largely statistical and fail to improve the real livelihoods of artists.
The remarks were made during a three-day workshop held in Morogoro to disseminate findings of a study on advancing decent work in Tanzania’s culture and creative economy.
The workshop was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with funding support from Norway.
According to the study findings presented at the workshop, although the culture and creative sector continues to increase its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and youth employment, the growth has not been matched by adequate social protection, formal contracts, or safe working conditions for many artists.
Speaking to journalists, the Director of SEDEVA Institute, Izack Abeneko, said that while the sector is a significant source of income and employment, especially for young people, there is an urgent need to establish strong systems to protect artists’ rights and formalise their activities.
“Most artists still operate in informal conditions. Their work is seasonal and unpredictable; an artist cannot know when the next opportunity will come,” said Abeneko.
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“The government should strengthen enforcement of existing laws to ensure they bring positive results to stakeholders in the arts sector, reduce the burden on artists, and help them understand the value of protecting their rights,” he added.
On his part, the Acting Director of Research and Marketing at the National Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA), Mrisho Mrisho, said the workshop identified three key priority areas.
“First is the issue of decent work in the arts sector, second is the legal and policy framework, and third is artists’ income. We need to find effective ways to formalise the sector in these areas,” he said.
He added that although artists are registered through BASATA, other employment systems also need to officially recognise them.
Meanwhile, the Director of Occupational Health and Safety at the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA), Dr. Kassim Kapalata, emphasized the importance of artists joining trade unions to safeguard their interests.
“Artists should join various trade union federations so that they can be legally recognized.
When united, it becomes easier to defend their rights in accordance with the law and to achieve decent work within the arts sector,” said Dr Kapalata.
Stakeholders concluded that implementing the study’s recommendations will be a crucial step toward ensuring that the arts and culture sector contributes more effectively to individual livelihoods and the national economy at large.
