MANZINI- The Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) has reached a significant milestone in its efforts to strengthen the country’s creative sector following the procurement of a state-of-the-art mobile stage unit. The acquisition is expected to enhance the delivery of regional arts and culture programmes while making it easier and more affordable for artists to host festivals and other cultural events across the country.
The mobile stage unit, which measures 8 metres by 6 metres with a height of 3.5 metres, was delivered last Friday. It forms part of an E3,860,000 allocation from locally sourced funds that was approved for the procurement of sound equipment, a motor vehicle, and the mobile stage.
According to ENCAC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Dlamini, the investment will enable the Council to expand its outreach programmes in all regions while fulfilling the mandate of the Eswatini National Arts and Culture Policy, which seeks to promote and develop arts and culture throughout the Kingdom.
“The mobile stage unit will help the Council implement more regional programmes and strengthen our efforts to promote arts and culture across Eswatini. We recently hosted the Lubombo Regional Festival as part of the NACA Awards, where we used the mobile stage for the first time. We are looking forward to taking the stage to more regions to elevate arts and culture programmes and ensure they meet the standards we aspire to achieve,” said Dlamini.
He added that the new equipment will also benefit artists by providing access to professional staging facilities at significantly lower rates than those charged by commercial service providers.
“The mobile stage will enable our creatives to access quality equipment at a more affordable price, making it easier for them to organise festivals and cultural events. This investment will not only support artists but will also contribute to economic growth, as festivals play an important role in stimulating local economies through tourism, trade, and job creation,” he said.
The procurement is expected to improve the quality of regional festivals and performances while encouraging more communities to participate in cultural activities. By reducing production costs, ENCAC hopes to empower artists and event organisers to stage more events, thereby creating additional opportunities for income generation within the creative industry.
The initiative is in line with the Eswatini National Arts and Culture Policy, which recognises festivals and exhibitions as important platforms for promoting, preserving, and showcasing the country’s cultural heritage.
The policy states: “Festivals and exhibitions bring people from different walks of life together to promote, preserve and showcase cultural issues. The nation, through relevant bodies, should make a deliberate attempt to ensure festivals and exhibitions are vigorously employed to showcase aspects of valued Swati culture. The State shall take such policy measures as are necessary to attract private sector investment in festivals as well as facilitate their commercialisation to ensure their viability and sustainability.”
The acquisition of the mobile stage unit, ENCAC has taken another step towards creating a vibrant, accessible, and sustainable arts and culture sector, while positioning regional festivals as catalysts for cultural preservation, community development, and economic growth.
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