Windhoek — WITH all the necessary legislative organs now in place, concrete and tangible development is needed more than ever before in the arts and culture sector in the country.

This was a Government policy reassurance to Namibian artists by John Mutorwa, Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, on Monday in a speech at Heja Lodge.

He officially opened a five-day international theatre workshop on one-person playwriting that was attended by 20 established and upcoming dramatists from around the African continent, Sweden and Finland.

"What is needed now is the cementing, the strengthening and solidifying of partnerships between artists, arts organizations and Government institutions. The issue of partnerships is crucial, important and indispensable, more so when it comes to training, expertise and funding. This workshop's agenda and objectives demonstrate partnership in action and in deed. This type of partnership at local, national and international levels must be cherished and further nourished," Mutorwa emphasized his strong message of cooperation.

The workshop was hosted by Assitej-Namibia in conjunction with Assitej-Sweden with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Finnish Embassy in Windhoek.

Mutorwa cited the Government bodies actively involved in arts and culture development and promotion: the Government's Arts and Culture policy, the National Art Gallery of Namibia Act, the National Heritage Council Act and the National Arts Fund of Namibia Act.

"A special message to Namibian artists: intensify your efforts and endeavours towards establishing one strong union for all artists.

Such a union must be recognised in terms of the Labour Act on the basis of its numerical membership superiority as the sole recognised bargaining agent by the Namibian Government," Mutorwa indicated.

It is general knowledge that the country's Oruuano Artists Union has been partially successful in uniting all local artists under its wings for a number of years.

"Namibia is blessed with many accomplished artists, who have a vital role to play in how we as human beings perceive one another. Your activities are essential to the functioning of a democratic, constitutional, open, transparent and corruption-free society. Furthermore, artistic creativity is a very powerful means of economic, intellectual and social development because it is partly by this means that for example new markets are found and new understandings developed between individuals, groups and nations of the world," Mutorwa, who urged greater cooperation and networking among all artists, said.

In an off-the-cuff observation, the Chargé d' Affaires of the Finnish Embassy, Seija Kinni reassured of her embassy's continuous financial support to the development of local art and culture, to spontaneous hand clapping of those present.

"Theatre plays an important role in any society. It's a way of expressing personal and societal feelings, two interrelated entities.

Therefore theatre can be seen as a means of sowing what is at stake in the society of today, both on the personal level of playwrights and community level. The Embassy of Finland finds it very valuable to support theatre activities in Namibia, and especially Assitej-Namibia because this body concentrates and focuses on children and youth theatre," Seija Kinni told the audience.

According to her, her embassy and Assitej-Namibia have been cooperating partners for three years.

"This year we have supported Assitej-Namibia with expanding its national structure to six new community-based centres in towns such as Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Khorixas, Tsumeb, Grootfontein and Gobabis. We also supported the 22nd annual Youth Theatre Festival, traditionally one of the great events on the Namibian cultural calendar and lastly we also partially financed this Assitej-International one-person-play writing workshop," Kinni said proudly.

"I am excited about the fact that this workshop has attracted participants and representatives from Sweden, Finland and 11 African countries. It is indeed good to come together to exchange ideas and skills - to learn from one another.

"Your writing topic on AIDS is urgent and serious," she said.

Niclas Malmcrona, Secretary General of Assitej-International with centres in more than 70 member countries, on behalf of his executive and the participants expressed his organisation's profound gratitude and delight to the local branch for hosting the workshop.