Tafadzwa Zimoyo, Entertainment Editor
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe executive director, Napoleon Nyanhi, has challenged local artists to go digital and focus on professionalism to match international standards.
Nyanhi said this in an interview with The Herald Arts following the initiative to revamp the NACZ social media page on September 1.
"The new NACZ website comes with a major facelift. We have given it a fresh, new look that is user-friendly," he said.
"To enhance the convenience, the domain is changing from www.natartszim.co.zw to www.nacz.co.zw. The new domain name is short and easy to remember."
"One of the latest features is the opportunities tab. This links local creatives with industry opportunities such as grants, festivals, or exhibitions which they can exploit to their advantage."
NACZ director said that their long-term plan is to make the site an integrated one-stop-shop where creatives will be able to register for licences and permits without having to travel to the offices physically.
Meanwhile, he called for artists to move with times, especially on how social media has dominated the digital space.
"We are living in the digital era where people are accessing the bulk of their solutions online. This development has positively affected players in the CCI who have mastered the art of showcasing their craft in the digital space."
"My advice to local creatives is to learn how to monetise digital channels and exploit online stores for marketing and selling their craft," he said.
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"The major advantage of a great online presence is the ability to break geographical boundaries.
"You can make an impact in a place you never thought your art could reach. Most people make the mistake of always presenting their work to people they know but social media, if properly manipulated can present your work to a whole new audience."
Commenting on the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), Nyanhi said they have also made several changes as part of their revamp.
"The country's annual awards recognising outstanding achievements in arts and culture will see updates to the adjudication process and award categories to enhance efficiency, transparency, and fairness."
He emphasised that the changes to NAMA are as a result of a nationwide consultation process conducted by the NACZ board in 2022, where they sought feedback from the arts sector on the effectiveness of the awards.
"This process culminated in two stakeholder meetings held in Bulawayo and Harare to specifically interrogate the NAMA categories and awarding process."
"A lot of valuable feedback was obtained, and today we present the changes that have been made to the awards as a result of these consultations," he said.
Among the key changes are the addition of seven new awards, as well as the renaming of some existing awards.
