Nairobi — ARTISTS involved in various creative arts from across the East African region have been urged to unite and speak with one voice in order to drive positive change and strengthen the arts sector in the region.

Speaking while presenting at The East African Art Nexus (TEANEX) conference held at the University of Nairobi, President of the Federation of Applied Arts, Adrian Nyangamale, said unity among artists is a key pillar in promoting and advancing East African art on the global stage.

He noted that although the arts sector is broad, Tanzania's notable success--particularly in music, film and performing arts--is largely attributed to the strong collaboration between the government and artists.

"The government has been at the forefront in supporting artists by establishing councils and federations that bring them closer and enable their participation in the development of the sector," he said.

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Nyangamale added that the conference aims to create a platform that brings together East African artists, enabling them to have a unified voice in driving change and increasing their recognition at both national and regional levels.

The conference brought together artists from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, with more than 30 participants coming from Tanzania.

He also expressed appreciation to the Government of Tanzania through Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA) and Alliance Française for facilitating the participation of Tanzanian artists in the event.

Meanwhile, artist Mwangaza said that Tanzania's film industry continues to perform well, especially in television drama, which has captured a significant share of the market locally and internationally.

Overall, stakeholders emphasized that collaboration and unity among artists are essential in fostering creativity, generating employment, and enhancing the contribution of the arts sector to the economies of East African countries.