KAMPALA – The Chairperson Board of Trustees of the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC) commonly known as National theatre-Sam Okello together with officials from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development have launched a campaign to fund the creative sector in Uganda.
Okello launched the campaign while addressing the media at the media center in Kampala on January 20.
According to Okello, over years, UNCC has been an icon in the country as a center for nurturing culture especially performing and visual artists adding that the number of celebrities here in Uganda have been groomed by and through UNCC.
“In an effort to execute our mandate, today we are initiating a campaign to ensure that cultural initiatives and activities are revamped and contribute effectively to socio-economic development in Uganda,” he said.
Mr Okello said the campaign is aimed at creating visual literacy to the people and especially young people in the country as well as employment creation for the youth through the Arts.
He added that “It is aimed at strengthening the vibrancy of the sector which is economically empowered: Establish opportunities and collaborations for the stakeholders locally like taking precedence in the National functions and internationally.”
Mr Okello further revealed that the creative industry contributes enormously to the GDP of this country in the past few years.
“According to Uganda Beaurue of Statistics, 2014 cultural and creative goods and services contributed UGX 12.6 billion (US$6.7million) between 2006 -2009, and import duty alone contributed UGX 8.6 billion. This indicator that the industry has great potential,” he said.
He said the culture and creative Industry in Uganda can be a revenue earner just as Nollywood and Hollywood in Nigeria and the USA respectively.
UNCC which was established in 1959 by the Uganda National Cultural Centre Act 1959 (and amended in 1965) was created with the mandate to Preserve, Promote and Popularize Uganda’s Cultural heritage in Uganda and beyond.
UNCC, is a semi-autonomous body under the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social development.
The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees who are appointed by the Minister of GLSD.
