The Government is establishing a number of vocational training institutions in several areas such as carpentry, brick laying, motor vehicle mechanics and others. However, the country does not have a vocational school dedicated to providing skills for practicing and aspiring artist in the various artistic disciplines including Music, Dance, Film, Visual Arts, Writing, Drama, Poetry and Photography. While, the University of Malawi through Chancellor College provide training in the arts, a majority of practicing artists do not have the requisite qualifications to get admitted into the college. Other than that, there are inadequate trainers of arts in the country. The establishment of Arts School will provide an opportunity to practitioners to venture into profitable business by among others enhancing their artistic skills. In addition, artists will have access to financial and quality production of art works through the services of Arts Savings and Credit Cooperative and Arts Production and Marketing Cooperative (APMC), which will be housed at the Arts School.
The Integrated Arts Development Project, through the establishment of Arts School, enhancement of Arts SACCO and Arts Production and Marketing Cooperative is therefore expected to achieve the following among others: –
- Improve social and economic welfare of artists;
- Strengthen entrepreneurship among artists and cultural actors;
- Facilitate sustainable job creation in the cultural industry;
- Help reduce piracy;
- Improve the quality and competitiveness of the Malawian artistic works on the international market and;
- Preserve Malawi’s arts and cultural heritage for posterity.