Times Of Swaziland: ARTS, CULTURE COVID-19 SEMINAR A SUCCESS

ARTS, CULTURE COVID-19 SEMINAR A SUCCESS
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BY THEMBELANI NHLABATSI & DUDU DUBE on 15/10/2020 00:23:00


Mbabane - Following the announcement by the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo
Dlamini, on local events applying for a certificate last Thursday, ENCAC
yesterday hosted a COVID-19 seminar for arts and culture.
ENCAC stands for the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture headed by
Chief Executive Officer Stanley Dlamini.
The event held at the Happy Valley Hotel yesterday at 9am was set to update arts
and culture sector stakeholders on COVID-19 basic facts as well as to review
COVID-19 arts and culture guidelines.
It was attended by local entertainers such as MegaSound’s Samkelo Zulu,
Afro-Jazz artist Judah Silitshena, Platinum Concepts’ Khulekani ‘Karly B’
Mamba as well as Swazi Boy Entertainment’s Mthunzi Zwane.
Speaking to Zulu, he said as an event’s organiser he appreciates the concept
from the council to educate them in depth about the new regulations.
“Although we were educated we expected to be given a platform as artists to
make submissions and ask questions, which I felt they were not ready to
answer,” he said.
ENCAC CEO said he hoped the session was fruitful to artists and they were
working around the clock to increase the numbers stipulated by government in
events.
Comply
“We are yet to confirm the venues, which comply with the regulations and we
will be sharing a list of venues that the artists can use,” he added.
At the seminar, the Entertainment Activity Hosting Compliance Certificate
(EAHCC), which the Prime Minister had said was one of the conditions that events
should abide by and operate under, was shared with the entertainers.
Event’s organisers were further reminded that currently theatre, comedy shows,
poetry shows, fashion shows, small scale choral music, small scale music
concerts, small scale launches, cinemas as well as museums and art galleries
were the only sectors allowed by government to operate.
Artists such as Judah Silitshena, shared that the platform to engage with the
parent organisation being ENCAC especially since they had been out of business
for quite long.
“We appreciate that we were also granted the opportunity to express our
concern,” he said.
According to the ENCAC CEO, the form will be available to artists and organisers
for free.