History of ARESUVA

Introduction

Over the last ten years, the African region has taken a typically tenacrous and distinctive approach to the development of the arts, culture and tourism sector gaining a growing momentum. Cultural investment and achievement has played a key role in building the self confidence and ambition of a region facing massive challenges in both economic and social terms. The region can now boast of major new and emerging cultural institutions an international reputation for public art and internationally recognized artists and cultural facilities. 

Today the African region is set to be a showcase to the world. Not only has a whole new generation of arts space and opportunities to take part in the arts been created, an important change in perception has emerged. The sub-sector is now viewed as a catalyst- for change and an important partner in major economic regeneration initiatives.

The First African Regional Summit and Exhibition on visual Arts has as its theme: “PROMOTING THE VISUAL ARTS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA” 

Exploring The Challenges

What is the exertion of the visual arts sub-sector in the 21st century as the nature of work and the drivers of a market economy change? We will explore the role and implications of the emergence of a so called creative class or more prosaically, the city life of knowledge workers. What fuels creativity individually and collectively? We will look at the brain in the city, from the inside out; the neuroscience of creativity. We will explore how visual spaces and the physical interact. How do diversity and multiculturalism energize places and people? Then we will turn to issues about the dark side, to the limits of tolerance and the ghettos of mind and place and all those things which block and limit our creativity and innovation.

Set Objectives

The First African Regional Summit & Exhibition on Visual Arts (AVA) is designed towards the promotion of visual arts as a strategy for achieving rapid economic development in the African region as envisioned in NEPAD – New Partnership for African Development.

Perspective on Development

To identify and highlight in practical terms effective development programmes that can be nurtured, institutionalized and promoted as models of partnerships among African Countries, the organized private sector, International Agencies, NGO’s, International Business community and the civil society.

To encourage the private and public sectors develop partnerships to fund the visual arts sub-sector for it to be a major player in the economic life of the African region as it is in the advanced Countries in the West.

To address the various sectoral impediments to the development of the visual arts in the African region.

To encourage the private and informal sectors, civil society and donor organizations on the need to work together with African Governments as a broad-based economic development strategy for improving the visual arts sub-sector.

To sensitize all major stakeholders in the sub-sector on the need for speedy development of this sub-sector as a major contributor to the GDP of African Countries.

The First African regional Summit on visual arts will bring together around 1,500 business, political, community, media, government and creative industries’ leaders from Africa to discuss the key issues shaping the creative industries of the future.

The event will provide a significant and lasting contribution to the global discussion on the future for African and the development and support of sustainable creative strategies for stakeholders and practitioners.

Foreign Dimension

To exploit the opportunities of globalization o meeting the challenges of the 21st century that provides the impetus for economic growth.

To encourage in practical terms the movement of the visual arts sub-sector towards export oriented production.

To enhance the prospects and opportunities of the visual arts sub-sector on the African region towards export trade.

To promote the opening up of the African region’s economy to the participation of foreign investors in the visual arts sub-sector.

To compliment African Governments’ efforts in the development of the Tourism sector as a major area of income generation.

Political Premium

To promote the spirit of unity, peace and togetherness as the necessary ingredient for the African region’s social political and economic development and the sustenance of the region’s thriving democracy.