November 2008
Arts Indaba Set for SA Next Year
The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) will host its international arts and culture summit for the first time on African soil, at the Museum Africa Newton in Johannesburg in September next year. more >
Stakeholders Discuss Continent’s Art Issues
In order to highlight common areas of interest and potential growth, the National Arts Council of South Africa recently initiated and invited representatives from various African nations to participate in the first-ever cross-national dialogue on arts and culture funding and support agencies from across Africa. more >
June 2008
Arts Council to Issue Grants
The National Arts Council of Namibia (NACN) will this morning announce and hand over arts and culture grants to the first recipients at a press conference at a local hotel. more >
February 2008
Muse Vibes
It has now become known that the National Arts Council has received about 200 applications for financial support from Namibian artists in four different art disciplines. more >
Library books donated to Namibia
The Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (LUX Development), donated library books, computers, electronic equipment and library furniture to the Ministry of Education, Namibia...more >
January 2008
Govt Terminates Arts Extension Programme
Some 70 Namibian part-time art lecturers are staring unemployment in the face after an announcement that the National Arts Extension Programme is to be terminated by the Government come October 18. more >
December 2007
Artists Shoot Themselves in the Foot
Unbecoming and insensitive behaviour by some Namibian artists is hindering recognition of the arts industry. more >
November 2007
Arts Council Tackles the Regions
In an effort to introduce and inform the nation about the National Arts Council of Namibia (NACN), a tour around the country was recently undertaken by the council. more >
September 2007
National Arts Council Launched
Namibian artists can now look into the future with renewed hope, following the official launch of the National Arts Council. more >
High Expectations for Artists' Funding
Excitement exploded among artists on Wednesday evening with the formal announcement that they at long last qualify for direct government funding to pursue their creative crafts and careers. more >
August 2007
Arts Council to Be Launched
The formal launch of the National Arts Council will be held next Wednesday. more >
EU Backs Namibian Art
An annual arts exhibition to promote Namibian art. more >
June 2007
Artists Treated Worse Than Animals
The ill-treatment of Namibian artists by art promoters and festival organizers was last week likened and compared to that of animals during a press conference by the Oruuano Artists Union. more >
April 2007
Teachers Urged to Promote Art Education
The Deputy Minister of Education this week encouraged greater understanding and appreciation for arts and handicrafts, as well as the importance of culture in the country's education system. more >
Long-Term Arts Agreement Signed
Bank Windhoek has signed a 15-year agreement with Namibia's National Art Gallery. more >
January 2007
Youth Theatre is Growing in Leaps And Bounds
Various national youth theatre projects are to be implemented this year by Assitej-Namibia (Organization of Theatre for Children and Young People), it was announced by the executive committee of the organization. more >
December 2006
Arts Education to Be Pushed in Schools
Namibian arts have enormous educational value and potential, presenting a multitude of learning and teaching opportunities to learners in the country. more >
November 2006
National Theatre Structure Progressing Well
Last week the eighth Assitej-Namibia town-based centre was successfully established in the southern town of Mariental. more >
October 2006
Namibia: Hope for Nam Music in the States
Some valuable ideas on how to promote Namibian music in the United States in particular were last Wednesday given to the local fraternity during a live video conference by an American expert. more >
September 2006
Call for Arts System in Namibia
Namibia’s Permanent Secretary of Culture, Dr Peingindjabi Shipoh, has bemoaned the country’s lack of a adequate system to identify, develop and expose artistic talent. more >
Namibian Minister: All Can Preserve Culture
Namibia's Culture Minister has called on "leaders at all levels, parents and learners to assist the government in the restoration, consolidation and development of culture". more >
August 2006
Mutorwa Argues for Culture
The current trend towards cultural relativism and ethnocentrism was sharply criticised by Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture John Mutorwa yesterday. more >
Namibia: Film Should Be a Favoured Sector
"It is a paradox that the film industry through the cowboy genre has taught the world the essentials of finance and yet Africa's film industries have not put these essentials into practice," said a film executive from South Africa. more >
July 2006
Namibia: Youth Forging Ahead With Arts
The newly established National Arts Council of Namibia (NAC) has growth pains due to a limited budget and the slow pace by which the statutory body is getting appropriate infrastructure in place. more >
May 2006
Namibia: More Funding Needed for Art And Culture
By her own admission, government funding for arts and culture development in the country has thus far been insufficient, presumably in light of more pressing issues such as HIV/AIDS, education and training sector financial needs. This is the view of the Deputy Prime Minister, dr Libertina Amathila, who yesterday spoke at the official inauguration of the refurbished art gallery at the Visual Arts Department at the University of Namibia. more >
April 2006
Arts Officials Suspended On Fraud, Theft Charges
Two art officials have been suspended from their duties with immediate effect by the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture. more >
Visual Artists Forge Ahead
A strong call and appeal was made for the de-politicisation of Namibian visual arts for harmony and progress last Friday evening during the long awaited inauguration meeting of a new and more representative arts body in the country. more >
March 2006
Namibia: Art a Vital Career Tool
With the ever-increasing failure and dropout rates at high school level, there is a need to encourage school-going children to develop their artistic talents while young as this would come in handy in future. more >
Namibia launches National Heritage Council
The National Heritage Council for Namibia was recently opened by John Mutorwa, the Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture. more >
February 2006
Finnish Embassy Gives Big Bucks to Arts
The Finnish embassy will donate $N1,6 million into Namibian arts and culture development this year. more >
January 2006
Namibian Arts Council on its way
Recently the National Arts Council of Namibia discussed a four-day fact-finding mission to Zambia, in the hopes of creating collaborations with other arts councils in the area. more >
November 2005
Way Now Open for Arts And Culture Development
'With all the necessary legislative organs now in place, concrete and tangible development is needed more than ever before in the arts and culture sector in the country,' reassured John Mutorwa, Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, in a speech on Monday. more >
October 2005
Arts Council Ready to Roll
A two-day workshop to have the Namibian Art Council Act legally interpreted and to put together criteria to financially support the arts and culture fraternity, are two of the decisions taken by the Namibian Art Council last week. more >
September 2005
Art And Culture Body Established
A new body designed to promote the arts and cultural revival was launched last week with ceremony in the capital. more >
National Arts Council Established
Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, John Mutorwa, yesterday introduced the newly appointed members of the National Arts Council of Namibia, who will administer the country's National Arts Fund. more >
August 2005
Culture/Education - Are They in Synergy?
African governments need to apply their political will to find synergy between culture and education, since education is a vehicle of culture. This is the view of Bience Gawanas, the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, who addressed ministers of culture last week in Windhoek. more >
Artists hesitant to serve on Art Fund
The Director of Arts Programmes in the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture has made one last urgent appeal to the Namibian arts fraternity to nominate suitable candidates for the to-be established National Arts Council and the Namibian Art Fund. more >
April 2005
Artists Review Art Bill
A suggestion that the only formally registered artists' union in the country be assured and afforded automatic representation in the to-be-formed Arts Council was last Friday unanimously accepted by invited artists who took part in a discussion forum. more >
March 2005
Minister apologises for art bill delays
It took the Namibian Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture a decade to develop a proper arts and culture policy before it was finally tabled as a Bill in the National Assembly. more >
February 2005
The Arts Bill - Control Or No Control?
'Art must awaken and disturb, open new horizons and move society forward', offered Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister for Womens Affairs and Child Welfare, in the second reading debate on the National Arts Fund Bill in the Namibian National Assembly last week. more >
Art bill for long suffering practitioners
Namibian artists should be retrospectively compensated for hardships and losses they have suffered in the absence of a legal platform to protect their rights, said Deputy Prime Minister, Hendrik Witbooi, in a debate on the National Arts Fund of Namibia Bill in the National Assembly. more >
December 2004
Namibian Arts Minister reflects on year.
John Mutorwa, the Namibian Minister for Basic Education, Sport and Culture has said that the implementation of the Education and the National Art Gallery acts, and the promulgation of the National Heritage Act, were some of the major achievements of the Ministry for 2004. more >
Union Forges Ahead With Arts Programmes
ORUUANO Artists Union is to act as facilitator for a soon-to-be-established UNESCO-spearheaded multi-purpose arts and culture cooperative in Namibia. more >
September 2004
Art to get more recognition in schools
The promotion of arts as a subject in Namibian schools has officially been recognised and endorsed as a priority, a milestone achievement for the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture. more >
August 2004
Namibian artists receive training
More than 200 rural musical performers and dancers are to benefit from an exchange programme effort between the Oruuano Artists Union and Finnish artists. more >
July 2004
Archival materials heading for home
The National Archives of Namibia and libraries are set to get a welcome boost when Namibian records and published material will be repatriated from the country's former colonial master, South Africa, in September this year. more >
Frustrated artists take their fight to parliament
A member of a Namibian Parliamentary select standing committee has expressed shock and dismay at the state of Namibian arts and culture development, after hearing the plight of artists who appeared before the committee. more >
April 2004
Growing Arts And Educational Ties With Norway
The Namibia Association of Norway - Namas - will be celebrating its 25th anniversary of continuous of cultural and educational support with the people of the country next year. more >
February 2004
A Price For The Country's Heritage
The National Monuments Council has introduced entrance fees for two of its monument sites, to aid their sustainable management. more >
High-Tech Future For National Museum
A five-year commitment by the Finnish government to restore and modernise the National Museum of Namibia is on the way to becoming a reality. more >
Steps Afoot to Restore, Protect Rock Art Sites
The National Monuments Council is to take urgent action to restore Namibia's main rock art sites at the Spitzkoppe, Brandberg and Twyfelfontein. more >
January 2004
Namibian Film Regulatory Body Up And Running
Despite some teething problems, the Namibian Film Commission is now administratively capable to serve and develop the fledgling local film industry. more >
Revolutionary plans for Namibian artists
A much needed health-pension scheme and a business cooperative for all artists are two of the progressive steps the Oruuano Artists Union are implementing this year as part of its ongoing activities on behalf of a growing number of members countrywide. more >
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