In line with MTN Bushfire’s long-standing commitment to supporting arts development and promoting arts mobility in Africa, the festival brought its fire to the 3rd annual Arts Connect Africa (ACA) conference at the Visa For Music Festival in Rabat, Morrocco.
As one of the newest members of this cross-continental network, the festival looks forward to contributing even more meaningfully to Africa’s cultural music sector through this membership, which will help facilitate cultural and artist exchanges.
ACA Board Chairperson Katherine McVicker spoke to ACA’s four pillars: professional development, education, cultural exchanges, and economic development. She noted that membership in ACA offers access to knowledge sharing, mentorship, and collaborative event creation. South to South arts mobility collaborations were a major focus, and the ACA’s sister Latin American network was highlighted for potential partnerships.
The purpose of Arts Connect Africa is to empower African music and culture by bringing together music industry professionals, innovators, and enthusiasts to shape the future of the continent’s creative industry. MTN Bushfire Festival Director, Jiggs Thorne, was invited to participate and share his experience as a major contributor to the Southern African region’s music industry over the last 20 years.
“Arts Connect Africa is working to link regional creative hubs in Africa to create a Pan-African network that can support the creative economy of the entire continent. The question facing the membership now is how to develop and create more of these hubs, and how to facilitate practical and sustainable interactions between them,” he said.
With a robust network spanning over 30 cultural stakeholders across 15 countries, Arts Connect Africa fosters mutual growth, resource-sharing, and collaboration on projects.
The ACA conference was held at the Visa for Music Festival, a performing arts festival and professional marketplace for contemporary music from Africa and the Middle East, held annually in November in Rabat. The music market brings together artists, producers, agents, and industry professionals in a series of conferences, workshops and networking opportunities that encourage cultural exchange.
