By Yunus S Saliu

The National Center for Arts and Culture with support from the UNESCO recently kicked start a three-week entrepreneurship training program in support of the creative industry on small creative business for women and youth. The training which is currently underway at the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, Kanifing is fully supported and sponsored by the UNESCO.

The training ‘Entrepreneurship training in support of culture and creative industry development in The Gambia setting up a small creative business for women and youth’ project brought together twenty-five participants selected from the creative sectors –  music, film, literary art, and fashion. The training is meant to build the capacity of the creative industry and address the most pressing needs and deliver immediate gains to the creative sector.

The three weeks training will be followed by a four-week internship immediately after the training is end while participants will be tasked to submit viable business plans that will attract funding from partners.

Hassoum Ceesay, acting Director General gave an in-depth background of the project, in 2018 the Center received fund from the country participation program of the UNESCO through the National Commission Office, Banjul to develop entrepreneurial skills in creative arts sectors. This he said will help youths that already engage in the creative arts to earn livelihood from what they are doing.

After the training, he said, the trained youths from the different arts sector will be certificated and also be assisted to develop viable business plans. “Based on their business plans they would be available for potential funding from various partners that are intervening in youth and employment sectors.

During the period of this training, he said, trainees will go out for mentorship program and as well be exposed to various field works to enable them acquire first hand experiences on what they are studying. DG Hassoum again thanked UNESCO-NATCOM for this support