By Yunus S Saliu
The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) on Thursday, endorsed the elected executive members and the selected committee members of different artistic associations under its institution. NCAC an institution administering and managing arts and culture related affairs in The Gambia is empowered to encourage at local level, the emergence of groups and institutions interested in the promotion of arts and culture, implement, monitor, coordinate and evaluate artistic programmes among others.
The elected executive members and the selected interim executive members are to promote and protect creative and cultural industries of the country, and they will also compliment the Act which empowered NCAC to encourage at local level, the emergence of groups and institutioins interested in the promotion of arts and culture among others.
The associations include the Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG), Gambia Music Union, Gambia Music Producers and Promoters Association (GAMPP), Film Producers Association of The Gambia and Gambia Theartre Union. Being elected as executive members or selected as interim committee members of any of the association is to promote and protect creative and cultural industries of the country.
Acknowledging the elected executive members and the interim committee members into their various association, Hassoum Ceesay, acting Director General NCAC urged associations with interim committee members to review constitution of their associations, draft regulation for the association among other obligations within a mandated period giving them.
The Director General further tasked all the associations and their executive members without much ado to mobilise members for registration, through advocacy on various available platforms, and as well develop a work plan with budget to enable his center to introduce them to the relevant authorities so that they can seek support for their associations. Adding that “they (all the associations) need support, if they don’t have support the executive cannot do any activities.”
DG Hassoum therefore assured them of his institutional and moral support while equally solicits for their cooperation and understanding for the effective implementation of their obligations.
Sheik Omar Jallow, director of Literature and Performing Arts congratulated the newly elected executive members while he as well urged the interim committee members to speed up with the new task entrusted in their hands.
He further urged the interim executive members to work hard and update their constitutions within the period giving to them to enable them go back to congress to have full fledge executive members in place like others.