By Yunus S Saliu
The UNESCO Resiliart Teleconference presided over by the Minister of Tourism and Culture Thursday ended with hope as Minister assured that there will be no one that will be left out as government makes commitment to support the sector to get back in business after coronavirus pandemic is gone.
The Resiliart Teleconference is a UNESCO online effort to foster dialogue among Gambian artists, arts administrators and policymakers, and also UNESCO itself to assess and chart the way forward during and after Covid-19.
Addressing the panelists, Honorable Hamat NK Bah expressed happiness on UNESCO taken the lead to start putting plans in place to help artists and other cultural groups on how to manoeuvre and what to be done after Covid-19.
He described culture as an instrument needed at the time “when we feel sad because it really can change our behaviour and attitude.”
He said culture has suffered immensely particularly in this type of the world “where some of our cultural behaviours like folklores are condensing as we could not perform, shake hand, go to marriages, naming ceremonies even attend funerals due to social distancing caused by Covid-19.”
“Indeed it is a very difficult time to us particularly Africa and The Gambia for that matter,” he stressed.
Minister Bah assured that government will certainly make a pronouncement on intervention to support the cultural groups, experts, writers, filmmakers and entire people that are involve in the field of culture. “There is no one that will be left out as we make a commitment to support them to get back in business after coronavirus pandemic is gone,” he noted.
With believe, he said the Resiliart Teleconference will avail them opportunity to draw some lessons that may also help to guide them on how to mitigate some of the challenges that the cultural industry is going through in the world.
Dmitiri Sanga, Director UNESCO Office, Dakar, Senegal expressed his pleasure to share the Resiliart Teleconference debate with cultural and creative community in The Gambia “which is actually the first UNESCO had launched in this sub-region.”
With the present of the Minister on the debate platform, he said in moment of crisis people need culture and the Covid-19 is showing that we need artists, creators, others and cultural professionals more than ever because they carry the voice of resilience and participating in raising awareness in fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
As people rely on culture to get through this crisis, he said culture too is suffering as many artists and creators especially those who work in the informal of which economy is very not strong like in the case of The Gambia are now unable to make ends to meet less of produce new work of arts.
He went further that cultural institutions both large and small are losing revenue with each passing day while he promised that UNESCO would do all it can to support culture to safeguard the heritages and empower artists and creators now and after this crisis has pass.
However, day one of the Resiliart Teleconference paraded different panelists which included Dr Cherno Omar Barry – Writer, Hassoum Ceesay – Director General of National Centre for Arts and Culture, King of Kora Jaliba Kuyateh – musician. Among the commentators were Kodou L Jabang-Senghore – Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Sheik Omar Jallow, Baba Ceesay while the program was moderated by Ndey Sireng Bakurin.
Member of the panelists on day two included Rohey Camara – actress, Ndey Fatou Jabang – dancer; STS-Sheik Tijan Secka – filmmaker, Jizzle – Musician, Baaba Silah – writer, Baboucarr Cham – cultural promoter, radio personality and manager; Lamin Jarju – UNESCO NATCOM, Hassoum Ceesay – DG NCAC, Omar Jallow Director of Literary and Performing Arts and Jaliba Kuyateh King of Kora Music – Musician.
Among other things discussed by the panelists on the platform included impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the cultural and creative community in The Gambia, post Covid-19, their adaptations since the outbreak of the pandemic and declaration of 45 days State of Public Health Emergency in The Gambia as government response to control the spread and contact of the pandemic across the country, way forward for the cultural and creative community, expectation and role expected to be taken by the government during and post Covid-19.
