Potter’s Gallery, a non-government organisation in Nigeria, is launching a project this month that would improve market access for artists with disabilities in the country.
The Creative Director, Potters Gallery Initiative, Mr Donald Unanka disclosed this in a statement on Monday, September 19, 2022.
Potter’s Gallery is one of the leading disability-led organizations in Nigeria that was founded to mobilize support for persons with disabilities using the power of the creative arts, and to amplify their voices to lead processes of change.
Mr Unanka said, the key objectives of the project were: to reinforce the capacities and networks of persons with disabilities, to strengthen stakeholders’ commitment in the creative industry towards facilitating the inclusion of artists and creatives with disabilities, and to promote access to local, national, and international markets for artists and creatives with disabilities through digital platforms.
He highlighted the Key activities under the project to include: creative boot camps in Lagos and Abuja to build the capacities of civil society organizations and creatives with disabilities, a media round table to engage stakeholders in the creative industry, focus group meetings in Lagos and Abuja to deepen the engagement of key stakeholders and creatives with disabilities on policy issues, and publishing a policy brief on issues and strategies for the inclusion of disabled artists and creatives into the cultural and creative industry in Nigeria.
The project, according to him, would develop a mobile application that would help to showcase the creative works of persons with disabilities.
“It will also conduct a communication campaign that includes daily and weekly posts on Potter’s Gallery social media channels, as well as blogs”.
“The organization will also coordinate a stakeholders validation meeting in Abuja to present the policy brief and to launch the mobile application to the public”, he added.
The Director said, although the project would be implemented by Potter’s Gallery Initiative, it was funded by the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), one of the key instruments of international cooperation and assistance of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005).
“The Fund’s objective is to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector in developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention by strengthening their capacity to create, produce, distribute and provide access to a diverse range of cultural goods and services.
“As a multi-donor fund, the IFCD promotes South-South and North-South cooperation, while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and gender equality”, he added.
