Introduction
This report, titled An Assessment of Artistic Freedom: Zambia, provides an overview of the current situation on artistic freedom in Zambia and gives clear insight on the status of freedom of artistic expression. It also proposes workable recommendations to help creatives, audiences and advocates defend their specific artistic rights to free expression and guide government and other stakeholders in better promoting and protecting them.
Summary
The research team examined the components for artistic rights, particularly the freedom of expression and the limitations subjected to artistic expression, identifying gaps and potential opportunities available to enhance artistic freedom. The threats and obstacles to artistic freedom advancement were also highlighted as well as how the government and other stakeholders fail in their tasks to promote and safeguard freedom of expression. The key challenges to gender inequality and the sources of inequality in the cultural and creative industries were also highlighted through a needs assessment carried out for active creative associations. There was also information provided on how copyright laws protect artistic works and whether practising creatives benefit from them. The 34-page report ends with workable recommendations that could promote artistic freedoms in Zambia. Among the many recommendations included stakeholders’ wishes for enhanced advocacy programs to improve artistic freedoms in Zambia. In this line, it was suggested that PANAF carries out a vigorous advocacy for artistic freedom in order to establish a conducive environment for artists to use the arts as a tool to advocate for good governance and human rights promotion, as well as to earn a living.
The report was formulated between August and November 2022 through desk research, statistical data and qualitative interviews with creatives and chairpersons representing various art forms as well as policy makers who provided personal stories and insights. A research validation meeting took place in January 2023 to present the report to key stakeholders for verification and comments, which were then incorporated into the final report.
The PANAF project is being implemented with the support of the Swedish Arts Council. This research was commissioned by Selam through its Pan African Network for Artistic Freedom (PANAF) project and implemented by its partner in Zambia, The People’s Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia (PAAGZ), an independent and not-for-profit organisation working on governance and accountability processes. […]
Request for the full report below:
