Local rapper and performer, Kast walked over 1000 KM to lobby Government to facilitate the establishment of the National Arts Council. (NAC)
Last week a bill to establish the NAC was finally tabled in parliament and passed.
Voice Entertainment caught up with the “tlatsa lebala” artist to get his views about the realization of his dream.
Kast embarked on a campaign to raise awareness on the need for the NAC walking from Gaborone through Maun, to Francistown and back to Gaborone. At the end of the walk a 100 % local musical event, which attracted a bumper crowd was held.
Kast then got backlash for not paying artists. However moving past that scandal, the “Sjabana” hitmaker is elated about parliament finally passing the motion to form the NAC brought by the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Development (MYSC) Tumiso Rakgare.
“The creative and arts sector needs deliberate and concise regulations and coordination at the state level to formalize the industry officially so that players don’t just come on board and do what they please without any form of regulation,” said Kast.
With the help of the Arts Council, Kast believes the creative industry will grow exponentially.
“This will allow artists to have a formal platform to express themselves. This is not for musicians only, it’s for everyone in the creative sector and everyone’s voice I feel should be heard and accommodated in this Council,” Kast further explained.
“This is an act of parliament, it is a commitment from Government, they have committed themselves to say they will now include the industry in their planning and budgets, It won’t be a by the way thing. The industry will now be considered in the annual plans for the country,” he said
Asked who initiated the debate around the formation of the Arts Council, Kast admitted it was not his original idea. He, however, said the walk helped a great deal in fast-tracking the issue and making the powers that be take notice.
“The walk actually propelled the conversation to another level. We went around lobbying for the Arts Council. We met with Dikgosi around the villages and the people that push policies to make them understand what the Arts Council would do. Remember it was not the first time it was presented to parliament. It was long overdue,” explained Kast.
He further called for the independence of the Council.
“I urge the government to make sure that the leadership of this Council is independent. Maybe one Government representative, industry experts and industry players should be the ones running it and the leaders should be elected by the industry and not Government,” Kast advised.