• poMinistry asks them to submit proposals on artistic productions for consideration
Image: FILE
Artistes have been asked to submit proposals on artistic production for consideration of the Sh100 million artistes’ stimulus programme.
The 'Work for Pay' fund was launched last week by Sports and Culture CS Amina Mohamed.
Culture PS Josephta Mukobe announced in a statement the call for applications is now officially open.
"All interested artistes, musicians and actors are invited to immediately submit their proposals on artistic productions for consideration by the ministry," he said.
He added that Kenya has over 100,000 creatives and the available funding may not be sufficient to cover all artists engaged in the creative economy.
"This will be a competitive process," he said.
The application portal, domiciled on the Culture ministry's website, is now open. Creatives across the country are invited to submit their applications.
Interested practitioners can now visit www.sportsheritage.go.ke and fill in the provided application forms for consideration. The criteria are spelt out on the website under various genres.
This comes a few days after the collective management organisations asked the state to involve them when distributing the Sh100 million to artistes since they have their data.
"If the government uses its ways to distribute the money without the data, the money might not reach every musician in Kenya," Kamp chairman Anthony Karani said.
The ministry says it will endeavour to guarantee participation reach in all the 47 counties, ensure gender parity and pay particular emphasis to the 30 per cent reservation for vulnerable groups, including Persons Living with Disability.
The Departments and Agencies will be assisted by an academy of professional creatives from different disciplines in the selection process.
"We would like to assure industry practitioners and the general public that the process will be fair, transparent and accountable in the selection of content providers and distribution of funds," Mukobe said.
"You can track the progress of the respective programmes on various digital and social media (Kulture-tv on all platforms and running with the hashtag #togetherathome #PamojaNyumbani)."
The programme will be implemented by various departments and agencies, who will also be responsible for the disbursement of funds to persons selected to engage in the project.
These include the Permanent Presidential Music Commission, which will facilitate the participation of musicians, DJs, dancers and acapella groups in all their categories.
The Department of Culture will cover comedians and visual artists, the Kenya Cultural Centre actors, poets, storytellers and theatre, including radio theatre and mimes.
And the National Museums of Kenya will oversee mural and graffiti artistes, while the Kenya Film Commission will manage all matters film and content creation.
Edited by T Jalio