2024-07 – Wits UNESCO Chair supporting entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative sectors

July 1, 2024 – Wits University

Wits University and the University of Antwerp collaborate to conduct cultural research and strengthen arts policy on two continents.

The joint UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship and Cultural Policy will be held by Avril Joffe, an expert in cultural policy and management at the Wits School of Fine Arts, and her counterpart, Professor Annick Schramme, Director of Academic Creative Industries at the Antwerp School of Management.

Leveraging the duo’s expertise in entrepreneurship, cultural management, policymaking and the global economy, the chair will conduct research, facilitate teaching and training, and offer policy advice in the cultural and creative sectors.

The joint chairmanship attaches importance to examining and analyzing local specificities of the cultural and creative sectors in relation to international and transnational frameworks. A core aspect of this chair is research and policy work on entrepreneurial ecosystems that support artists and cultural workers in pursuing their passions, earning money and working with dignity.

The mission of UNESCO Chairs is to support inclusive social development and intercultural dialogue.

Broader capacity building and exchange programmes

“This partnership will not only bring the best of African research to a leading institution in the Global South, but will also enable collaboration with other institutions on the continent,” says Joffe, whose expertise extends beyond academia to include policy development, organisational management, capacity building and the evaluation of cultural and creative programmes.

“Training the next generation of cultural researchers and policy makers is crucial to ensuring the sustainability and profitability of the cultural and creative sectors,” he adds.

The Chair will explore the evolution of entrepreneurship and cultural policy in the global North and South and engage partners from various African countries to increase recognition of the UNESCO Convention and support a culture of shared learning and growth. All initiatives are also committed to gender equality and sustainable practices.

Schramme says the twin chair offers our students a unique opportunity to internationalise

One of the first programs supported by UNESCO Chairs is the International Summer/Winter School program, which will take place in August 2024, in which students from both regions will jointly explore amateur and community art in both regions from a comparative perspective.

“This field research will lead to recommendations for the Flemish government and South African partners. We will collaborate intensively and share knowledge and experiences, with particular emphasis on decolonizing the curricula at both of our universities. The exchange is partially financed by the Flemish Department of Culture, Youth and Media,” Schramme concludes.

The second program called “Designing Futures: A Program on Cultural Leadership” is supported by the Flemish Inter-University Council and provides the opportunity for two editions of six laboratories for 10 cultural leaders from both countries. These cultural leaders can be seen as transformational agents and their organizations as drivers of change. They will be supported with leadership coaching to foster an ecosystem that supports innovation.

UNESCO Chairs look forward to implementing further programs that will deepen learning, reflection and transformation of the cultural and creative sectors in both countries, as well as in cooperation with partner organizations on the African continent and in Europe.