The filmmakers’ industry through its body, Pearlwood has allocated Shs57.6 million to support the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Creative Industries in reviewing and updating the National Culture Policy.
In the same event, supported by African Union (AU) and SELAM, the Connect for Culture Africa program in Uganda has secured more funding worth Shs181.999 million to implement several key initiatives.
These funds will be disbursed in phases to ensure that each project milestone reflects strong accountability, measurable impact and effective service delivery. The approach underscores a commitment to evidenced-based progress within Uganda’s cultural and creative industries aligning with CfCA’s principles of transparency and responsibility in resource utilization.
The reception of the cheques was witnessed today at the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development by the stakeholders and partners.
Speaking at the event, Aisha Namatovu, Pearlwood appreciated the funding called upon the stakeholders to fully engage in Connect for Content Africa (CfCA) program and support its vision since it focuses on not only Uganda but also other African countries to develop the industry.
“The industry is advocating for 1% of public funding. Currently, it receives 0.0018%. We want this funding to help us open up employment opportunities to the youths in the culture and creative industries,” she said.
She added that although there has been mismanagement sometime, there is a need to re-arrange the industry and capture more youths from different regions of the country.
Bugweri Woman MP Rachael Magoola, chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum for the Creative Economy said that a lot has been done and there was much support in drafting the report through stakeholder meetings. The recommendations in the baseline report will be analysed to expound on the National Culture Policy.
“With more engagement with the Gender Ministry, we hope the gaps in the culture and creative industries will be closed by the review at the moment,” Magoola said.
Matsiko Mark, Education and Research officer revealed that there will be a CfCA Podcast to unify all artists through open dialogue and problem-solving.
“The podcast will be for dialogues with different artists. Many artists have not been identified but through this podcast, policy makers will be able to capture their ideas in order to foster development,” Matsiko said.
Matsiko clarified that this podcast is not only for Pearlwood but for all artists to have an opportunity to strengthen the sector’s cohesion and collectively advocate for a vibrant, well-funded creative industry.
Juliana Numo, Commissioner of Culture Affairs at the Ministry of Gender said that there is need for capacity building in areas of marketing, producing better products to compete on the international market, noting that the creative industry is not only about entertainment but also producing goods for sale to create opportunities and generate revenue.
She also noted, “The recommendations provided will help us prioritize policy and investment in areas with the most growth potential. We shall take the right steps to finalize the proposal and present the 1% funding to the Finance Ministry for approval. Hopefully, by June next year the minister will have approved it.”
