You are currently viewing Arts and culture fair underway at Omuthiya

Arts and culture fair underway at Omuthiya


THE second edition of the arts and culture fair at Omuthiya under the theme ‘Arts and Culture Changing Livelihoods’ kicked off on a high note on Monday and will end tomorrow.

The fair was initiated by the arts and culture department of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in the Oshikoto region last year, and has become part of the Omuthiya community’s annual social calendar.

The objectives are to promote arts and culture content, safeguard indigenous knowledge and to strengthen community identity to boost the local economy and encourage entrepreneurial skills.

Ester Leonard, chief arts extension officer and museum administrator at Omuthiya, says guests at the five-day event include Oshikoto governor Penda ya Ndakolo, the education director, and other relevant stakeholders.

The subdivision of the national heritage and cultural programme and the arts section under the Lifelong Learning Arts and Culture (LLLAC) division is facilitating the fair at the Omuthiya Cultural Centre.

Leonard says the fair allows practitioners, artists, and exhibitors to come together at one centre to showcase their products and talents, and earn income from the sale of various items.

She says the event also aims to expose, nurture and uplift artists’ creative skills through workshops, exhibitions, traditional skills demonstrations, and stage performances.

“Community members are also attending classes and are being trained on drumming, mural painting, dancing, and choir singing,” Leonard says.

Event organiser Paulina Moses says artists such as Oniipa Boy and Marvi will host a karaoke session.

“Provision will also be made for local musicians to promote their music. This event [the karaoke session] will take place on 9 December (tomorrow) from 18h00 to 21h00 at the Museum of Namibian Music,” she says.

Moses says the event will also be a marketing tool for the museum as many inhabitants of the town are still unaware of its existence.





Source link