Creative industries

From music and literature to fashion, digital development, film, and visual arts, Namibia's creative realm is blossoming. But while events and projects in this domain expand in frequency and magnitude, the limited support available compels many artists to work together, often with scant financial rewards. "The Goethe-Institut Namibia has thus started supporting the industry with numerous projects, events and skill development initiatives. Relying on its global reach, the Goethe-Institut has sought to provide support in a way that connects Namibian creatives to international players in the same industries. The aim is to help foster the potential of the industry from an international level that shows relevance and to highlight the importance to grow the industry in a way that could support more financial growth for these businesses.

“How do artists and creatives generate income? How do they start, grow and sustain a business?”

In 2020 Goethe-Institut Namibia (GI), together with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) launched the first ever Creative Entrepreneurship Programme (CEP (no “I”)), which was an incubation programme for entrepreneurs, who wanted to grow their businesses in a way that it could become more financially successful and impact the Namibian economy in a positive way. This pilot programme has an open call to the whole creative industry and supported 14 businesses which was made up of 30 individuals. Then in 2021 and amid the pandemic we launched CEP II, but this time with a more refined focus on the digital & tech subsectors within the creative industries building upon lessons learned and lean approaches tested in the previous edition.
The success of the first two rounds lead to the CEP III launch in 2022 and which focused on supporting entrepreneurs in the event & entertainment industry given the recovering outdoor music event landscape in Namibia. This cohort of entrepreneurs would receive a similar structured training and programme elements and were then tasked to create a showcase event. This event was an opportunity for the entrepreneurs to apply all their learnings from the programme and experience they have built up and this took place in November 2022 at Goethe-Institut Namibia.
The programme as a whole remains a flagship project for Goethe-Institut Namibia as the industry has proved incredible potential and with partners we can only keep developing it to help support creatives.”

Electronic Music Producer’s Retreat July 2023

Using Traditional Instruments and Rhythms in Electronic Music
The DJ/Producer Residency organized by the Goethe-Institut and EUNIC Namibia aims to explore the incorporation of traditional instruments and rhythms from Namibia and neighboring countries into electronic music. This 4-day residency, headed by DJane and Producer Dr. Banu Cicek Tülü (Germany), provided a platform for local electronic music producers to delve into this specific topic, promote Namibian and African music through electronic genres, and reach diverse audiences. The residency culminated in live performances and DJ sets showcasing the collective and individual compositions created during the program. The residency was successful in providing local electronic music producers with a dedicated space to work on the integration of traditional instruments and African rhythms into their music. It also fostered a culture of learning by doing and skill sharing among participants.
Th retreat served to promote Namibian and African music by presenting it within the context of electronic dance music, creating compositions that demonstrate the fusion of traditional elements and electronic music, resulting in a collection of tracks or a live jam performance. To further wider accessibility and dissemination of the music, the idea is to potentially release the produced tracks. The DJ residents were: Mr. Alex Evat Lineekela Hawala (Namibia), Ms. Banu Çiçek Tülü (Germany / Turkey), Ms Celine Marie Louise Gautrois (Namibia), Mr Misael Lehto Jose Cambinda (Angola), Ms Naukalemo Gloria Delmar Ndilula (Namibia) IV.

Masterclass with Rotterdam Film Festival (IFFR) and film director Perivi Katjavivi

Leading up to the Namibian premiere of the feature film 'Under the Hanging Tree' by  director Perivi Katjavivi, and as part of our continued efforts in skills development for the local film industry, the Goethe-Institut Namibia held a masterclass led by Lyse Ishimwe Nsengiyumva, Film Programmer at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and award-winning Namibian director Perivi Katjavivi. Topics such as the making of 'Under the Hanging Tree', the intricacies of financing Namibian feature films and the process of submitting to international festivals were discussed. The masterclass forms part of the continued support and development initiatives of Goethe-Institut Namibia towards development and training of young Namibian film professionals.
Lyse Ishimwe Nsengiyumva is a film curator and photographer who is currently based in Belgium, where she founded 'Recognition' in 2016. 'Recognition' is a Brussels-based initiative with the aim of increasing the visibility of African and African diaspora art and culture via community-based film screenings. Lyse currently works at the International Film Festival Rotterdam as a programmer for the Feature, Short & Mid Length sections. Previously, she was a film consultant for the Berlinale Forum.