Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week Announces Theme for the 2019 Event

The organisers of the Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week (PLCEW) today announced the theme for the 2019 event as “Building a Sustainable Creative Business”.

The PLCEW is a forum to help participants take their passion for creative and cultural activities such as writing, painting, composing, filmmaking, spoken word, sculpting, photography, animation or any other field of creativity, and develop the skills and ideas needed to build businesses that are viable and can also have a positive social impact.

Explaining the rationale behind the theme, the Coordinator of the Enterprise Week Mr Chukwuemeka Anyiam-Osigwe said, “Creativity – whether making music, writing books, or moulding sculpture – is not always viewed through the lens of ‘business,’ but starting a business is, in fact, a creative process. The Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week will explore this intricate link between business and creativity in order to help creatives make a living from their skills.”

According to the organisers, the theme reflects their focus towards helping the present and future generations of stakeholders in the creative industry build successful small businesses. Finding the confluence of a creative idea and the right business model will allow for the bourgeoning of possibilities founded by our imaginations. It expounds their belief that ideas are not just intrinsically valuable, but also potentially profitable and socially impactful. The aim is to transform creativity into viable and sustainable business ventures, which can be pursued positively, passionately and profitably.

Creativity as a key driver of economic success

A 2015 report by UNESCO and the consulting group, EY identified the extent and scope of the creative economy worldwide. According to the report, the cultural and creative industries employ nearly 30 million people worldwide and generate US$2.25 trillion in revenue – this is greater than the GDP of India.

The large creative conglomerates do not drive this significant GDP. Instead, this global creative GDP is built on a huge number of small businesses operating in an incredibly varied set of ways.

Why ‘sustainable’?

The aim is to help participants build creative and cultural businesses that are not dependent on subsidies to survive. Too many social enterprises and other businesses in the creative and cultural industries have been built on a financial model dependent on handouts from the government or third sector bodies; this leads to short-termism. An emphasis on sustainable business planning will look towards developing projects that have long-term viability.

By emphasising sustainability, the organisers point towards ways in which the cultural and creative industries can be given longevity through, not only networking and cooperation but also connections with their localities. This local link can be realised by the cultivation of genuine social needs identified via local engagement.

Who is expected to attend?

The forum will attract individuals from the arts and humanities who want to use their skills to start their own businesses or work in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs). It will also help individuals from any background that want to start a business (or work in an SME) in the cultural and creative industries. The forum will explore the creativity required for success in any new business venture, thus individuals working in non-creative industries will also benefit.

The PLCEW will take place November 4 – 9, 2019

For more information, please contact info@lagoscreativeenterpriseweek.org

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WELCOME TO THE CREATIVE WORLD OF SKIKA AFRIKA

Pride Magazine Nigeria (PNG) interviews one of the founders and Chief Technical Officer of Skika Afrika Chukwudi Anyiam-Osigwe (CAO). Skika Afrika is a career development platform where creatives on the African continent can collaborate with one another, showcase their art and get booked to display their art. It serves to increase connectivity and cohesion in the creative industry and empower creatives to build and sustain their creative careers.

PNG: What does the name Skika mean and why did you and your team choose the name Skika Afrika?

CAO: Skika Afrika is loosely translated to mean ‘Be heard Africa’. Skika is derived from the Swahili word kusikika, and was inspired by the need to stretch African stories beyond the single story that is often portrayed in global media. The genesis of Skika actually started with one of our founders, Samantha Weya, when she was 16. She found herself increasingly frustrated with the silencing of voices in marginalised communities, in Kenya and Africa as a whole and the lack of society’s willingness to observe perspective. Flash forward a few years she’s in university, trying to conceptualise the business model for Skika and Chimamanda does a Ted Talk titled “The Danger of a Single Story” and in that moment, Skika’s mission became clear as day. The name took some time to get to but once we took a step back to consider the vision, there was no better fit.

PNG: Skika Afrika aims to help creatives on the African continent be heard. How is Skika Afrika hoping to achieve this?

CAO: There is no doubt that the African continent has a good number of creatives that specialise in different types of art but too often they go unheard, unappreciated and undervalued. We are using community building within our technological infrastructure to reduce the aforementioned challenges and empower creatives to build successful careers.

The internet is a great tool in its ability to reach billions, and we plan to use it to our advantage to boost the exposure of creatives and their access to opportunities where they can get paid for doing what they love.

SKIKA AFRICA

Apart from giving them a platform to be discovered, we will be working long and hard engaging various venues, creative enterprises, event holders, educational institutions and mentors who can give the creatives a chance to shine brighter. We want creatives worrying less about how people will get to know and hear about them or how they are going to afford their next guitar or art exhibition. We want them focusing on creating art, more and more of it!

PNG: What are the things a creative should expect when s/he gets on to the Skika Africa platform?

CAO: By joining our platform, creatives become part of a community where they can meet other creatives to collaborate with and produce even more art. They can also connect with various platforms to showcase their art or get booked by them for a paying gig.

PNG: What kind of creatives are you hoping to get onto the Skika Africa platform?

CAO: Skika Africa is set up to cater for a wide range of creatives – actors, comedians, dancers, directors, fashion designers, models, musicians, make-up artists, filmmakers, photographers, writers and the list goes on and on.

PNG: Do you vet the creatives who can come onto the platform?

CAO: The truth is no, we do not. We let the community do that. The reviews left by others will let everyone know if a creative is who they say they are. Also, the creatives will be uploading so much material/media to showcase their talent and let their work display their expertise.

PNG: What is your message to the creatives out there on the African continent?

CAO: To quote one Lupita Ny’ongo “your dreams are valid”. It’s about time you are heard and it’s about time your art is taken seriously. We are extremely excited to see what the future holds and we want all creatives on the continent to help us build this vibrant community. So sign up at www.skikaafrika.com or follow us @skikaafrika_ng/ @skikaafrika_ke (Instagram and Twitter) or Skika Afrika (Facebook). We will be launching later this year, so watch this space!!!

PNG: The inaugural edition of the Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week is coming up in 2019, will Skika Afrika be a part of this event?

CAO: Sure. We plan to take part in the Creative Enterprise Week and play our role in contributing to the growth of the creative industry.

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PRIDE LAGOS CREATIVE ENTERPRISE WEEK – EXPLORING THE GIG ECONOMY FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND UPSKILLING

Nigeria’s youth population face huge challenges finding gainful employment. While the country’s official unemployment rate is now 18.8%, the most affected group are young people under the age of 35.

A staggering 53.3% of youth are currently unemployed. Against the backdrop of an ailing economy, finding creative and innovative solutions to high unemployment among the youth is an urgent concern to every well-meaning Nigerian citizen who has the welfare of youths at heart.

The Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week (PLCEW) proffers how our unemployed youth can get the necessary skills to economical empower themselves through the gig economy. The gig economy is defined as a flourishing environment of short-term contracts or freelance work. PLCEW is an initiative, which aims to help our creatives’ upskill and assist them in marketing themselves successfully locally and internationally.

The gig economy offers veritable solutions to youth unemployment by creating much needed opportunities, both for those seeking work and those looking to expand their skills. The prevalence of independent workers is on the increase internationally and the potential benefits for Nigeria’s creative youths are only just starting to be explored. Any skilled creative in any city in Nigeria can work and deliver value to the rest of the world with the added benefit of being able to earn dollars and spend in naira. However, young Nigerians need to hone internationally recognised skills to engage and compete in the gig economy.

Solving the youth unemployment crisis requires imaginative solutions and collective action, which recognises the importance of skills development to unlock decent work opportunities both here at home and abroad.

The PLCEW is putting together courses for young people who want to expand their skillset but cannot afford expensive courses or enrolment in tertiary institutions. The courses are designed and structured to enable creatives’ gain fundamental knowledge and skills to enable them thrive in the workplace. By taking advantage of the structured courses, Nigerian youths can kick-start their careers and sharpen their skills to compete in the global digital economy.

Individuals, corporations, NGOs, government agencies, and foreign embassies that wish to sponsor the PLWEC event or facilitate workshops, seminars, and master classes can get in touch via email info@pridemagazineng.com. Let all hands be on deck to work towards getting our youths gainfully employed.

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PRIDE LAGOS CREATIVE ENTERPRISE WEEK: GET INSPIRED, TAKE ACTION, BE EMPOWERED

The Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week (PLCEW) seeks to address the issue of youth unemployment and poverty among creatives through training to further hone creative skills and foster entrepreneurship.

Tertiary education is not always possible for many Nigerian youths due to financial circumstances. On the other hand, many graduates also face serious difficulties finding jobs. The PLCEW will proffer solutions on how unemployed creatives can upskill and how to market themselves successfully.

During the course of the PLCEW, creatives will garner knowledge that can help them find work within local and international companies, thrive as self-employed freelancers, or set up and run their own businesses. They will also gain insights on how their skills can be applied to a multitude of industries. It is the expectation that the PLCEW will open doors to creatives.

The PLCW organising committee are at the early stages of planning the event and would like individuals, corporations, NGOs, government agencies, and foreign embassies who can sponsor the PLWC or facilitate workshops, seminars, and masterclasses to get in touch through their email: info@pridemagazineng.com.

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INAUGURAL PRIDE LAGOS CREATIVE ENTERPRISE WEEK (2019)

The first edition of the Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week (PLCEW) will take place in November 2019.

1st annual Pride Creative Enterprise Week

The PLCEW is dedicated to the business of the creative industries. The creative industries when co-ordinated holistically can contribute significantly to the gross domestic product of Nigeria and also help address the issue of youth unemployment in the country to a significant extent.

The PLCEW will:

  • Chart pathways that creatives can navigate to enable them get empoweredand make a success of their creativity.
  • Provide insights on how to earn a reasonable living from their creativity.
  • Provide a fantastic learning opportunity for creatives in different genres.
  • Encourage creative professionals of all levels to share their knowledge and nurture the next generation of creatives by sharing the knowledge, tips and tactics they’ve learned over years.
  • Help creatives expand their contacts and networks.
  • Encourage creatives to cooperate and synergise in order to grow and prosper.
  • Celebrate the success of the creative community in the radio and television industries.

Through a series of events, talks, seminars, workshops and activities, creatives in different genres are enabled to turn their creativity and creative ideas into reality.

GET INVOLVED WITH PLCEW: The Organising Committee of the PLCEW welcomes individuals, private corporations, NGOs, government ministries and agencies, and others who are interested in helping the creative youths of our nation to be empowered by being a part of this initiative. Please get in touch with the committee via info@pridemagazineng.com if interested.

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