ZAMBIA SEEKS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CANADA FOR TELEFILM DEVELOPMENT
Paris, France 13.02.2025
Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Arts Permanent Secretary, Mr. Chama Fumba, has expressed Zambia’s intention to forge a strategic partnership with Canada focused on the development of telefilm in Zambia.
During a bilateral meeting on Wednesday with Canada’s Deputy Minister of Heritage, Ms. Isabelle Mondou, held on the sidelines of the ongoing 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO, Mr. Fumba shared Zambia’s keen interest in Canada’s telefilm industry and the potential for collaboration that could benefit both nations.
Mr. Fumba extended an invitation to Canadian filmmakers to participate in the upcoming National Arts Festival in Zambia slated for 27th to 31st August, 2025 to showcase their work and engage with Zambian filmmakers. He also proposed collaborating on translating Canadian literature into local Zambian languages to enhance community access to Canadian creativity.
“We see this as an opportunity to foster collaboration between writers and creatives, allowing our writers to connect with their Canadian counterparts,” he stated. Additionally, Mr. Fumba requested the support of the Canada Council of Arts to support international participation by Canadian artists during Zambia’s National Arts Festival. He further encouraged Canadian participation as resource persons at this year’s Continental Creative Industries Business Summit scheduled from 25th to 28th June, 2025, which is expected to attract representatives from 54 African countries.
Mr. Fumba emphasised that while the government has allocated funding for creative entrepreneurship, it is seeking additional support to facilitate the growth of small and medium enterprises. This would promote entrepreneurship and creativity that align with the government’s economic goal of transforming the creative sector from a social to a socio-economic sector.
On the topic of sports, Mr. Fumba underscored the government’s commitment to leveraging sports as an economic driver and as a means to increase opportunities for youth to become economically active. He expressed a desire to explore opportunities for young Canadians to collaborate with young Zambian teams for growth and inspiration.
In response, Ms. Mondou acknowledged the importance of capacity building and collaboration in the creative sector. She pointed to the potential of linking Zambia with Canada’s National Film Day initiative to inspire the pupils through showcasing of movies in schools. Ms. Mondou also highlighted existing Canadian programs for marginalized communities and expressed willingness to explore partnerships in sports and arts infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, the Director of Arts Ms. Esther Ng’ambi, requested a benchmarking opportunity to review Canada’s legal frameworks related to the arts and learn best practices for revising the National Arts Council of Zambia Act of 1994 and the Theatre and Cinematography Act of 1929. She also sought Canada’s expertise on monetization to be shared during the forthcoming summit.
Additionally, Ms. Angela Chadukwa, the National Focal Point for the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity, expressed interest in exchanging views on the Convention and appreciating UNESCO’s processes related to its implementation.
Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Zambia, Mr. Chrissy Hilweele, expressed appreciation for Canada’s willingness to explore partnership opportunities and highlighted the importance of sharing best practices to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving global landscape. He further implored the Permanent Secretary and the Deputy Minister to harness the power of artificial intelligence in the creative sector.
Issued by:
Naomi Mweemba
First Secretary, Press
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Paris, France