INK “Inanda, Ntuzuma, Kwamashu” Creative Centre

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INK Creative Centre

The Ethekwini Inanda Ntuzuma KwaMashu (INK) Area, which is a Presidential Node for Job Creation, managed by an Area Based Manager made an application to the National Department of Tourism to provide funds for the development of an Arts and Craft Centre.

The purpose of the Arts &Craft Centre is a facility or hub whereby local artists and crafters can display their items for visitors and tourists that would visit the centre.

During the initial phase of the project the centre was constructed, local artists and crafters developed products and they received training through the Expanded Public Works Programme, with funding from the National Department of Tourism.

The project is now in its second phase and there is a strong emphasis for the centre to become a central facility for local artists and crafters to develop their products that will be attractive to:

• the individual art collector

• the corporate market for conferences, gifts and investment in products that are locally produced

• to individual buyers that visit the centre

• to on-line visitors to the website that can place orders

• to buyers that purchase items from retail outlets that stock our products

• to buyers at trade shows that the INK Creative Centre exhibits their products.

The important intervention that the project aims to achieve is that local artists and crafters, of which many of them were unemployed

• acquire skills

• that their skills are enahnced through training offered during the project implementation period

• that they have access to markets for their products

• that they are provided guidance so that the centre and all of the project beneficiaries have a sustainable future

At present there are 92 persons working in the project and with the estimated number of dependents being 5 person per project worker, this project and its future is having an impact on 460 people in the local area.

The Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu Creative Centre is an initiative by the eThekwini Arts and Culture Department with the eThekwini Municipality to uplift the community by promoting local artists.