Performers from Ghana, Ethiopia and Tanzania have helped launch a five-year project to try to secure more funding for arts and culture, aiming to persuade African governments to allocate at least 1% of their budgets.
The project, called Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) has been started by the African Union in collaboration with Selam Ethiopia, a non-governmental organisation that uses film, music and circus performances to address issues such as women rights.
"We want to empower artists. A lot of artists want to participate in these discussions about good governance, human rights but they are scared of the consequences," Lucy Ilado, regional programme director at Selam, said.
