By Chisomo Phiri

On Thursday last week, the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (SMEDI) signed a memorandum of understanding on provision of skills development, capacity building and linkage support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ( MSMEs ) in the creative industries sector.

The Memorandum of understanding has been approached as COSOMA waits to construct the school of arts through the integrated Arts Development Project where SMEDI will in meantime provide trainings.

According to the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) Executive Director and Copyright Administrator Mrs. Dora Makwinja the agreement is a timely intervention.

“We are glad to partner with SMEDI in pursuit of enhancing the skills of our members in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and marketing among others. We thank the team from SMEDI for accepting to work with us” said Makwinja.

Presiding over the event on behalf Small and Media Enterprises Development Institute (SMEDI) Executive Director, the SMEDI’s Director of Business and Information Training stated that he hopes both parties will work hand in hand to develop skills of creators further than expected.

“We expect to develop and promote players that will take arts as a business sector and grow it. Together we will look for financing institutions with an aim of increasing access to finances by our SMEs in the creative sector” he said.

The Integrated Arts Development Project (IADP) intends to address the challenges faced by artists in terms of skills gap, access to financial services and availability of quality artistic products and marketing services. This will be done by establishing School of Arts and enhancing the capacities of Arts Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) and Arts Production and Marketing Cooperative (APMC).