Bushfire arts roundtable sparks key cultural debates

MALKERNS – Some of Africa’s most dynamic creative minds and industry players gathered yesterday for the MTN Bushfire 2025 Arts Roundtable, held at the All Out Africa Research and Monitoring Centre (ARMC), where urgent conversations around the future of the continent’s arts and culture landscape took centre stage.

The Roundtable, held on Friday, 30 May 2025, drew musicians, curators, policymakers, and arts innovators from Eswatini, South Africa, Mozambique, Germany, and beyond. Five distinct sessions tackled pressing topics such as gender representation, the role of artificial intelligence in music, building artist independence, and sustainable development through culture.

The first session, Amplifying Underrepresented Voices, featured speakers like Pilani Bubu, Originelle from Eswatini, and South Africa’s Money Badoo. They explored the struggles and triumphs of women in the arts sector, especially in leadership spaces often dominated by men.

Another key panel addressed Driving Innovation: Music & AI, where local creative Mmeli Hlanze joined Thabo Phahlane and Ziyawa to examine how artificial intelligence is shaping music production and distribution, particularly for younger and independent musicians.

The conversation on Developing Independence brought together Spijonget Bylwantsa, Charisse C, and Eswatini’s Sands, discussing how artists can build autonomy through strategic partnerships, entrepreneurship, and branding—without losing their cultural authenticity.

The Arts Incubator Corridor session, moderated by Jess White, featured Bushfire’s own Jiggs Thorne, Mozambican producer Paulo Chibanga, and European Union Ambassador Karsten Mecklenburg. They discussed cross-border collaboration and funding strategies for arts development.

The final panel, Creating for the Future, brought in voices from UNESCO and regional arts stakeholders such as Mmeli Hlanze, Elena Constantinou, Sharmila Elias-Taala, and Azucena Mico. They interrogated how Southern Africa’s cultural festivals like Bushfire can serve as sustainable engines for social cohesion, economic growth, and youth development.