About Us

Arts and Culture for Development (AC4D) is  a Tanzanian based non – profit organisation making an impact in repositioning the creative economy in East Africa and using innovation as a tool to impact communities, artists and organisations.  

We work with creatives to provide development opportunities, to see themselves as creative entrepreneurs and leaders. We want Tanzanian creatives to take advantage of this dynamic world by forging a creative space for themselves. 

AC4D provides consulting, project management and marketing services for organisations seeking creative support in their projects. We lead in articulating the life-changing impact of organisations and communities across East Africa, through writing, photography, videography and design, capitalising on digital marketing and local and national press outlets. 

We are changing the  African narrative and working  with various  indigenous tribes to preserve the culture and develop a better understanding of the society in a globalized context.

MISSION STATEMENT

To disseminate and exchange knowledge and a better understanding between African communities through culture preservation, tourism promotion, innovation and skills development in the creative economy.

Some of the problems we are solving

Development and Training

Many people and artists face a language barrier and miss out on international opportunities. Besides, some do not know how they can establish themselves creatively to get recognised locally and internationally. There are many opportunities such as funding, training skills that can be accessed for artists that people are not tapping into and developing themselves. We are here to change that.

The recent pandemic has demonstrated a greater need for business to go virtual, the creative industry is no exception. Providing entrepreneurial and digital skills to creatives so that they may reach to a wider  local and international audience.

 

Changing the Narrative

Africans are the minority contributors to their own storylines and it is usually foreign perceptions that dominate the African narrative. An alarming 43% of foreign agencies account for stories about the continent, with only 19% of the stories coming from African based agencies. When the narrative is foreign, it is one-sided and not equally spread.

We want to contribute to the African narrative, by using art and culture to tell stories about marginalised communities. It is important to raise awareness and showcase the best of the East African narrative, to empower people, cultures and communities. We aim to build resources used for educational purposes and for tourism.

 

Objectives

  • To provide learning and development for artists.
  • Shape the community’s narrative.
  •  To contribute towards transforming the creative economy in Tanzania and Africa at large.
  • To find alternative approaches to storytelling, to embrace culture, identity and shape Africa’s narrative.
  • To promote and encourage transparency and knowledge to the community.
  • To promote public awareness.
  • To do anything incidental to the above.