… but says this time emphasis is on dialogue for establishing special market places for creatives
Veteran hip-hop artist Tshepiso ‘Kast’ Molapisi has brought back his famous Tlatsa Lebala campaign for he walked 1000 kilometres from Maun to Gaborone a few years ago.
The aim to fill the National Stadium with fans in an all-local line-up of entertainers.
This time around, the campaign is not about walking a thousand kilometres but to focus on building market places other than sporting facilities and multipurpose halls where creatives can display their wares. “This is a campaign that identifies issues of the Botswana entertainment industry,” Kast said in an interview.
“We need a creative and arts sector that comes up with intelligent conversations with stakeholders about issues like having special spaces for local creatives. This is a campaign that talks about achieving change in the creative industries.”
He emphasized that Tlatsa Lebala is not only an initiative to walk a thousand kilometres but also a longtime campaign aimed at growing the local entertainment industry and dialogue for mindset change through engaging with decision and policymakers.
Research shows that a dedicated creative space allows for cross-functional/project team collaboration without interruption and can house all the necessary tools and technology to support the creative process.
“We have had two walk campaigns but this time around it’s more about dialogue,” Kast noted. “Artists have been using sporting facilities and multi-purpose halls but we should establish our own spaces that cater for our market. We should have markets and product selling spaces.”
He added that local artists have are now interested in mounting one-man that could be accommodated in such spaces.
Kast noted the campaign requires several investors for it succeed.