Ayeta Anne Wangusa

Ayeta Anne Wangusa (born 9 September, 1971) is a Ugandan writer and activist. A founding member (1995) of FEMRITE, the Uganda Women Writers Association, Wangusa first achieved broader recognition in literary circles for her novel Memoirs of a Mother (1998).She was also a founding member (2009) of the African Writers Trust, currently (as of 2018) serving on the advisory board.[4] She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby. Quotes Written in the first person, this fictional biography tells the deeply moving story of a Ugandan woman forced to trade the romantic idealism of her youth for a mundane marriage, based on outmoded rules and obligations. The quest to balance the need for social respectability with the dictates of her heart, leads to painful discoveries, which finally force her to assert her individuality against oppressive social norms. Described as highly economical and poetic, the novel illuminates remote corners of family life in modern Uganda. About her work Ayeta explained that CDEA was established to bring together policymakers and civil society to improve the environment in which creatives operate. Over time, however, the organisation realised something important. Advocacy alone is not enough. To influence policy effectively, organisations must also understand the practical realities creatives face every day. That led CDEA to complement its research and advocacy with an incubator and accelerator, allowing ideas to be tested in practice before informing wider policy discussions. Another fascinating part of the discussion centred on what Ayeta described as the creative value chain. Like agriculture, where a product moves from seed to consumer, the creative industries follow their own journey. It begins with the creator before moving into production, publishing or recording, distribution, marketing and finally the consumer. Along the way there are publishers, reviewers, festivals, educational institutions, distributors, streaming platforms and many other participants helping creative work reach its audience. [www.storiesofbusiness.com/post/culture-policy-and-creative-enterprise-a-conversation-with-ayeta-anne-wangusa-of-culture-and-devel] I have worked as a practitioner in the print media and as media advisor for an international development organisation in the Republic of Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania, respectively. I am co-founder and Executive Director of Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA), a creative think tank in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. CDEA was incorporated in October 2011 to provide cultural and Pan-African thought leadership for creative, social and scientist innovators to create and innovate through structured workplace learning, incubation, research & advocacy and capacity building for social change. It also innovates on how space can be used to enhance sustainable workplace productivity and green community lifestyles. I was a member of the UNESCO Expert Facility (2015-2017) and am currently a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility (2018-2022) for the 2005 Convention. I am also a steering committee member of African Cultural Policy Network (ACPN). In an interview The research carried out by CDEA highlights the key challenges facing the creatives in Tanzania and other East Africa countries, and can be summarised under the following framework conditions: • Financial Framework Conditions: Most of creatives run micro businesses that are not bankable because they are considered high risk. In addition, there are no guarantee financial systems targeting creative industries. • Industrial Framework Conditions: Creative content producers in Tanzania and wider the East Africa region are at the precursor and embryonic stages of industrial development, with limited incentives and capacity support to stimulate industrial growth. • Market Framework Conditions: There is a market for creative products such as film and music in Tanzania, but they controlled by telecoms and broadcasters and aggregators, with limited trickledown effect to the creatives. External links Category:1971 births Category:Women born in the 1970s Category:Africa Category:Living people