|
Information:
The
Gambia's National
Centre For Arts and Culture is a semi independent cultural
institution which was created in Banjul by an Act of the National
Assembly in December 1989. This act was later replaced by
the NCAC Act of 2003 which made the centre a guardian of the
nation's cultural and historic heritage and charged it to
conserve, promote and celebrate the country's artistic, cultural
and historic inheritance.
 The
vision of the NCAC is to integrate The Gambia's national cultural
assets into the essential fabric of governing the country
and to integrate cultural heritage into its development planning
for the economic wellbeing of its people in the long-term.
These include the archiving, research and preservation of
local ethnic languages, ancient & modern relics, monuments,
indigenous technology, traditional recreation and sports as
well as support and promotional activities.
The governing body is made up of a board of 8 members who are chosen
by the Minister of Tourism and Culture who also happens to be the
supreme decision making public institution on all issues pertaining
to the arts and culture.
NCAC Functions:
• Provide advisory to the Minister of Tourism.
• Promote the arts & culture in all regions.
• To carry out, supervise, plan and assess artistic & cultural
programmes.
• To encourage cultural & artistic alliances locally &
internationally.
• Promote, at grassroots level, the prominence of groups &
bodies focused on the promotion of arts and culture.
• Preside over the workings of the various committees.
• Probe & report on cultural & artistic issues pertaining to
documentation, information gathering & sorting, distribution,
retrieval, archiving & research.
• Provide equipment, manage and conserve the National Museums.
• Create, equip, maintain & manage new museums as necessary.
• To conserve, mend or restore any ethnographical
pieces which it assesses to be of national significance.
• If necessitates, investigate & issue findings to the Minister on
any ethnographical objects.
• Maintain & update a register of all ethnographical articles it
receives or which it is notified of.
• Document all monuments whose designation as National Monuments it
considers justified; determine their rightful owners, before
recommending to the Minister to declare them as National Monuments.
• Carry out all necessary duties associated with the research and
development of arts and culture in The Gambia.
NCAC Organisational Structure:
• The Office of The Director.
• The Directorate of Literature
Performing and Fine Arts.
• The Directorate of Cultural Heritage.
• The Directorate of Copyright.
The Office of the Director General - (ODG)
It acts as the NCAC's management &
financial unit. Its various functions are to create budgets and
project ideas for the centre, supervise and assess the activities
and projects of the various technical departments, make information
available to the board, carry out PR, monitor daily activities and evaluate
policies pertinent to the NCAC and arts and culture generally.
Directorate of Literature Performing and Fine Arts - DLPFA
This unit promotes, preserves and develops the Gambia's culture
regionally and overseas. Its various functions are the following:
• Financial & technical support for large events organised by
cultural troupes & artists.
• The establishment of national drama, music and dance troupes.
• Registration of cultural music / dance groups & artists
(visual & plastic arts).
• Production of a nationwide catalogue of registered artists &
cultural dance groups.
• Promote & help community, village & regional cultural
events.
• Participating in the International Roots Festival.
• Promoting Gambian literary works & authors.
• Organise workshops.
Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DCH) is comprised of 2
divisions which are:
• Monuments & Museums Division
- (MMD)
This division of the NCAC is in charge of physical
cultural heritage both fixed and movable. Its functions are to
collect historical artefacts, arrange public exhibitions, conduct
research at newly emerged archaeological sites, manage museums both
in Banjul & in the regions. Furthermore, the unit can make
declarations, assessments, evaluations, preservation and promotion of
The Gambia's national monuments and sites of historical and cultural
importance, organise appeal campaigns in relation to physical and
non-material historic items.
• Research and Documentation Division
- RDD
This unit is responsible for collecting, processing and distributing
cultural information on all relevant details of the collected
material and non-material heritage. They stock in excess of five
thousand audio recordings on the history of The Gambia as well as
traditions, family genealogies, folklore, music, songs, myths,
legends, customs, rites etc.
The division has a transcription & translation service, book
reference library, sound archives, consultancy service unit,
collaborative research section, issues research permits for social science
work and gives lectures to school & college students and any other interested parties on
request.
The Directorate of Copyright
A copyright commission,
comprised of 22 members, was established on the 25th November 2009
and meets at the NCAC grounds in Banjul. It has the following
functions:
• To provide consultation
and give advisory to the Gambia Copyright Office on the registration
and licensing of creative works in the form of literature,
paintings, musical works as well as subsidiary works such as
adaptations and language translations.
• To hold regular
meetings to assess creative works filed with the Copyright Office
for the issuance of a license. Such issuance is dependant on the
work's originality which must be recorded in a book, CD, DVD or
other tangible form
among other criteria.
• To aid the Copyright Office in public
education and awareness initiatives on various types of media
outlets.
You can request information regarding copyright
issues from the Director of Copyright at the National Museum complex
on Independence Drive in Banjul.
Tel no: 4229730
Email: bayifana@yahoo.com
|
