Africa-Press – Angola. Historian Rosa Cruz e Silva stated, on Wednesday, in Luanda, that culture continues to be a fundamental part of a people’s identity, which has enormous social and economic importance for nations.On the second and final day of the conference on “50 years of National Culture: Present and Future”, held at the BAI Academy, Rosa Cruz e Silva assured that culture reinforces capacity and diversity, expressed in each sociocultural context of the country.
Culture, he said, as a set of practices, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group, can also generate wealth.
The conference coordinator also said that the social dynamics in the country necessarily involve cultural activity. However, she recalled that these social dynamics are not only present in spaces where entertainment and leisure are prioritized, but, above all, in the importance of affirming the symbolic values emanating from the cultural expressions that define the identity of the Angolan nation under construction.
Therefore, he said, the BAI Foundation intends, with its activity, to contribute to the cultural axis, valuing cultural expressions, holding debates around key issues, whose problems repeatedly call us to reflect and make practical resolutions.
“This activity aims to safeguard the vast cultural legacy that we inherited from our ancestors with a view to updating and adapting to modern times and, above all, to permanently escape the voracious globalizing trend that affects us.”
Rosa Cruz e Silva explained that we must continue to contribute to the valorization of culture in the country, always taking into account the various challenges faced by the main cultural agents.
The Conference “50 years of National Culture: Present and Future”, he said, is justified by the urgent need to reflect on the current state of National Culture and its future prospects in a context of globalization and accelerated modernization.
“Culture, authors such as Eduardo Salles point out, is not just an artistic expression, but also a powerful force for the formation of collective identity and the construction of a nation”.
In Angola, he stressed, culture plays a central role in the formation of national identity, social cohesion and economic development. Over the past 50 years, he added, the country has witnessed significant developments in various artistic disciplines, including visual arts, music, dance, cinema and literature.
The challenges of the conference
On the second day of the conference on Culture, the Secretary of State for Culture, Maria da Piedade de Jesus, the CEO of the BAI Foundation (FBAI), Tchissola Mosquito and cultural makers were present.
Yesterday, two panels were scheduled to discuss the “challenges of cinema and the visual arts”. The first panel was under the theme “Cinema in Angola: The next 50 years”.
The speakers on this topic were actor Orlando Sérgio, filmmaker Nark Luenzi and director Kamy Lara. In his presentation, Nark Luenzi listed awareness, structure and incentives as fundamental elements for improving the seventh art in the next 50 years.
Orlando Sérgio recalled a bit of the past, stating that the country lived for many years without showing national films. The artist also assured that training and financing for cinema must be continuous, in order to learn how to deal with technological advances.
Director Kamy Lara advocated the creation of a public fund for the cinema sector and the construction of infrastructure. She also continued that we should consider sustainable cinema.
In the second panel, the topic under discussion was “Visual arts in Angola: The next 50 years”, speakers Januário Jano, Rômulo Rosa and Edna Bettencourt participated via zoom, while speaker Dominick Tanner was in person.
The artists were unanimous in stating that one cannot talk about visual art, looking at the next 50 years, without first pointing out the necessary solutions for the present.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
