Artists in the North-West Region are known through out Cameroon' National Territory and beyond to produce fine arts. But the problem is usually how to make this arts yield better fruits than it is already doing.
Cameroon Cultural Network expands to the North-West Region and for the first time some carefully selected artists with mastery in what they do were called to discover information about the Networking and encouraged to use it to shine better.
Akumbu Jones representing the Cameroon Cultural Network, made up of 8 organizations organized an Information session for some artists in the North-West Region and used the afternoon not just to showcase the finesse in arts but also provided information that can help them make gain from every piece they produced.
According to the host, it is the first time the Network is doing any activity in Bamenda, to reveal to artist what to know and how they can benefit from the Network's activity.
"My objective is that I wish to find artists get financial gain of their art. It should not only be about having good arts, which you are not benefiting from. My reason for engaging in this project is because I want to see an ecosystem created. We have been fighting to have an ecosystem with the cultural sector and we have been looking at different avenues that can have this work".
The Network seem to have had many artists from other regions enrolling for the opportunities it provides, but for the artists in the North-West Region. Akumbu Jones speaks more on the profits of the platform and the reason artists in the North-West Region are held back, as per his research.
"For now the only one which is presentable here is the Cameroon Cultural Network and we want to involve artists in this project. They can at least move through the 4 cultural zones of Cameroon. The artists can actually choose where they want to go to".
"The CNN is supported by French Agency for Development, the Spanish Embassy in Cameroon. The reason is that most artists from other regions benefit from this project but for artists from the North-West and South-West Region. Maybe because artist from these regions are very timid or may not know how to go about it".
He adds that there is a problem os access to information about the offers of the Network.
"For the past 5 years, only 3 artists from the North-West and South-West Region have benefited from this project. We need to expose the information to artists in the North-West so that they can apply. The problem seems to be access to information".
He believes that the North-Region can produce best artists and that they can succeed if they understand the concept of the Network.
"The objective is to have access to information, this will bring artists to the lamplight. Students today study Performing Visual arts but when they graduate they don't know the basics. We need a cultural center in Bamenda, we need a localised cultural hub, to practice and help artists know how to use the stage", Akumbu Jones, Representative of the Cameroon Cultural Network speaking in Bamenda.