Dear community
TARO, which is an acronym for Tanzania Artists Rights Organization, made significant progress in enhancing the rights of artists in Tanzania in 2023.
As we enter the new year, TARO reflects on the significant and wide-reaching impact of our work throughout 2023. Although the need to protect artistic freedom remains a top and pressing concern, we are encouraged by the joint commitment of our partners and supporters to defend artistic expression. We are pleased to share a summary of our growth in 2023, and our expanded ability to support artists in Tanzania.
This work was made possible by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam and our major local partner Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA). We shall not unweight the support from Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) and our partners in several international networks such as Avant Garde Lawyers (AGL), and Artists At Risk Connection (ARC). Swedish Art Council and International Federation for Arts Council and Cultural Agencies (IFACCA) for sponsoring TARO’s participation in the 9th World Summit on Arts and Culture-2023, in Stockholm, Sweden. Your commitment to promoting artistic freedom empowers us to fulfill our mission each year.
Let's celebrate our accomplishments for 2023, as now we moved into 2024.
The drafted and publicly released 3 legal position papers such as Dilemma of Artistic Freedom in Tanzania (2023), The Burden of Legal Compliance in Arts and Culture sector (2023), and Recommendations to improve the draft of Nationa Arts Regulations 2021.
Conducted 2 meetings to inform the government about the need for safe spaces for artists to exercise their creative expression without fear of persecution and censorship. Gender mainstreaming was also an agenda to create an inclusive arts and cultural sector for female artists. All arts authorities in Tanzania were involved.
Conducted 2 meetings with over 100 artists and stakeholders to raise awareness about artistic freedom and to discuss ways to enhance it within the arts and cultural sector.
Conducted 2 meetings with parliamentary committees in Tanzania to discuss recognition and incorporation of artistic freedom and gender mainstreaming in the laws governing the arts and cultural sector. Such committees are THE GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTION, AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEES.
Conducted 2 meetings between art feminists and over 40 lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) to discuss ways to enhance laws governing the arts and cultural sector for better gender inclusivity and incorporation of Artistic freedom as a universal and contextual concept.
The social media campaign and media interview reached over 5,000 people in Tanzania, educating them about artistic freedom.
Reporting and monitoring cases for violations of Freedom of artistic expression. The totality of 5 incidences were reported and monitored in 2023, and another 13 cases were recorded from incidences that happened (2017-2023) in Tanzania.
Provision of legal aid (consultations) to 26 artists especially on issues related to contracts, copyright, registration of arts organizations, and legal compliance on art practices
Expansion of international network to protect Freedom of Artistic Expression in Africa, Europe, and America. Example AGL and ARC.
Expansion of local network to advocate for the improvement of the life standard of artists in Tanzania such as Dar Foto Festival, 4 Arts Federations, Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) and Nabra Creative Company.
Join us in 2024 as we strive to enrich the art scene in Tanzania. By partnering with us, you can contribute to a movement that creates opportunities for artists and helps establish a lively and flourishing artistic community. Let's work together to make a positive impact in the world of art.