Zambia’s second national Forum on Creative Digital Media will take place on 18^th June 2015.  Forum 2014 was a vibrant gathering of people from industry and education which demonstrated the creativity, professionalism and energy of the rapidly developing digital media sector in Lusaka. One year on, we meet again to build on Forum 2014, to share ideas, celebrate achievements, discuss challenges and plan for the future.

Forum 2015 will look at progress in the key areas identified in 2014 as necessary to create an enabling environment for the growth of the digital media industry in Zambia: education and training which produces highly skilled and creative graduates;  reliable high speed affordable broadband; a regulatory framework that facilitates freedom of expression; new tendering criteria which reflect the changed nature of communication; support for creativity at all levels in the education sector; fostering a cultural of innovation and collaboration. Building new partnerships between industry and education and creating links with the broader creative arts community were at heart of many discussions in 2014.  What progress have we achieved?

The Revised Sixth National Development Plan has a target of creating at least 1 million formal sector jobs by 2016.  Creative digital media has significant potential to contribute to job creation in Zambia. Jobs will be created directly in areas such as web-design, graphic design, content creation for television, design and development of education and training materials.  It will support employment and sustainable livelihoods in the creative arts community enabling artists and writers to reach wider audiences for their work.  It has a huge contribution to make to the development of the tourism industry in Zambia and the expansion of jobs in this sector. And of course, the development of a new creative digital arts sector in animation, music technology and games in the future offers endless exciting possibilities not only for job creation but for creative, artistic and cultural expression.

Education and, in particular, vocational and technical education has a key role to play in providing programmes which empower students to become highly skilled, innovative, competent, motivated and committed digital media experts. The Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) recommends that the focus of tertiary institutions of education should include technology and innovation and strongly advocates collaboration between industry and education as key elements of their strategy to ensure employability of graduates.

The new Diploma in Digital Media in Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce is now in its second year.  Students from the programme will showcase some of their work at the Forum.  We hope that this innovative, collaboratively-developed diploma will inspire change and innovation and further new programmes within the vocational sector in Zambia.  Throughout Africa there is a new focus on vocational education and innovation.  New cutting-edge technology-based creative courses answer the dreams and aspirations of young people for education that empowers them to be makers of images, messages and music; to gain the education and train they wish for in their own country.

The Forum aims to bring together industry, education both formal and informal, government ministries, the creative sector and others interested in creative digital media in Zambia to discuss the opportunities and the challenges faced by the sector.  It aims to create an open space for sharing ideas and building new links and synergies which will contribute to the enhancement and sustainability of creative digital media in Zambia and will foster collaboration and partnership.

The Forum is free but places are limited. Don’t delay.  Register now. To register for the Forum email [email protected]

The Forum is organised by Creative Digital Media Zambia  

Creative Digital Media Zambia is a partnership project between Ballyfermot College of Further Education and Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce.  It is funded Irish Aid through the Programme of Strategic Co-operation which is managed by the Higher Education Authority.

The ideas and opinions expressed herein are entirely the responsibility of CDMZ and do not necessarily reflect the policy of Irish Aid or of the HEA