MARKET ACCESS
From 2011 to 2015, Arterial Network organized the annual African Creative Economy Conference (ACEC) that cycled through the five regions of Africa, beginning in Nairobi (East Africa) in 2011, then Dakar (West Africa) in 2012, Cape Town (Southern Africa) in 2013, Rabat (North Africa) in 2014 and concluding finally in Yaoundé (Central Africa) in 2015. The ACEC acted as a market access benchmark occasion that formed part of the process of growing the outputs and efficacy of the creative sector.
Arterial Network continues to grow market access in other ways. Drawing on the pilot experience of “Ségou Creative City” (2016) in Mali (West Africa), the Arterial African Creative Cities (AACC) programme aims to encourage and develop advocacy, capacity building and networking initiatives to strengthen local authorities’ approaches to arts and culture in African urban environments. The four cities selected to be part of the AACC programme for 2016-2018 are Harare in Zimbabwe, Pointe-Noire in Congo, Victoria in Seychelles and Nouakchott in Mauritania.