Wanted: More Than Talent

In a world where human activities are structured around time with a tendency towards routinised tasks, it is important to acknowledge that the arts are no different. Like any organisation, the arts function within and serve communities, and like regular employees, artists too have products and services to deliver. 

    The efficiency and success of both differ considerably however, because artists, in general, enjoy decidedly less structural support than the employees of an organisation, and nowhere is that more noticeable than in Namibia.

   The relationship between employer and employee in an organisation is typically governed by an employment contract with a job description attached outlining the tasks, duties, and responsibilities for a specific position. In addition to offering fair compensation for the execution of these tasks and duties, the employer also undertakes to provide a healthy and safe working environment, and to make available to employees the equipment, information, or technology required to successfully perform their tasks. 

   In exchange for punctuality, consistency, and quality, organisations want to remain competitive in their abilities to attract talent, skills, and ideas by offering additional benefits such as subsidised medical aid, vehicle, and travel allowances, pension fund contributions, annual holidays, and even life insurance cover. 

    All that is required of the employee is to be at the organisation's venue on the stipulated days at specified times to produce or provide a particular product or service in line with the organisation's objectives. The depth of support for employees within organisations is commendable; in-house training, mentorship programmes, redeployment, innovation, career-paths (promotion), skills development, job counselling, to name but a few. Organisations also adopt a variety of cultures, known as ''company culture'', that encapsulate their codes of conduct both internally and externally. For example, technology companies frequently adopt a learning culture, or one fostering innovation, banking institutions are lifestyle and service-orientated, logistics companies emphasise reliability, speed, and trustworthiness.

   The arts are broadly defined as ''a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory, or performing artefacts''. One early sense of the definition of art is closely related to an older Latin meaning which roughly translates to "skill" or "craft." Although generally understood to be a broad field with a reputation for ''anything goes'', there are clear categories in the arts; literature (poetry, drama and story), the visual arts, the graphic arts, the plastic arts (sculpture and modelling), decorative arts, the performing arts, music (songwriting and composition), and architecture (including interior design). If pursued on a full-time basis, all of the aforementioned qualify as full-time jobs.

   Whereas organisations are self-sufficient microcosms with resources, redundancy (in terms of labour), and depth of support, Namibian artists take huge risks by pursuing their professions without even a fraction of the support available to employees in organisations. 

   Considered a strategic national resource in developed countries, the arts are well supported and have a direct impact on the economy, improve national well-being, promote a sense of community, and attract tourists. Hill Strategies Research reported in 2014 that as much as 32% of all international visits to the United Kingdom, a country with a high level of cultural diversity, involved the arts. Furthermore, it was found that citizens with ''a higher frequency of engagement with arts'' displayed higher levels of well-being. 

   The same report also showed that children from low-income backgrounds who participated in arts-related activities were three times more likely to obtain a degree than those who did not, for the simple reason that the arts expand cognitive abilities and skills. 

   Artists in developed countries such as the UK and in the European Union, register with arts councils for funding across all categories and events. The arts council websites have registries of jobs available, upcoming events, and commission work. 

   In Namibia, unless from middle to high-income families, artists struggle to make a living on every level imaginable and in every field. A common complaint is that Namibian artists are expected to work for free in exchange for exposure and not getting paid their due, if they are paid, at all. Not too long ago, local newspapers reported about a dispute between Namibian artist, Shishani, and the organisers of an event who refused to pay her after her performance. Sadly, these incidents are not uncommon.

   To mitigate the situation, it comes down to Namibian artists managing themselves like organisations. Artistic talent will not reach its full potential without the assistance of nurturing and supportive environments, or the careful management of its resources. Similarly, skills are perfected with practice. It goes without saying that the artist is very often her only source of income; as employer and employee both. 

    A struggling but talented artist can benefit enormously from devising a plan and designing a career strategy; the surest indicators of success. A realistic plan gives structure to her dreams, ambitions, and helps her achieve her goals. Planning automatically leads to budgeting which in turn predicts income.

   Like organisations, investments in the forms of money, time, and resources are necessary to allow artistic talent or skills to flourish. For struggling artists, the ability to attract sponsors and funding require not only talent but persuasion, also, and may involve compromise, negotiation, and sacrifice (like the sacrifices made by employees of organisations). 

   In order to be treated like a professional, it goes without saying that an artist's conduct should also reflect professionalism. Organisations value punctuality, good communication skills, the ability to work with diverse groups of people, presentable appearances, teamwork, quality, and flexibility; artists should espouse the very same values. Artists, like employees, are entitled to go on holiday, take sick leave, spend time with their families and friends, bury their loved ones, and participate in national events. They have a right to fair remuneration for work delivered and may call on the law for assistance to arbiter or settle disputes.

   In Namibia, it is no longer enough to merely express the desire to become an ''an artist''. Talent is not enough, either, because the existing environment is simply not sufficiently supportive; on the contrary, it can be described as discouraging. The reality is that to make a living as an artist in Namibia, self-discipline, a good work ethic, economy, good health, and the ability to plan are just as important as talent – sometimes, even more so.

    Photo: Detail of an artwork made of newspapers by Namibian artist, Michelle Isaak, entitled Mirror of Society, 2020, at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN), for the Bank Windhoek Triennial, 2021. This article was first published by Sister Namibia magazine, issue #1, 2017. Written by Anya Namaqua Links: anyalinks@gmail.com. No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.