South African innovation hub, the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct has strengthened its international ties by signing official partnership agreements respectively with the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) on 16 May, and the French Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) on 24 May.
The partnerships will allow Tshimologong and its incubation platform for African digital creatives, the Digital Content Hub, to foster meaningful connections between the French market and the South African creative digital ecosystem. As the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Digital Content Hub was born out of a collaboration between Tshimologong and the French Embassy in South Africa in the frame of its ongoing support towards cultural and creative industries. It plans to host academic programmes, labs, workshops, exchange of expertise, collaborative workspaces, a development studio, exhibitions and special events from the creative industries in collaboration with INA and SACEM.
Lesley Williams, CEO of Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and director of the Digital Content Hub says that ties with prestigious organisations like INA and SACEM present an exciting opportunity for African digital innovation to reach a broader global market: “We’re delighted to be able to propel entrepreneurship and grow the skills pipeline for the digital economy through collaboration while combining technology innovation and creative content.”
COLLABORATION WITH INA: TRAINING, EVENT & CULTURAL ENGINEERING
After a successful Hackathon and content production around new archive collections in 2018 (Rivonia Trial Sound Jam), INA and Tshimologong will continue their ongoing partnership by focusing in immersive content training by sharing expertise on web series, VR, AR, binaural sound, and digital music. INA and Tshimologong will also pursue efforts in the production and distribution of content using archives.
“INA has built successful partnerships with the South African Republic in regard to archives preservation and professional trainings. INA is now thrilled to sign an agreement with Tshimologong Precinct, an ambitious incubator guided by objectives”, says Laurent Vallet, CEO of INA.
INA also shares: supporting talents and fostering the emergence of new forms of innovative digital content.
COLLABORATION WITH SACEM: MUSIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The agreement between SACEM and Tshimologong is a result of SACEM Université’s support of Digital Lab Africa. SACEM Université is a department of SACEM dedicated to prospective on the one hand, and pedagogy for intellectual property and culture on the other hand.
Among areas of cooperation, Tshimologong and SACEM will pursue training courses, seminars and workshop opportunities with a focus on authors’ rights issues, management of intellectual property, rights in the digital era, together with new business models. This upcoming collaboration is a great opportunity to launch programs which support emerging talent in the music field.
Jean-Noël Tronc, CEO of SACEM says that for many years, Africa, as a continent, has enlightened the world with immense creative talents whose music is at the core of most of today’s music and rhythms: “SACEM, with thousands of its composers and songwriters having cultural bonds with Africa, is committed to contributing to and promoting the creation and authors’ rights in Africa. Hence SACEM works closely with its African sister societies.”
“We are thrilled by the perspectives of the cooperation with the Digital Content Hub of Tshimologong to reinforce authors’ rights and copyright, and the virtues of collective management in Africa,” says Tronc.
