Can artists unite to transform their communities for the better? In Lilongwe, Malawi, Mac Ndalama set out to prove just that by founding Zaluso Arts Company.
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00:00Why does this man want to formalize art education and training in a country where art is not even considered a serious livelihood?
00:07Let's meet Mack Ndalama in Lilongwe, Malawi.
00:10It changes the perception which is sort of undervalued around the society of arts.
00:17And it also gives the artists an opportunity to develop their skills and it opens up the doors for different arts careers and different markets
00:28where these skills can be used.
00:30So you find artists being important in the corporate world and in some government campaigns and things like that.
00:42We're here with some of the artists that we work with.
00:46We're just trying to create a large mural together.
00:49The way we approach murals is a lot of community engagement first.
00:53So get the people involved, find out what is it that they're looking for in these murals.
00:58Because we may be sent by any one of our clients to work on a mural, but the mural is going to be in a specific location.
01:06It's something that they'll have to interact with for years.
01:10We've got murals that date as far back as 2017.
01:13So asking for their feedback, sometimes even getting them to paint alongside us,
01:18has helped them understand what we're trying to do with beautifying the spaces, communicating and just engaging the arts for the sake of it.
01:30The mural brings a lot of things.
01:33For example, as the mural we're painting, it's the milestone of the community.
01:40As they say, we are celebrating the 10 years anniversary.
01:44So it talks, it communicates in a kind of way.
01:47We have the music part, like the services that Zaluso offers.
01:55When Madden Dalama founded his creative centre and art collective in Malawi's capital,
01:59he wanted to prove that the arts can have a significant impact on society.
02:03Let's see if he was successful.
02:05Zaluso Arts is more than just a company.
02:08We are an ecosystem of like-minded, creative, young artists.
02:14We make sure that we take on projects that would bring about some sort of social impact.
02:21We also try to take on projects that bring about some sort of profitability for our artists, so that they can take that on as a career.
02:30I believe that collaborating with others, being in groups where there are so many creative peoples,
02:36we get to share ideas, we get to learn from each other, and we get to grow.
02:40And also, we're exposed to new opportunities.
02:44It all began in 2014 with start-up funding from a Global Health Africa students with Dreams grant.
02:50The aim was to change attitude towards art in Malawi, and at the same time, create work opportunities for artists.
02:57Before we find out what hurdles Mac and his team have had to overcome since then,
03:02let's find out why Malawian artists struggle so much.
03:05To get funding or payment.
03:07It seems that because of the informality of the art sector,
03:12there has not been any well-documented return on investment on arts projects.
03:17So therefore, this leads for funders to be a bit skeptical about whether them financing an art project is going to bring anything in return.
03:26You're trying to pitch certain jobs, you're trying to work in certain spaces,
03:30but because there's no proper structure as far as arts in Malawi is concerned,
03:35so even like some of the money that you're getting, some of the rooms that you're trying to enter,
03:39all of those are challenging.
03:42Everybody looks at you as a hobbyist, or somebody who has failed at something else and is using arts as a backup.
03:49Mac has been committed to improving, and in some cases, establishing art education from the very beginning.
03:56He currently works as art director at Kamuzu Academy, one of the top high schools in Malawi.
04:01Let's see what effect it has had on the kids when he introduced them to art.
04:05Art has multiple layers to it, and those layers are interpreted differently by people,
04:13and that stimulates the brain to think more and more outside the box.
04:19Given the fact that most artists in Malawi barely make ends meet,
04:23the question arises as to why Mac wants to promote art education at all,
04:28and how Zalusa Arts succeeds in creating projects that in turn offer Malawian artists permanent work opportunities.
04:36By us creating things for the sake of it, and posting it, and celebrating the art that we create,
04:42it puts us back in these rooms and these spaces where we say,
04:46OK, I didn't just come here alone, because if I need to paint a wall that's five metres by three metres, I can't do it alone.
04:52I can, but it's going to take a very long time.
04:55But I've gone there with three, four other people.
04:57They've seen those three, four other people. They create something else.
05:00So now you've created a network.
05:02We value the work of artists because it elevates our environment.
05:06Because if we say somebody has done this work for us, and then on the financial side we're saying,
05:12Ah, no, we can't pay you as much as you charge us, but then you've already done the work.
05:16So that doesn't appeal to us.
05:18So if we're getting high quality work, as it is right now,
05:22I believe the artists should also be paid in the exact same way.
05:28Coming back to the man who wanted to revolutionise the Malawian art education system,
05:33has Mac achieved everything he set out to do?
05:36And can this be linked to formal art education?
05:40There are certain aspects of professionalism and compliance
05:45that I can credit to having a formal arts education.
05:49And even just having a business mind
05:53and being able to pitch and to be someone that can talk to people
06:01and is able to express and is able to be eloquent in certain spaces,
06:09it certainly does help.
06:11Malawi may not be the El Dorado of art yet,
06:14but Zulusa Arts is making a significant contribution
06:17in addressing important social issues through art.