Information:
The
Gambia's National Centre For Arts and Culture is a semi
independent cultural institution which was created in
Banjul by an Act of the National Assembly in December
1989. This act was later replaced by the NCAC Act of
2003 which made the centre a guardian of the nation's
cultural and historic heritage and charged it to conserve,
promote and celebrate the country's artistic, cultural
and historic inheritance.
The vision of the NCAC is to integrate The Gambia's
national cultural assets into the essential fabric of
governing the country and to integrate cultural heritage
into its development planning for the economic wellbeing
of its people in the long-term. These include the archiving,
research and preservation of local ethnic languages,
ancient & modern relics, monuments, indigenous technology,
traditional recreation and sports as well as support
and promotional activities.
The governing body is made up of a board of 8 members
who are chosen by the Minister of Tourism and Culture
who also happens to be the supreme decision making public
institution on all issues pertaining to the arts and
culture.
NCAC Functions:
• Provide advisory to the Minister
of Tourism.
• Promote the arts & culture
in all regions.
• To carry out, supervise,
plan and assess artistic & cultural programmes.
• To encourage cultural & artistic alliances
locally & internationally.
• Promote, at
grassroots level, the prominence of groups & bodies
focused on the promotion of arts and culture.
• Preside over the workings of the various committees.
• Probe & report on cultural & artistic
issues pertaining to documentation, information
gathering & sorting, distribution, retrieval, archiving
& research.
• Provide equipment, manage
and conserve the National Museums.
• Create,
equip, maintain & manage new museums as necessary.
• To conserve, mend or restore any ethnographical
pieces which it assesses to be of national significance.
• If necessitates, investigate & issue findings
to the Minister on any ethnographical objects.
• Maintain & update a register of all ethnographical
articles it receives or which it is notified of.
• Document all monuments whose designation as National
Monuments it considers justified; determine their rightful
owners, before recommending to the Minister to declare
them as National Monuments.
• Carry out all
necessary duties associated with the research and development
of arts and culture in The Gambia.
NCAC Organisational Structure:
• The Office of The
Director.
• The Directorate of Literature Performing
and Fine Arts.
• The Directorate of Cultural Heritage.
• The Directorate of Copyright.
The Office of the Director General - (ODG)
It acts as the NCAC's management & financial unit.
Its various functions are to create budgets and project
ideas for the centre, supervise and assess the activities
and projects of the various technical departments, make
information available to the board, carry out PR, monitor
daily activities and evaluate policies pertinent to
the NCAC and arts and culture generally.
Directorate of Literature Performing and Fine Arts
- DLPFA
This unit promotes, preserves and develops the Gambia's
culture regionally and overseas. Its various functions
are the following:
• Financial & technical
support for large events organised by cultural troupes
& artists.
• The establishment of national
drama, music and dance troupes.
• Registration
of cultural music / dance groups & artists (visual
& plastic arts).
• Production of a nationwide
catalogue of registered artists & cultural dance
groups.
• Promote & help community,
village & regional cultural events.
• Participating
in the International
Roots Festival.
• Promoting Gambian literary
works & authors.
• Organise workshops.
Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DCH) is comprised
of 2 divisions which are:
•
Monuments & Museums Division - (MMD)
This division of the NCAC is in charge of physical cultural
heritage both fixed and movable. Its functions are to
collect historical artefacts, arrange public exhibitions,
conduct research at newly emerged archaeological sites,
manage museums both in Banjul & in the regions.
Furthermore, the unit can make declarations, assessments,
evaluations, preservation and promotion of The Gambia's
national monuments and sites of historical and cultural
importance, organise appeal campaigns in relation to
physical and non-material historic items.
•
Research and Documentation Division - RDD
This unit is responsible for collecting, processing
and distributing cultural information on all relevant
details of the collected material and non-material heritage.
They stock in excess of five thousand audio recordings
on the history of The Gambia as well as traditions,
family genealogies, folklore, music, songs, myths, legends,
customs, rites etc.
The division has a transcription & translation service,
book reference library, sound archives, consultancy
service unit, collaborative research section, issues
research permits for social science work and gives lectures
to school & college students and any other interested
parties on request.
The Directorate of Copyright
A copyright commission, comprised of 22 members, was
established on the 25th November 2009 and meets at the
NCAC grounds in Banjul. It has the following functions:
• To provide consultation and give advisory to
the Gambia Copyright Office on the registration and
licensing of creative works in the form of literature,
paintings, musical works as well as subsidiary works
such as adaptations and language translations.
• To hold regular meetings to assess creative works
filed with the Copyright Office for the issuance of
a license. Such issuance is dependant on the work's
originality which must be recorded in a book, CD, DVD
or other tangible form among other criteria.
• To aid the Copyright Office in public education and
awareness initiatives on various types of media outlets.
You can request information regarding copyright issues
from the Director of Copyright at the National Museum
complex on Independence Drive in Banjul.
Tel no: 4229730
Email: bayifana@yahoo.com
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