Profile Mozambique: Who is Matthieu Gardon-Mollard professionally?
Matthieu Gardon-Mollard: I’m Matthieu Gardon-Mollard, a lawyer by training with 20 years’ experience, which began in Mozambique in 2004. For the first 10 years, I worked with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on technical and development cooperation, working in areas such as culture, education and good governance.
In the last 10 years, I have dedicated myself to technical assistance and international project management, including working for Expertise France, which is currently implementing the CULTIV’ARTE project, a European Union-funded initiative in Mozambique, implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The project aims to strengthen the governance and professionalization of the sector, including the use of digital technologies, by reinforcing the skills of human resources, supporting cooperation and the creation of networks of cultural operators at national and international level (especially in the Southern African region and in Europe), and reinforcing the capacities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other decentralized public bodies, in order to ensure a more favourable environment for the development of the cultural sector.
Therefore, the direct beneficiaries of the project are players in the cultural and creative industries sector, including public authorities, creative entrepreneurs, artists and cultural professionals, as well as civil society organizations.
PM: What are the main challenges and strategies for structuring the cultural and creative industries market in Mozambique, considering the differences between the main cities and provinces?
MG: The reality of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Mozambique varies greatly between the capital, Maputo, and the provinces. In the main cities, the sector is dynamic and diversified, but the market still needs to be better structured.
The CULTIV’ARTE project aims to do just that, to structure the players in the CCI market and improve the legal framework, value chains and production sectors. In the provinces, the scenario is different, with few registered companies and a predominance of associative structures.
Informality is high, and our focus will be on providing tools to facilitate the transition from informal to formal, contributing to the development of the sector through our activities.
It’s still too early to have fixed targets, but we already have important indicators that show us positive progress. As part of the business activation programs, with our partner Ideialab we have set ourselves the target of holding 16 bootcamps in four provinces, Maputo, Sofala, Inhambane and Nampula. However, we are expanding to other provinces (possibly Tete and Manica).
Each “Activ’Arte” bootcamp will have 40 participants, young people between the ages of 18 and 35, who are at the start of their activities or in the process of formalizing them. The aim is to provide essential tools for boosting business models, whether for profit or not, as in the case of associative activities or foundations aimed at generating income. For organizations that are already more structured, we are implementing a program called “Aceler’Arte”, with tailor-made online support for around 3 months, aimed at the operational development of beneficial entities.
MP: CULTIV’ARTE places great emphasis on the empowerment of young people and women in the cultural sector. What specific strategies are being implemented to ensure the empowerment of these groups?
MG: We have the challenge of reaching the target of 50% young people and 50% women as beneficiaries of the project, something that is easier in urban areas, but more complicated in rural areas, where the involvement of women in entrepreneurial activities still faces prejudice.
To get around this, we are including a whiff of positive discrimination by creating specific programs for women, such as Femtech, dedicated to businesses in the cultural and creative industries. Beneficiaries include artisans, fashion designers, visual and performing artists, as well as media companies.
The CULTIV’ARTE project is focused on structuring entities in the sector, offering incubation, activation and business acceleration programs, in partnership with IdeaLab. We aim to hold 16 “Activ’Arte” bootcamps with an average of 40 participants, young people aged between 18 and 35, in four provinces, Maputo, Sofala, Inhambane and Nampula. However, we are expanding our activities to other provinces (possibly Tete and Manica). It is aimed at beneficiaries at the start of their activities or in the formalization phase.
The aim is to provide essential tools to boost business models, whether profit-making or not, as in the case of associative activities or foundations aimed at generating income. For organizations that are already more structured, we are implementing a program called “Aceler’Arte”, with tailor-made online support for around 3 months, aimed at the operational development of for-profit entities. Our aim is to support around 175 organizations during the course of the project.
Apart from these programs Cultiv’Arte aims to promote, with the support of the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre and the EUNIC network, the strengthening of the ecosystem with thematic forums and international mobility programs.
Grants will also be made available, with different lots of up to 5,000 euros for short-term projects, and up to 30,000 euros to support more consistent projects, coming from registered structures that demonstrate management capacity and comply with tax obligations.
PM: How does the CULTIV’ARTE project intend to contribute to the formal recognition of the activities of ICCs, and what are the main initiatives to support artists and young professionals within this context?
MG: The recognition of artists and the formalization of the activities of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are crucial issues in Mozambique. The CULTIV’ARTE project, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to improve the legal and regulatory framework of the sector, addressing issues such as copyright, cultural heritage and the status of the artist. One of the challenges is to quantify the impact of CCIs on the national economy, which requires the continuous collection of reliable data and statistics.
In addition, CULTIV’ARTE is implementing an internship program which, in collaboration with the National Employment Institute – INEP, aims to offer opportunities to young people and women from all provinces. With the aim of reaching 100 internships over the next three years, the program prioritizes mobility, covering commutes and offering incentives during internships, with the aim of turning these experiences into sustainable jobs.
The focus is on internships that generate value, ensuring that participants can be remunerated after the end of the learning period, mainly in private sector entities.
