FNCC a place you can call homeAs one of the most important players in Namibia’s cultural scene, the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) aims to intensify the cultural cooperation between Namibia and France while promoting and supporting Namibian cultural identity. Namibia and France; together for cultural diversity The FNCC aims to promote and support Namibian artists and cultural projects by offering our know-how, resources and equipment. The FNCC offers French language cultural activities by making a public library and periodicals available, organising French language courses and facilitating lectures, film screenings, theatre plays, concerts and exhibitions. “We are here for anyone who wants to use us as a platform,” says Isabel Katjavivi the cultural officer.The FNCC welcomes professional artists and amateurs to exhibit their work for free. “You can come in and see us or you can send us an email alongside your artwork. We will then see how we can help you from there,” said Isabel. The artist does not pay but the FNCC will add commission on top of the artist’s price or they can include their commission in the price range, she further explains. The centre hosts an opening of every exhibition and the exhibition usually runs for a month. The FNCC designs posters for marketing, write the press releases and it is featured in their newsletter and their Franco booklet which is published monthly. It also keeps the artist’s contact details which allow them to communicate after their showcasing.
The cultural centre has two spaces that artists can use to showcase their work. “We have the down stairs main gallery which is nice because it has panels that allow us to create the space the artists want. The other place is the restaurant where we use the walls around the restaurant which is also beneficial as it gets more traffic. It’s a nice place for beginners and new comers,” said Isabel. The FNCC also has a booklet where visitors can leave comments about the exhibitions.
Isabel says she would like to see a way the FNCC in partnership with SADC regions can allow Namibian artists to exhibit in other countries and vice versa.
June Shimuoshili