The Struggling Culture of Madagascar

The Cultural sector in Madagascar in spite of its potential, is suffering a shortage of support from the political class and the world. Thus, there's an identity crisis. what we have in place, is a Hollywood promotion of something that has not portrayed the real Madagascar- If you were to search Google for Madagascar (images), you would instead be bombarded with Madagascar the Movie visuals. Is this good or Bad??

Its bad as it encourages the authority to neglect the cultural sector of Madagascar. however, Madagascar the Movie has also indirectly promoted Madagascar-makers of the movie, should come to the rescue of the real Madagascar. I think Madagascar deserves some sort of share in the proceeds from the movie.

Struggles to support the cultural sector

The Malagasy arts and culture sector is currently facing two major problems: a lack of financial support and lack of dedicated politicians-both government and local officials that understand the specificity of artistic activity.

 But the main problem of the cultural sector is the lack of financial means. The budget of the Malagasy Ministry of Culture and Heritage in 2012 was lower than those of other departments. 

The budget also reduces cultural institutions and only the most important are able to keep their heads above water. Others are condemned to operate at a loss or close. 

Faced with this apparently hopeless situation, many cultural institutions are seeking the support of the third sector. With the help of foundations or associations, they can make other requests for public subsidies, domestic or foreign. 

Although internationally renowned institutions are struggling to survive, it is the smaller arts and cultural institutions that suffer the most.And they often end up spending more time filling out application forms for grants that make a genuine cultural work or artistic research a nightmare.

Problems of cultural actors

Despite the results achieved in recent times, the culture sector is struggling to fulfill its role as an engine for development due to the many problems faced by cultural actors. 

And in spite of enormous potential and the important role it plays in the socio-economic, the cultural sector has not reached the desired level of performance because of multiple constraints which are the main degradation of cultural production. 

It is caused by the predominance of the informal sector, the weakness of the professional players; insufficient production capacity and adaptation of cultural actors in various changes in the sector and a lack of capacity to set the gain on the existing creative potential.

The lack of cultural decentralisation

The deficit for the cultural development of the country marked by a concentration of infrastructure and cultural events in Antananarivo, the decentralisation process stagnates in the main towns of regions and the lack of consideration of culture in instruments of regional planning (Regional Development Plan, Local Plans for Development, Investment Plans communal) characterise the lack of cultural decentralisation.

Problems of sub-sectors

These major challenges, due to their cross-cutting nature, are being experienced by all different sectors.

Music

With the National Palace of Culture and Sports Mahamasina the outdoor theater of Antsahamanitra,the Coliseum of Madagascar Antsonjombe  is giving some sort of new hope to the world of music. 

But for a space of 50 000 spectators, how can artists fill it ?? In terms of logistical support, the state does not really support the organisers of concerts and other musical events. 

However, the problem of piracy of works is not really a big problem for the industry, but is the anti-piracy brigade well equipped in terms of training to face the menace?? Not really!

Theater

The theater has lost its place since the 70s. The enthusiasm has waned-out and the public deserted halls for other forms of expression such as film and Karaoke Maybe with the influx of many Chinese, we could also see gambling taking a big chunk of those deserted halls.

 Theater Madagascar mutated with the advent of television, Madagascar drama directors are faced with the absence or scarcity of training in the field of script writing and play writing. 

despite the proliferation of companies, theater Senegalese struggles to achieve its public capacity-diffusion spaces are singularly rare. Economic potential and job creation is almost annihilated by the competition of television. In addition, there is no specific funding for the theater.

 Various problems exist and are all handicaps in terms of space creation and dissemination, promotion, training, etc..

The arts

With regard to the visual arts, the creation and dissemination are the main bottle-necks that make it difficult to acquire suitable spaces to set gallaries. 

Most professionals work in situations of promiscuity, their workshops are installed in sites for residential use or even in the street.

The state should develop and make available a space for artists according to collectives of Arts. guerrilla galleries have croped-up and also legal galleries in places such as; 'Art Analakely, Roses & Baobab, the Louvre, the French Institute of Madagascar ... but are somewhat limited in number.

Cinema

Cinema Madagascar declined significantly over the past two decades 80 and 90. As a symptom of this crisis, there is a drastic reduction in the number of theaters, only the Ritz, Rex and some "tranompokonolona" are the only theaters. 

There is not enough help from the state to support the film industry and despite the rise of associations to promote film and television, film Madagascar has many difficulties. 

The development of sub-sector should be accompanied by good training policy. In addition, the training should focus more on young people, but in most cases it is the directors who have the privilege of training. 

However, it is necessary to train proportionally producers, distributors and critics for a balanced development of the film and Multimedia industry.

Photography

Photography as a branch of graphic arts, we find that in most exhibitions ie. when a month was dedicated to the photo titled "Sar'Nao." It made a significant contribution to the  field of design and technical support for Information Technology and Communication. However, training is a major concern for professionals. 

There is indeed no formal training in photography in Madagascar. The sub-sector is not sufficiently structured and regulated to be more efficient and productive.

Books and reading

There is not enough publishing houses in Madagascar- Libraries and schools,have several reading centers and cultural activities. The majority of writers are self-taught due to the high cost of publishing. 

In libraries and reading centers, inadequate holdings, as well as the deficit of qualified personnel, library management being entrusted to voluntary workers usually trained on the job are the main difficulties in this sub-sector.

Fashion and styling

The expertise of designing and modeling is not well demonstrated- the sector suffers from the monopoly of the Capital Region.

 Other regions of the country full of potential are not valued, although the practice within the Department, the training schools are under the supervision of the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training. This appears to be a structural inconsistency.

National languages

The sub-sector of the national languages ​​is facing a number of constraints such as non-mastery of statistics and relevant indicator for determining the quality of teaching, lack of financial and human resources, or the non-effectiveness of the decentralisation of activities related to literacy in local communities.

Great hope of recovery

For some time, the current transitional government is  focusing on cultural diversity to promote the development of the country.The President of the Transitional government has done everything to fulfill his promises to the rehabilitation of Antsonjombe to make it the biggest and most beautiful Coliseum in the Indian Ocean and even Africa. 

Cultural events, through festivals around Madagascar, give a new impetus to the cultural diversity- culture has in recent years experienced a revival. Several disciplines have been supported by state subsidies, as well as individuals. Thus the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was a little more prioritised.