An Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) steering committee is in Seychelles discussing the future of cultural and creative industries projects in the region for the coming year.

This is part of a partnership project between the IOC and the French Development Agency (AFD) - IOC-AFD - which aims to promote gender equality and stimulate the cultural and creative industries (ICC) sectors through interventions in the areas of heritage, cultural entrepreneurship, training, mobility, co-creation, and governance.

Through the project, the IOC has launched five grants, namely the AléVini, regional mobility fund, Tafa scholarships, support for cultural events, support for digital works and the Indian Ocean co-creation fund.

The meeting at the International Conference Centre from November 26 to 27,  is being attended by representatives of culture and the cultural creative industries from the six member countries. These are Mauritius, Reunion - a French Overseas Department - Seychelles, Comores, Mozambique and Madagascar.

In his speech to officially launch the regional cultural and creative industries development project, the permanent liaison officer for the IOC in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ralph Agrippine, said "The actions carried out by the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) development project are perfectly in line with the priorities of the Seychelles' IOC presidency. [...] The project is currently carrying out an inventory of the country's traditional architecture, which has demonstrated the potential for tourist circuits, but which could also be the subject of a UNESCO World Heritage listing."

Agrippine also explained that since the launch of AléVini in September 2023, there has been an increase in the number of applications from Seychelles, which he said was proof of the sector's enthusiasm and need for support.

Over the coming days, the representatives will discuss the topics of copyright, scholarships, and how to improve in the coming year to better answer the needs of those industries in the region, among others.

The IOC is also setting up a training course on cultural management, which will professionalise the sector.

Agrippine is appealing to operators and artists to take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen their production, for products of Seychellois production on the regional and international scene.

Meanwhile, candidates who have successfully applied for the project were also revealed. These are the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and Arts (SNICHA), the Seychelles Institute of Arts and Design (SIAD), the Creative Seychelles Agency (CSA), Tipik Seychelles, Fondasyon Kiltir Kreol and Artistic Dance Factory, as well as individuals - Martin Kennedy, Johnny Volcere and Devin Malcouzane.