U.S. Department of State Announces Film, Music, and Television Platforms to Strengthen the U.S.-African Creative Economies

Last week while in Lagos, Nigeria, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield announced that the United States will elevate educational and cultural platforms to strengthen creative economies between the United States and Africa. The announcement of these platforms builds on a recent visit to Nigeria by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and aligns with President Biden’s 2022 Executive Order to use the creative arts to strengthen ties between the United States and African nations by fostering collaboration among government entities, community leaders, philanthropic organizations, the private sector, and the African diaspora to promote economic growth and opportunities on both continents.

During a speech at the University of Lagos, Assistant Secretary Satterfield announced a film-focused pilot program for Nigerian students as part of the Community College Initiative Program (CCI), which taps into the U.S. community college system to provide educational and technical training to international students and helps prepare them for the workforce in their home country. In support of Nigeria’s broader efforts to build capacity in the creative economy, the first cohort of Nigerian participants will spend the 2024-2025 academic year at a U.S. community college focused on technical training in the film industry.

Assistant Secretary Satterfield also announced that mid-level music industry professionals from Nigeria, as well as Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, and Morocco, will participate in the first-ever American Music Mentorship Program (AMMP), which is a partnership between the Department and the Recording Academy. AMMP connects international mid-career music industry professionals with mentors, who are members of the Recording Academy. AMMP was first announced by Secretary Blinken at the launch of the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative in September 2023. Learn more here.

The African Creative TV (ACTV) initiative focuses on professional development and networking opportunities for television writers, producers, and other technical fields such as art direction, cinematography, editing, and line producing. This summer, ACTV will bring television professionals from across the African continent to Los Angeles for a four-week residence at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where they will be mentored by American television writers, producers, and industry experts.

For more information contact [email protected].