The Angolan Minister for Culture, Boaventura Cardoso, met on the 25th of January with members of religious organisations, in order to address their activities promoting cultural policy. He reaffirmed that his Ministry will financially support all religious organisations that want to develop projects aiming to enrich national culture. During the meeting, the Minister heard the organisations’ concerns about what is hindering their performance in the development, expansion and diffusion of national culture. The government also intends to create a foundation aiming to help the organisations and offer them more opportunities. Cardoso also added that besides financial assistance, special attention would be granted to problems related to the development of the documents necessary for the acquisition of loans or voyages. This is particularly relevant in the light of recent troubles in Europe, where touring artists and performers were accused of being either terrorist threats, or people-smugglers; bringing in asylum seekers under the guise of touring artists, bands, etc. The level of scrutiny for African artists wanting to travel has become much keener as a result. The Minister recognised that it is not easy to pay attention to all organisations, but guaranteed that he will give priority to those that will present projects having a greater socio-cultural impact. As a measure of the government’s commitment, Cardoso said, ‘I will indicate neither the institution nor the person, but I want quite simply to say that there was an organisation which presented a project estimated at approximately one million dollars’. The meeting gathered the members of the Union of the Angolan Writers, the National Union of the Plastic Artists, the League of Defence of Cultural Heritage, the Union of the Artists and the Composers, the Angolan Association of Theatre, the Young Brigade of Angolan Literature and the Angolan Centre of Theatre. For more information (in French), CLICK HERE.