Durban - South African artists have called on government to assist them in protecting their intellectual property rights.
Artists, attending the 12th African Renaissance Conference in Durban, said they were unable to afford the services of lawyers to assist them in protecting their work from exploitation.
They said if South African artists are to continue with making their work commercially viable, they need government intervention.
They also called for cohesion between government departments - urging the education department to play a vital role in encouraging the arts to filter through the school curriculum. They want to see learners become more active in drama, music and theatre.
Krish Moodley, academic director at the Centre for Fine Art Animation and Design, concurred with these suggestions.
"We should include, painters, script writers etc and the larger number of people who are needed for story telling in these conferences so that we can become viable producers of animation," said Moodley.
Meanwhile, African Renaissance vice-chairman, Professor Sihawu Ngubane, said he was pleased with the quality of sessions this year,
"I think the conference was a huge success. This year, participation from delegates was very effective," he said.
