Contemporary arts champions, SMEs development and tourism productivity in West Africa: Looking beyond the commercial value of the 'artefact'

新兴的非洲当代艺术部门正在为整个非洲基层的商业创新和社会责任创业做出越来越大的贡献。在当代艺术领域的发展中，艺术家作为领军者的作用是显而易见的：加纳(Serge Attukwei Clottey)、科特迪瓦(Joana ChouMali)、尼日利亚(Gerald Chukwuma)、尼日利亚/多哥(Modupeola Fadugba)和马里(Abdoulaye Konatè)。然而，关于当代艺术对社区发展和旅游业的意义、意义和影响的证据有限，这方面的推测性仍然很高。这项研究的目的是在发展中小型创意部门(如画廊、博览会、博物馆、工作室)和与西非旅游业的价值链联系中，加深对“艺术的价值”的批判性理解，超越这个术语的商业含义，以及艺术家作为领军者的角色。这项研究将重点关注整个西非当代艺术的增长及其与社区环境下的旅游业和生产力的直接联系。这将涉及研究选定的当代艺术家及其作品直接和间接影响的艺术家。经验性研究将包括实地调查、与艺术家和相关社区一起生活和工作，以批判性地了解艺术家如何在基层运作、参与和/或加强当地的服务，特别是强调创新、可持续性、赋权、平等、利用现有资源、生产和分销线路以及社区发展。研究将确定西非当代艺术和社区旅游发展的创新、社会责任、可持续和道德道路。

The emerging African contemporary arts sector is increasingly contributing to business innovation andsocially responsible entrepreneurship at grassroots level across Africa. The role of artists as champions indeveloping the contemporary arts sector beyond the immediate of their artistic engagements is evidentin Ghana (Serge Attukwei Clottey), Cote D'Ivoire (Joana Choumali), Nigeria (Gerald Chukwuma),Nigeria/Togo (Modupeola Fadugba) and Mali (Abdoulaye Konatè). There is however limited evidenceabout the meaning, significance and impact of contemporary arts on community development andtourism, which remain highly speculative.This research aims at developing critical understandings of the 'value of arts' beyond the commercialmeaning of the term and the role of artists as champions in the development of creative sector SMEs (i.e.galleries, fairs, museums, studios) and value chain connections with the tourism sector in West Africa.This research will focus on looking at the growth of contemporary art across West Africa and its direct linkwith tourism and productivity within a community-based setting. This will involve researching a selectionof identified contemporary artists and those directly and indirectly impacted by their work. Empiricalresearch will involve research in-situ, living and working alongside the artists and associatedcommunities to critically understand how artists operate, engage with and/or enhance the local offeringat grass-root level, with particular emphasis on innovation, sustainability, empowerment, equality, use ofavailable resources, production and distribution lines and community development.The study will identify innovative, socially responsible, sustainable and ethical pathways to contemporaryarts and community-based tourism development in West Africa.