Fendika's Impact on Youth Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy: A Comprehensive Report 2016-2021
Executive Summary
Established in 2016, Fendika Cultural Center is the only multi-disciplinary center for music, dance, and visual arts in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This report was compiled in June 2021 based on a comprehensive review of Fendika Cultural Center’s programs from 2016 to 2021 with the goal to evaluate their impacts on young people’s creative entrepreneurship. Data used include archive of Fendika events since 2016, observation of events in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, qualitative interviews with Fendika staff and program participants, and media coverage. These data show that an estimated of nearly 900 young creatives have directly benefited from Fendika’s programming and Melaku’s mentoring in a single year. Over the time of five years, Fendika has directly benefited over 2700 young artists and entrepreneurs[1]. Considering concert audiences, gallery and event visitors, the number of people Fendika has impacted reaches well over 100,000 in the five years of Fendika’s existence as a cultural center.
This evaluation concludes that Fendika Cultural Center promotes youth entrepreneurship in multiple ways; it is a loving space where aspiring young artists and entrepreneurs can find mentors, opportunities for employment, performance, and exhibition, access to free space and equipment, and an ideal place for networking. As a result, they gain marketable skills that enable them to succeed as entrepreneurs in both local and global creative sectors, and become role models for other young people in Ethiopia.
Evaluation Objectives/Questions
To what extent has Fendika Cultural Center impacted youth entrepreneurship in Ethiopia’s creative sector?
In what ways has Fendika Cultural Center impacted youth entrepreneurship in Ethiopia’s creative sector? Or what resources and opportunities has Fendika provided to aid the development of young entrepreneurs?
What did young artists and entrepreneurs learn from working at/with Fendika Cultural Center?
Background
Ethiopia is a country with rich natural, cultural and human resources. It is in the Horn of Africa, a continent that is still experiencing the consequences of a century of European colonization. Although Ethiopia was never officially colonized, the nation experienced aggressive attempts to colonize or dominate by various European powers and even a period of Italian occupation (1936-1941). According to the World Bank, “With more than 112 million people (2019), Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa after Nigeria, and the fastest growing economy in the region. However, it is also one of the poorest, with a per capita income of $850. Ethiopia aims to reach lower-middle-income status by 2025.”[3]
45 percent of the Ethiopian population are under age 15 and 71 percent under age 30. The Ethiopian government defines “youth” as a person from 15 to 29 years of age. For this evaluation study, we take 40 as the cut-off age for “young creative entrepreneurs” who have been impacted by Fendika Cultural Center, since their training there might have started when they were in their younger years. According to Mesfin Welderufael Berhe’s study published in 2021[4], Ethiopia’s youth unemployment rate is more than 25% in 2018. Mesfin’s study also shows that young women are even more likely to be unemployed than young men; and that youth unemployment rate is the highest in Addis Ababa, compared to more rural parts of the country. According to Daniel Mains’ study in the late 1990s, the high rate of youth unemployment was at least partially caused by the cutback of employment opportunities in the public sectors[5]. In this context, concerted efforts to develop youth entrepreneurship are much needed.
Fendika’s focus is to support artists in Ethiopia. As artists do not receive government or foundation support; to be a professional artist in Ethiopia requires entrepreneurial skills – as he or she needs to market himself or herself and seek out opportunities in the creative economy.
Fendika’s Mission and Vision
Mission: To celebrate and renew Ethiopia’s rich cultural heritage; to welcome and nurture all creative souls; and to meditate on peace and humanity’s one-ness through exchange of music, dance, art, and poetry
Vision: To continue to nurture the creative community in Addis Ababa, and to grow into one of Africa’s most vibrant centers for artistic innovation and cultural exchange grounded in rich Ethiopian heritage.”[6]
Fendika’s History in Brief (Adapted from fendika.org)
Fendika Cultural Center was established in 2016, but the original Fendika Azmari Bet opened its door in the early 1990s, when the neighborhood of Kazanchis sported 17 similar places. While the other Azmari bets disappeared due to the pressure of Addis Ababa’s rapid development, Fendika has survived until today thanks to Melaku’s passion for Ethiopian music and dance, his belief in the power of art and creativity in building communities, enthusiastic attendance of concerts and events by local and international friends, and many other forms of support.
When Melaku began managing Fendika Azmari Bet in 2008, he pioneered a system where musicians and dancers at Fendika receive monthly salaries, breaking away from the custom where they only earned tips. Melaku had danced for tips only for 12 years and knows the pain of having to dance to please customers. The new compensation system enables artists to focus on creative expressions and to develop their talent.
In 2016, Melaku had Fendika Cultural Center incorporated; it is an expansion of Fendika Azmari Bet, both in space and programming. Fendika Cultural Center was inaugurated with the opening of Fendika Art Gallery, a free gallery space that has featured monthly exhibitions for legend and emerging artists in Ethiopia and from elsewhere. [7]
During COVID-19, Fendika Cultural Center was shut down for seven months, from March to October 2020. However, thanks to Melaku’s ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit, Fendika went through drastic transformation in terms of its physical space and its digital presence. The performance space was reconfigured to facilitate better crowd control and sound management. New visual arts were also installed. To respond to the loss of live performance opportunities, Fendika became a global pioneer in launching a series of 18 concerts streamed live on YouTube, reaching thousands of global and local audiences[8]. The new Fendika Arts Library was also created during the COVID-19 shutdown, in September 2021[9].
Methodology of Evaluation
This evaluation was initiated retrospectively, instead of benefiting from an a priori design. This has to do with the organic way it has developed over the years. However, there are enough data, qualitative and quantitative, to provide multiple perspectives on the impact of Fendika Cultural Center on youth entrepreneurship in Ethiopia’s creative economy. Specifically, this report relies on a combination of
- Multi-media archives of Fendika events in the past five years
- Ethnographic observation[10] of Fendika events in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021
- 10 qualitative interviews with Fendika staff and program participants
- Media coverage of Fendika since 2016
Findings
I: Employment/performance opportunities at Fendika
Fendika’s direct contribution to the creative economy can be measured by the number of employees of the center. Providing employment is an important way to combat poverty and related social problems.
1. Currently, Fendika Cultural Center employs 43 workers, 30 (70%) of whom are under the age of 40. The positions are allocated in management, accounting and finances, security staff, waiting staff, cleaning staff, food and beverage preparation, bar tending, sound technicians, publicity and promotion.
2. In addition to center employees, Fendika also offers performance/employment opportunities for musicians and dancers. There are four bands that perform either weekly or bi-weekly at Fendika.
In addition to these regular-scheduled concerts, musicians and dancers affiliated with Fendika also have opportunities to perform when Fendika Cultural Center is contracted by organizations such as private companies, African Union, Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Italian Cultural Institute and various embassies in Addis Ababa.)
During COVID-19, Fendika Cultural Center was shut down for 7 months, along with other performance venues. Musicians and dancers in Addis Ababa lost their livelihood as normally live performances provide the most important source of income for most artists. Fendika came up with the solution to stream concerts on YouTube, to keep the artists active, connect with our global supporters, who contributed funds in support of the artists. From May to October 2020, 18 concerts were streamed, employing 80+ artists and workers in the process[11].
In 2020, Fendika was also contracted by health organizations and the Ethiopian government to make music videos that promoted public awareness about COVID-19.
Since 2016, Fendika’s musicians have participated in CD recording projects with several international bands: the Ex (the Netherlands), Large Unit (Norway), and Jeroen Visser (Switzerland).
Note: “Indirect beneficiaries” considers the number of young audiences and visitors of the gallery and events.
II: Professional development opportunities:
mentoring and apprenticeship
Ethnographic observation shows that the work of young people is indispensable at Fendika Cultural Center. They are in management positions, security, housekeeping, and customer service. They often learn how to do their work on the job through an organic, well-established system of mentoring and apprenticeship. Regardless of their positions, they are all treated with respect by Melaku, the founding director.
Some of them migrated from remote regions of Ethiopia to Addis Ababa and need time to adapt to the urban environment. Fendika Cultural Center offers 11 such young employees free housing on Fendika premise. In the safe and loving environment of Fendika, the young employees learn from each other, and from Melaku Belay, who places much emphasis on furthering their education, building a loving community, and fostering dignity of work. Their work at Fendika Cultural Center is in the service industry, but they are taught by Melaku not to think of themselves in terms of servitude. Instead, they are encouraged to consider how far they can go in life, through pursuing education of various kinds.
Interviews with Fendika’s employees and observation of the interaction at Fendika show that young employees are given many opportunities to develop themselves professionally. The new skills they learned include promotion, marketing, and collaboration; with these they can become creative entrepreneurs harnessing even more opportunities in the creative sector. For example, Meselu Abebaye, 31, started at Fendika 13 years ago as a waiter. While working there, he learned how to dance, became a skilled drummer, and taught himself how to manage the sound system at Fendika. He is now a much sought-after talent in Addis Ababa.
In an interview with Melaku he stated, “I encourage all employees at Fendika to pursue job training – even if they are not related to what they do at Fendika. For example, I send all of them to pursue their formal school education since some came from the countryside and never when to school. I hired tutors who help them with their homework. I have also sent a few young employees to driving schools or cooking schools.”
Mentors and Role Models at Fendika Cultural Center
The most important mentor and inspiration at Fendika Cultural Center is Melaku Belay (see https://fendika.org/about-melaku). Melaku grew up an orphan in Addis Ababa and experienced a few months of homelessness before finding his calling at Fendika Azmari Bet first as a dancer, then as a manager. Eventually he became a founding director of Fendika Cultural Center. But Melaku is not alone in triumphing over life’s challenges and keeping up their spirit. Fendika has many role models for young creatives, including the legendary Ethiopian musicians that Melaku invites to perform with Fendika, and including some of the outstanding young creative entrepreneurs themselves.
28-year-old Emebet Woldetsdik, for example, started off as a cashier 11 years ago at Fendika and now is an assistant manager there. She has also trained as a dance artist at the Center as well as with the Ethiopian National Theatre. Now she dances with Ethiocolor both at home and on tour globally. Emebet has also learned how to sing at Fendika, and finds amply employment as a singer in Addis Ababa. Her goal is to someday release her own CD of songs.
Number of young people who have directly benefited through mentoring and apprenticeship: 30 a year
III: Free use of space and equipment
Fendika is a multi-functional space, with two stage areas (one indoor and one semi-outdoor), an art gallery, a community arts library, and a courtyard that can work as a convening and rehearsal space. The use of space is free when the goals of the event are aligned with the Center’s mission, and especially when the organizers and beneficiaries are young people.
a. Visual Art Gallery
Artists exhibit their works for 2 to 3 weeks at Fendika for free. Fendika also does not take commission from sales of their works. Fendika’s exhibition is open 20 hours[12] a day, 7 days a week. The exhibitions are curated by renowned artist Hailu Kifle.
Since its inauguration in July 2016, Fendika Art Gallery has seen works by 55 artists, 90% of whom are under 40 years of age. Many had their first solo exhibitions at Fendika.
During COVID-19 shutdown, Fendika streamed 3 virtual art openings, exhibiting works by 6 artists both in the gallery and on Fendika’s website.
Number of artists who directly benefited from Fendika’s Visual Art Gallery: 55
b. Artisan popups and bazaars (9 events since March 2020)
These monthly events are organized by young aspiring women entrepreneurs. Each time 8 or 9 businesses are featured. Haymanot Honelgne, who used to organize the popups and show her work there, now has her own fashion boutique in Addis Ababa.
Number of artisans who have directly benefited: 90
c. Fendika space for special events
i. Addis International Video Festival, December 2019, 2017
ii. First Addis International Art Symposium, February 2020
iii. Green Ethiopia, December 2020
iv. Urban Gardening, May 2021
v. Poetic Saturdays: 48 Saturday events from August 2016 to April 2021 (Each event has 15 poets reading, and 100 people attending)
vi. Panel discussions (10 events over 5 years)
vii. Keynote speech for orphanage children (3 events) 30 children each time
viii. Media use of space for program recording
d. Rehearsal/recording space for musicians and dancers
Each week there are at least one group of young musicians or dancers rehearsing at Fendika Cultural Center for free.
Number of artists who directly benefit: 250
IV: Internationally funded projects
Melaku Belay created Ethiocolor and Fendika in 2009 to meet the global demand for Ethiopian root music. They have since toured almost all the countries in Europe, coast to coast in the USA multiple times, African nations, and the Middle East.
Number of direct beneficiaries: 30 (Different musicians and dancers went on different tours over the 5-year period.)
In 2016, Melaku Belay applied and was granted a UNESCO IFPC grant to conduct a national research about Azmari music and organize an Azmari festival in Addis Ababa. The goal of the festival is to raise local and global awareness about the precarious status of this ancient Ethiopian music tradition, and to mentor and encourage young musicians to continue their work as Azmaris. Melaku successfully implemented this project by 2018, bringing 16 Azmaris together in a national festival, including 8 young musicians, and musicians from ethnic minority groups.
Number of beneficiaries: 16; 8 under the age of 40
V: Media art opportunities
Melaku hired young media teams to record the 18 concerts streamed live during the 7-month COVID-19 shut down. Young media art professionals were also employed to record the 3-day Timket festival in 2021 by Melaku’s commission.
Number of beneficiaries: 15; all under the age of 40
VI: Networking opportunities:
local and international artists and creatives
Interviews with some young artists who visit Fendika Cultural Center regularly reveal that they visit to meet up with other artists.
Observation over the period of 10 weeks at Fendika since 2017 showed that interactions occur between regular visitors to Fendika and new visitors, from all corners of the world (Jamaica, China, Japan, Europe, North America, Africa, etc.). Visitors tend to be artists of various disciplines: music, art, poetry, film, journalism, etc.
Melaku’s international reputation has led some overseas arts organization to seek him out to recommend young Ethiopian artists for competitions or festivals. In 2021, Melaku selected 14 young Ethiopian musicians for Visa for Music’s Africask Playlist project, and recommended 10 young Ethiopian studio artists for Norval Sovereign Art Foundation’s African Art Prize.
VII: Community building and sense of belonging
Fendika has become one of the most popular hangouts for young creatives in Addis Ababa in Addis Ababa. Some of them go there every single week. Others contribute their own artistic skills to make the space even more beautiful, such as Tamrat Gezahegne who installed the stunning wall art inside Fendika. Many others post their experience at Fendika on social media and invite their friends to join them. Many opportunities have grown out of the meeting of people, as in Haymanot and Muluken’s stories (see below Case Studies). Also important is young creative talents and creative entrepreneurs’ sense of belonging at Fendika. Fendika is truly a home for them. Here is a testimony from a young Canadian artist who was hosted by Fendika in 2020 during the First Addis International Art Symposium:
Fendika is home to many visual artists, dancers, musicians, and art lovers in Addis Ababa. It is a cultural hub, and a place that supports some of the most vibrant and beautiful energies in the city. Melaku Belay and his crew were one of the biggest supporters of the first ever Addis Ababa International Art Symposium this past February. I am forever grateful for their love and kindness. Ethiopia nafkachugnal (I miss you, Ethiopia.) ... may we meet again soon. Artist Omchantey Peace (2020)[13]
This sense of belonging and community is especially important for young Ethiopian artists and creatives as in Ethiopia, pursuing art as a profession is rarely encourage by families and society in general. Not only does Fendika Cultural Center recognize and affirm the value of arts and artists, but it is also shifting the societal biases against arts, one person, one concert, one exhibit at a time.
VIII: Other Resources
Fendika Cultural Center’s website and YouTube channel have become portals for visibilities and opportunities. The website is viewed by people in most of the countries in the world. Occasionally, Fendika receives inquiries about purchasing works by artists who have exhibited at Fendika.
Fendika Community Library on Arts and Culture, currently holding 1000+ books, is fully open to the public. It is a valued resources for young artists in their professional development.
IX: Entrepreneurial skills young people learn at Fendika
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Communication skills with artists and clients of many nationalities
- Business management
- Conflict management
- Marketing and promotion
- Creative problem solving
- Cooperation and collaboration
- Media interview skills
- Networking
- Media literacy
Creative Entrepreneurship aptitudes
- Confidence
- Autonomy and initiative-taking
- Compassion and generosity
- Humility and curiosity
- Creativity
- Willingness to take risks and pursue new opportunities and markets
X: Case Studies:
Young Entrepreneurs Who Have Benefited from Fendika Cultural Center
Haymanot Honelgne
27
Female
Fashion designer; photographer; boutique owner
Working at Fendika as a support staff led to her discovering herself as an artist. Organizing artisan popups at Fendika helped her gain marketing skills. Now she owns her own boutique shop.
Sileshi Bayeh
37
Male
Photographer; media artist; organizer
Melaku encouraged him to develop his photographic skills. Fendika hosted his first photo exhibition. He was part of the media team that filmed and broadcast Fendika’s 3-day Timket festival event. He organized a day-long urban farming expo at Fendika.
Emebet Woldetsdik
28
Female
Dancer; singer; manager
She started working as a cashier at Fendika, where she learned dancing and singing. Now she performs globally with Fendika’s touring band. She also finds jobs singing or dancing in other groups. She also helps manage Fendika.
Meselu Abebaye
31
Male
Drummer, dancer, sound technician
He came to Fendika to work as a waiter and cashier, and learned dancing and drumming here. He has been performing globally with Fendika’s touring group since 2016. He also learned to be a sound technician at Fendika, and to shoot and edit videos.
Selome Muleta
28
Female
Painter/studio artist
She had her first solo exhibitions at Fendika in 2018. She comes to Fendika every week to meet other creatives. She was nominated by Melaku for an international art prize in 2021.
Muluken Enquahone
29
Male
Fashion designer
In 2020 he started selling his work at Fendika, where he met Raphnan, one of the most popular young musicians in Ethiopia. Now he collaborates with Rophnan and his brand to broaden his clientele base.
Nardos Tesfaw
31
Female
Azmari singer
She developed singing skills at Fendika, especially with masinko, indigenous Ethiopian instrument. She has toured internationally with Fendika since 2009.
She is hired by many other groups and for music video recording projects. A recent European documentary “Standup, My Beauty!” was made of her life, to be released in August 2021.
Conclusion:
Fendika Cultural Center’s impact on youth entrepreneurship in the creative sector is significant, through employment/performance opportunities, professional (skills and aptitudes) development opportunities, use of space/equipment, special projects, networking and community building opportunities provided through inter-disciplinary and international programming. Young artists and employees develop at Fendika through sustained mentoring and apprenticeship – opportunities to learn and apply skills. An important factor that is difficult to measure is a sense of belonging they feel at the Center, and the expectation that they can grow as an artist and entrepreneurs.
Recommendations:
- Fendika Cultural Center can apply for grants or seek partnership with local and international institutions that specifically target at youth entrepreneurship development, such as workshops on promotion, press kit building and use of technology for marketing.
- Fendika Cultural Center can develop a system of tracking young artists who have engaged with the Center and used its space, and more concrete outcomes such as numbers of paintings sold and income they have gained.
- Young mentors at Fendika Cultural Center can be recognized for the mentoring and leadership work they do, through a Fendika award or certificate.
- Fendika can expand its existing library holding to include a section on leadership and business skills in its existing library.
[1] The number for five years is not 900*5 as many young people work with Fendika throughout the five years, and some are there for shorter amount of time.
[2] The number for five years is not 900*5 as many young people work with Fendika throughout the five years, and some are there for shorter amount of time.
[3] https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/ethiopia/overview
[4] Mesfin Welderufael Berhe 2020. “Empirical Analysis of Urban Youth Unemployment in Ethiopia,” African Development Review, 2021:33:104-116.
[5] Mains, Daniel. 2012. Hope Is Cut: Youth, Unemployment, and the Future in Urban Ethiopia. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
[6] Fendika.org
[7] Fendika.org
[8] https://fendika.org/fendika-stories/2020/5/9/fendikalive
[9] https://fendika.org/fendika-stories/2020/10/30/library
[10] Ethnographic observation is a research method where the researcher attends the events or everyday functions of the people that she/he studies, and takes notes of the occurrences.
[11] https://fendika.org/fendika-stories/2020/9/11/fendika-transformation
[12] This is made possible as the concerts at Fendika take place in evening and night hours. The gallery stays open during the concert and frequently draws visitors from the concert crowd.
[13] https://fendika.org/what-people-say-about-us