Millennium Bim (International Bank of Mozambique), owned by Portugal’s BCP, announced on Wednesday 10 July that it is financing the cultural sector with two million meticals (28,000 euros) to boost artistic production and creativity, the Lusa newsagency reported .
“The most important thing for us is to promote culture, to support Mozambican children and artists, and we’re going to have an investment of around two million meticals, which may not be considered much, but it’s the beginning of investments that we’re going to make over the years,” said the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Millennium Bim Mozambican President, Moisés Jorge, at the signing of the funding agreement in Maputo.
Jorge explained that the amount now announced by the bank, one of the largest in the country, will be allocated to the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM), for the preparation and materialisation of exhibitions of works of plastic arts and to support cultural activities dedicated to children, which take place on Saturdays at the centre, for two years.
“Supporting artists and children is the best and biggest investment we could make. We have been supporting artists, especially young people, because the country has a very large cultural heritage and we need to take advantage of it to produce and create more,” he said.
The president of Millennium Bim also said that the institution’s investment seeks to “reduce the risk” of the disappearance of arts and culture, considered world heritage by the United Nations, such as Timbila, a musical instrument, and Mapiko (traditional dance).
