VP Mphoko: Turn Art, Culture Into Big BusinessVice President Phelekezela Mphoko says Zimbabwean artists should treat arts as a business and not only as a source of entertainment. Some artists in various nations are making millions of dollars in this multi-billion dollar industry. Mr. Mphoko told guests at a ceremony to mark Zimbabwe’s Culture Week that artists should be learn some entrepreneurship skills in order to benefit from their work. “It is high time there be a shift in regarding arts and culture only as a source of entertainment but critically as a profession that is contributing to (our) Gross Domestic Product and fulfilling demands in our country's economic blueprint that aims to eradicate poverty through promoting entrepreneurship in the arts and culture,” he said. Zimbabwe held a cultural week last week in which the country focused on empowering artists in deriving money from their activities. The vice president urged artists to engage in business and make some risky investments so as to generate money. He took a swipe at promoters for taking advantage of artists to make money for themselves while artists are wallowing in poverty. “Let us desist from the tendency of manipulating artists.” One of the artists, Tatenda Chinoda, recited a poem soon after Mr. Mphoko’s remarks to mark Zimbabwe’s culture week. “They are selling tomatoes, they are selling vegetables. We are selling our art. Art is our business. The sun rises for every artist but not every artist rises with the sun, the rains rain for every artist but not every artist rains with the rains. Artists stop issues\nstart issues” The Culture Week was held under the theme "Celebrating Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship".  No media source currently available