EFFORTS to develop arts in Tanzania have secured the much-needed acknowledgement, as Ubungo District Commissioner, Alberto Msando, is slated to preside over the opening of a metal sculpting training in Dar es Salaam on Monday next week.

The training, dubbed ‘Cheche - A light of Change', is organized by a Dar es Salaam-based contemporary art centre, Urithi Arts, located at Mbezi Luis along Goba Road

Urithi Arts Centre's Director, Fred Halla, who is also the institution's founder, stated that the training targets to have welders from various parts of Dar es Salaam gain metal sculpting knowledge, which will prove to be crucial to their efforts to improve their livelihood.

Halla noted that the training will last for one month, with 10 welders- five males and five females- set to feature in it.

"The aim of the training is to provide welders with the skills to create steel art out of the materials they are used to," Halla revealed.

According to Halla, the workshop is also an opportunity for female welders, who are rarely seen actively engaging in income-earning activities based on their profession.

"The 'Cheche' workshop, thus, is a platform that provides equal opportunities for all," the Urithi Arts Centre's Director added.

"Since the raw materials used are scrap metals, the 'Cheche' is a project that encourages environmental conservation by reducing metal waste in our environment," he added.

Halla pointed out that apart from officially opening the metal sculpting training, Msando is expected to open an exhibition of colourful paintings by various artists in the country.

The 'Cheche' project, according to Halla, has garnered a grant from the Swiss Embassy in Tanzania and the Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania through the Feel Free project coordinated by a contemporary art centre, Nafasi Art Space.

He expressed his sincere gratitude to an electric vehicle manufacturing company, located in the city, for being a worthy partner in making the program a success.

The 'Cheche' is the first major project supervised by Urithi Arts this year, as domestic visual art practitioners are stepping up efforts to successfully develop the profession.

Halla noted that the training will involve youthful welders aged 20-35, insisting that female welders will be prioritised.

The welders wishing to apply for the 'Cheche' project, Halla earlier stated, should be those based in Ubungo Municipality.

The Urithi Arts founder, moreover, said the prospective 'Cheche' project beneficiaries ought to clearly state their expectations once applying for the chance to attend the training.

The seasoned visual artist had, shortly after he was unveiled as one of Nafasi Art Space's Feel Free Grant beneficiaries a few months back, said 'Cheche' was the project that earned him the opportunity to access funding from the Feel Free Grant project.