The Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) is holding a ceremony this Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 2:30 PM, at the Maison du MASA, to present training certificates to 200 Ivorian artists, cultural operators, and entrepreneurs, marking the completion of several months of training and support in cultural entrepreneurship.
Launched on August 18, 2025, at the Institut Pédagogique National de l’Enseignement Technique et Professionnel (IPNETP) in Cocody, this program is implemented by MASA under the guidance of the consulting firm Bouchra Consulting, with funding from the Fonds de Développement de la Formation Professionnelle (FDFP). It is part of a broader ambition: to progressively strengthen the skills of 1,000 Ivorian cultural professionals per year, drawn from various segments of the cultural ecosystem.
This first phase enabled the 200 beneficiaries to develop skills in several key areas essential to the professionalization of their activities: technical and digital innovation, entrepreneurship, management, business formalization, and business development.
The training was also complemented by individual coaching support, designed to help each beneficiary design and finalize their business plan. The goal is to equip cultural entrepreneurs with structured, viable projects capable of attracting funding from the government, donors, and technical and financial partners.
Beyond the certificate presentation, this ceremony represents an important milestone in MASA’s ongoing efforts to professionalize and structure cultural entrepreneurship in Côte d’Ivoire.
It marks not an end, but a new starting point for the 200 beneficiaries, who are now expected to apply the knowledge and tools acquired during their training. It also paves the way for upcoming cohorts, in a momentum set to continue over the coming months.
The program will be progressively rolled out to several cities across the country’s interior, in order to broaden its impact and contribute to the goal of training and supporting 1,000 cultural professionals annually.
