Launched during the African Arts and Performing Arts Market MASA, the initiative will begin in Bouak茅, C么te d'Ivoire, before continental deployment. A central component, presented during "Orun Day," is the creation of a creative and entrepreneurial center of excellence. This center will unite artisans, designers, researchers, and technological innovators to modernize art professions and develop local industrial sectors, particularly in textiles and crafts.
Abdoulaye Diaw, Orun's Director General, stated that the project is a movement focused on human creativity and commitment for development. Orun is building this ecosystem through strategic partnerships, drawing inspiration from the research and development model of Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University to modernize artisanal practices. The initiative has received high-level political and diplomatic support, with the opening ceremony presided over by the First Lady of C么te d'Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, and several ministers.
Othman El Ferdaous, the Moroccan Ambassador to C么te d'Ivoire, emphasized Africa's urgent need to strengthen its creative and financial autonomy to reduce reliance on external validation. Olivia Yac茅, the program's ambassador, advocated for culture to be recognized as a growth and employment engine
