MECIC Paris and French-style cultural management, a magic system!
Meet Yacouba Ouattara, an Ivorian student from MECIC-Paris at BSB
Originally from Abidjan, Yacouba Ouattara, 41, has been working in the world of live entertainment in Côte d'Ivoire for the past fifteen years. A few months ago, he decided to apply for the Mecic-Paris, the historic BSB Specialized Master's degree dedicated to cultural management and creative industries, which he therefore joined during the last school year. At the origin of the journey that has brought him so far, there was an encounter that was as impromptu as it was decisive.
” It all started with a completely random encounter with A'Salfo, the leader of the Magic System group ”, says Yacouba. ” We got along very well and he quickly offered to work with me when he needed to develop the festival website that he had launched the previous year, the FEMUA (Anoumabo Urban Music Festival) ”.
Thus, our webmaster first manages digital communication and social networks, then little by little, he occupies increasingly important responsibilities within the festival, driven by the trust placed in him by A'Salfo: he comes in particular to supervise the programming and to have artists who perform at FEMUA signed.
” Fifteen artists are welcomed at each edition of the festival, half of whom come from the rest of the world, as well as around sixty journalists. Between travel and accommodation, there is a major logistical component to ensure ” explains the man who first became Operations Director of Gaou Productions, the company that organizes the festival, before taking up the position of CEO in 2020.
European challenge
After 15 years, Yacouba wanted to change:” I wanted to challenge myself, challenge myself. All the experience that I had been able to gain in West Africa prompted me to move towards international cultural cooperation. Above all, I had a background as a computer engineer, so I felt the need to legitimize the cultural nature of my profile. ”
It was decided, he would follow a course in cultural management at a renowned school. Based on personal research, Yacouba identifies BSB's MECIC-Paris as one of the most important programs in France, a reference in the sector that will allow it to achieve its objective: to give an international dimension to its career, to build an international dimension to its career, to build a network in France and Europe to better control the institutional environment.
” As part of my activities with Gaou Productions, I had already had the opportunity to collaborate with the European Union, in particular by organizing a tour in Côte d'Ivoire in 2019 to present to our compatriots its missions and our common values. Also, it seemed important to me at this stage of my career to go even further. ” specifies the man who, halfway through, admits to being satisfied with his training at MECIC-Paris.
” I am learning a lot of things, each of the modules gives me a lot of knowledge related to the Western environment, especially in cultural cooperation, which is precisely what I was looking for. We meet speakers who are all professionals, working in the EU or in the public and private sectors, and who share their experiences with us: this is very valuable for me! ”
French reference
In the medium term, Yacouba wishes to return to Côte d'Ivoire in order to contribute to the structuring of the country's cultural environment:” The development is relatively satisfactory, but there is still much to be done, especially in terms of the professionalization of cultural industries. ”, he believes.
And to continue:” Ivorian cultural actors need to be better trained. They need to integrate even more the concept of cultural business and the need to structure themselves as within a company. Based on this requirement, concrete financing and support opportunities will open up to ensure the development of the sector. The same applies to the legal dimension. Culture should not only be viewed through the prism of entertainment but as a real provider of jobs. ”
To do this, Yacouba knows what path can be followed:” We can draw inspiration from the successes of the French cultural system, there are so many things to rely on that would contribute to better valorizing cultural wealth in Africa! Just look at the impact that the French Ministry of Culture has had internationally since the 1980s, or the aura that institutions such as SACEM have for example. France is a reference in cultural management and MECIC-Paris allows us to see all this firsthand. ”, he concludes.
