Visual artists in Senegal receive royalty payments for first time since 1972

103 visual artists in Senegal have become the first since 1972 to receive remuneration for their work. The historic distribution in Senegal, announced on October 24th, comes after efforts to improve the effectiveness of the country’s collective management system and educating users in public places (e.g., hotels and restaurants) about the right to communication in public and representation rights. Senegal has had a collective management system in place for more than 40 years.

The royalties are a combination of those collected by SODAV and ADAGP. Part of the royalties were collected in France by ADAGP. The two societies signed a reciprocal agreement on June 14th, 2019. CISAC creators council CIAGP helped trigger the agreement following a conference during the 2018 Dakar Biennale and a workshop that included ADAGP.

SODAV Director General Aly Bathily said: “More than forty years after the creation of a collective management organisation in the country, this first distribution marks a new era of hope for visual artists in Senegal.”

During a ceremony held for artists and the distribution, Senegal Minister of Culture and Communication Abdoulaye Diop said: “SODAV has shown its ability, through bilateral agreements, to find money where their works are being used to benefit users.”

The Minister added: “SODAV is a young society to encourage. It has done positive things and needs our support.”