Victoria University Kampala has called for the urgent repositioning of Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) within Uganda’s education system, describing it as a critical pathway to future jobs, innovation, and economic transformation in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The call was made during the Annual Music, Dance and Drama Festival held at Mengo Senior School , where the university emphasized the growing importance of creative disciplines in shaping a future-ready workforce.
Speaking on behalf of Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga, the university’s Marketing and Students Recruitment Manager, who attended as Chief Guest, highlighted that the global labour market is rapidly evolving due to artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation.
As routine jobs decline, uniquely human skills such as creativity, communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence are becoming increasingly valuable.
“MDD is one of the most effective platforms within secondary education for nurturing these essential competencies,” the representative noted.
According to the university, the global creative economy has grown into a powerful economic force, generating approximately $2.3 trillion annually and contributing over 3 percent to global GDP. The sector employs tens of millions of people worldwide, with the fast-growing creator economy expected to approach $480 billion by 2027.
In Uganda, the creative sector is already making a notable contribution, accounting for about 3 percent of GDP—equivalent to roughly Shs 4.2 trillion—and employing over 400,000 people, the majority of whom are youth. The sector spans music, film, crafts, and digital media, with more than 250,000 enterprises operating across the country.
Despite this potential, the university expressed concern that the industry remains underfunded and under-structured, receiving minimal national budget allocations.
Victoria University stressed that MDD should no longer be viewed as an extracurricular activity but as a foundational component of education that prepares learners for high-growth sectors such as film, television, digital content creation, advertising, and tourism.
Through participation in MDD, students gain critical skills including creative thinking, public speaking, teamwork, confidence, and cultural storytelling—competencies increasingly demanded in a technology-driven global economy.
“As machines take over predictable tasks, human creativity becomes the defining competitive advantage,” the statement emphasized, adding that MDD enables learners not only to consume content but to create, influence, and build brands.
The university has now called on government, educational institutions, and the private sector to take deliberate steps in integrating MDD into formal skills development frameworks, strengthening creative education pathways, and investing in the creative economy.
It stated that Uganda has the potential to become a continental leader in the creative industry if it prioritizes talent development from an early stage.
“Music, Dance and Drama is not extracurricular—it is central to the future of work,” the statement noted