At CMAA, innovation is not limited to technology.
It means imagining new ways to create, learn, produce and build businesses, drawing on African craftsmanship, research, design and the Cultural and Creative Industries.
Our ambition is to establish CMAA as a regional hub for creative innovation, capable of supporting talent, developing sustainable solutions and strengthening the profile of arts and crafts across West Africa.
Learning through real-world experience
At CMAA, innovation is a driver of transformation.
It begins at the earliest stages of learning, where ideas take shape through drawing, design and prototyping.
It continues in our workshops, where traditional craftsmanship engages with design and contemporary technologies. It is further developed through experimentation with materials, techniques and processes, paving the way for creative, sustainable solutions adapted to the realities of our local context.
This approach enables us to:
At CMAA, innovation is not an end in itself: it is a way of learning, creating and transforming the world.
Educational Innovation
We develop a teaching approach based on hands-on learning, real-world projects, experimentation and collaboration.
Every learner learns by creating, testing, producing and sharing.
Entrepreneurial Innovation
CMAA supports creators in transforming their ideas into sustainable economic activities.
Through ICC Studio, learners develop their projects, strengthen their visibility and prepare to enter the workplace or start their own businesses.
Research-Led Innovation
Through ICC Lab, CMAA promotes applied research, experimentation with new materials, academic collaboration and international cooperation projects.
Turning talent into viable projects
ICC Studio is CMAA’s entrepreneurship programme.
Structured around three stages — Awareness, Development, and Incubation & Demo Day — it supports creators as they develop their ideas and turn them into viable projects.
Specialist pathways — AAD Focus, Fashion Focus, Music Focus and Performing Arts Focus — provide tailored support for different creative sectors.
Research. Experiment. Collaborate.
ICC Lab is CMAA’s innovation laboratory.
It promotes:
Its objective is to position CMAA as a regional platform for creative innovation.
Innovation at CMAA is designed to deliver tangible impact.
It contributes to:
Strengthening the Cultural and Creative Industries
CMAA develops collaborations with:
These partnerships foster exchanges, residencies, joint projects and collaborative innovation.
By 2030, CMAA aims to become a sub-regional Centre of Excellence for training, innovation and incubation in arts and crafts and the Cultural and Creative Industries.
Innovation is one of the key drivers of this transformation.
Access to the creative professions of tomorrow
Are you a creator, researcher, partner, business or institution?
Join an ecosystem where ideas take shape and become projects with real impact.
