About

Overview

The African Creative Economies Initiative (the “ACE Initiative,” or “ACE”), formerly known as the Harvard Africa Music Initiative (“HAMI”), is CSASE’s signature platform established in 2024. Its principal objective is to ensure that Africa’s creative capital remains under the control of Africans and that the continent can retain the immense value generated by its creative industries, including music, film, TV, arts, literature, fashion and sports. ACE will do this by collaborating with key stakeholders on and of the continent to help address the legal, educational and policy needs of the sector - particularly as these industries begin to engage in a meaningful way on the global stage outside of the continent. ACE will leverage the knowledge, experience, expertise, access and influence of Harvard’s African alumni, faculty and students in collaboration with policymakers, regulators, and investors to ensure that the needs and priorities of this dynamic and rapidly growing sector are well-served.

Focus Areas

ACE is uniquely well-positioned to partner with the stakeholders of Africa’s creative industries in two key inflection points: (1) when such stakeholders are looking to expand their footprint from their particular region out onto the global stage, and (2) when such stakeholders are responding to foreign expansion of international, extra-regional players into the African market.

Activities

2024

In 2024, the ACE Initiative kicked off a slate of initial projects, including:

Educational and strategic advising to a Nigerian record label in connection with its activities in the global entertainment industry
Training on the structure and economics of the global music industry to one of Nigeria’s key regulatory bodies
Chairing of the panel on “The Power of Africa’s Soft Power: The Arts, Film, Fashion, and Afrobeats - Mapping New Frontiers for the Creative Sector” at the Harvard University’s inaugural Africa Alive! 2024 reunion of African alumni
Co-producing the Africa Alive! 2024 Closing Gala featuring a Yemi Alade performance

2025

ACE's key initiative for 2025 will focus on a Listening Tour of key music markets on the African continent, including:

September 6, 2025: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire - as a hub for the music ecosystem in Francophone Africa
December 13, 2025: Lagos, Nigeria - as a hub for the music ecosystem in English-speaking West Africa and the home of Afrobeats

Student Committee

ACE’s Student Committee is responsible for interfacing with organizations affiliated with academic institutions, organizing campus initiatives, collaborating with accredited legal institutions on pro-bono events, and conducting projection research on the development of Africa’s creative industries. Membership is open to persons currently enrolled in a degree granting program at Harvard University. These members provide insight on the intersection between higher education and the future development of Africa’s creative industries.

To get in touch with the ACE team, please reach out to ace@law.harvard.edu.