United World Artists [UWA]

United World Artists [UWA] is a pioneering social business jointly developed with Yunus Centre to resolve some critical music industry issues and establish international standard recording industry system for the overall music industry of Bangladesh. United World Artists [UWA] was formed in October 2011 after almost one and half years of research & development and establishing extensive global ne

twork to address and resolve some of Bangladesh’s most critical & long standing music industry as well as the overall creative & media industry problems/issues that remained unresolved for more than 40years since the country’s independence in 1971. These major industry issues include:

a) Not paying artists’ due royalty, which is the biggest right for any professional musician, songwriter or any artist involved in any faculty of creative art form producing intellectual property. b) There is no national electronic sales management system to monitor the sales of CD/DVD or sales on digital platform that is vital in establishing artists’ royalty. d) An event management company that is aimed at promoting Bangladeshi musicians from a global perspective to create performance opportunity with other internationally acclaimed musicians as well as creating a platform for country’s many talented but underprivileged musicians. e) A record company of global standard that would produce international collaborative projects between Bangladeshi artists and other acclaimed international artists, primarily giving emphasis on the artists of South East Asia region, and establish a global distribution network both in traditional system and digital & new media platform staying focus on future market and technological convergence. f) There is no artist’s development institute with affiliation from internationally reputed music colleges or similar institutes that would play pivotal role in artist development & management, and initiate industry training & development programs through workshops and seminars. h) To work closely with local law enforcement and international development organisation like United Nations [UN] and its specialised agency WIPO [World Intellectual Property Organisation] to fight against massive music piracy that exists in Bangladesh. To resolve all of the above long standing industry problems that exists within the overall music industry of Bangladesh, the solution was to create an international standard 360 degree parent company by the name of “United World Artists” [UWA] under which four (4) subsidiaries would be created based on the theory & principles of Social Business Model over the next 5 years time frame. UWA Events: A full service 360 degree Event Management Company to organise concerts both in Bangladesh and overseas. UWA Events also specializes in developing Arts & Education based creative contents for CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] initiatives to support and create opportunities for underprivileged artists of Bangladesh as well as within the South East Asia region.

◦ 2. Flying Colour Records: An international standard Record Company & Recording Studio focusing on global collaborative projects and establish international distribution network both in traditional system and new media & digital platform staying focus on future market and technological convergence.

◦ 3. Creation of a National Music Database and development of a Nationwide Sales Management System to establish Artists Royalty that would work closely with WIPO [World Intellectual Property Organisation], a specialised agency of the United Nation [UN]

◦ 4. Bangladesh International Academy of Music & Fine Arts [BIAMFA]: Artists Management and Development Institute focusing on the development of industry professionals and underprivileged artists of Bangladesh by establishing a Music & Arts Academy that will develop initially 6 months to 1 year Music Diploma courses giving special emphasis in providing subsidized learning and development opportunity for the underprivileged artist of Bangladesh. BIAMFA will be established by taking development support from number of internationally reputed music colleges like Berklee College of Music, Musicians Institute, London Music School along with reputed local music institutes to maintain the development of musicianship on traditional instruments like Tabla, Sitar, Sarod, Bansuri etc. It will also work closely with number of multinational government’s art councils like Australian Arts Council, British Council, American Cultural Institute, The Japan Foundation, Goethe Institute, Arts Council of Norway, Alliance Francaise, National Arts Council Singapore and Indian Cultural Institute to organise industry development workshops, seminars and scholarships. a non-loss, non-dividend company dedicated entirely to achieve a social goal. It is a cause-driven business. In a social business, the investors/owners can gradually recoup the money invested, but cannot take any dividend beyond that point. Purpose of the investment is purely to achieve one or more social objectives through the operation of the company; no personal gain is desired by the investors. The company must cover all costs and make profit, at the same time achieve the social objective.” [Professor Muhammad Yunus]

Why Social Business? Because it is a business model where we locate certain important social or industry problems and develop the business to provide solutions to these problems by establishing self sustaining business ventures without the intension of profit maximization like traditional business models. It is a self sustaining business that would also make profit, however, the profits are reinvested for company’s future growth and to create other social business subsidiaries to address and resolve other problems/issues that may still remain within the targeted industry. Investors recoup their invested money over a period of time but do not receive any dividend from the profit. Joint Development Partnership with Yunus Centre:

Considering the overall company objectives of UWA and the enormous tasks that are required to fulfil these objectives, it was crucial to develop a joint venture partnership and develop a team that would work selflessly from a perspective of serving the nation applying each individual’s expertise for the targeted industry sectors, and get the development support from an organisation that has strong global reputation. Social business allows creating business in a selfless manner with an objective to solve society’s most pressing needs. Yunus Centre is the global hub for Social Business that is run by highly respected world figure Noble Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and his highly efficient team that consist of business development professionals, economists, marketing and accounting professionals with enormous experiences under their belt. And at the same time, Yunus Centre has unprecedented global reputation among the business community that has already started some major social business projects in Bangladesh in collaboration with some top multinational companies like Danone, BASF, Adidas to name a few. Moreover, Yunus centre is well connected with some high profile international figures within the international music and media sectors including United Nations [UN] and WIPO, which would be imperative for UWA’s development process and to succeed in reaching the company’s overall objectives for the music industry of Bangladesh. United World Artists [UWA] is world's first media, music development & event and a record company that is being developed based on the Theory & Principles of Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus' Social Business Model.