How to Not Write About Africa

By Binyavanga Wainaina

Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.

See the rest of this article at  http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1

Binyavanga Wainaina lives in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the founding editor of the literary magazine Kwani? and won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2002. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, and National Geographic

Strong cultural organisations are needed on the continent

"There is one fact in particular that we can celebrate: the ARTerial Network has proven that they can keep the momentum going," says Peter Rorvik, director of the Centre for Creative Arts in Durban, South Africa.

Read at Power of Culture

Dance Africa Dance!

First prize for solo work won by Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye, called Kaolack, Jant-Bi company !

At the 7th Choreographic Meeting of Africa and the Indian Ocean held in Tunis from May 1st to May 8th, 2008 and organised by CULTURES FRANCE (Paris) and the association Ness el Fen (Tunis), Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye, called Kaolack, won the Solo category first prize at the solo category.
Kaolack is an ex-student of the Ecole des Sables and a member of company Jant-Bi.

Source: Ecole de Sable, Newsletter, May 2008

Keep updated, subscribe to OCPA Newsletter

Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa, OCPA, has set up its World Wide Web resource centre at www.ocpanet.org (or www.culturelink.org/ocpa), offering access to a wide range of African cultural information. See their lates overview in Issue no. 201, 26 March 2008 of the newsletter, OCPA News, it may be downloaded at http://ocpa.irmo.hr/activities/newsletter/index-en.html

Arts Collaboratory: Support of visual artists’ initiatives

Arts Collaboratory is a special programme for visual artists’ initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin-America. This new programme offers opportunities for knowledge sharing, exchange, contacts and financial support. You can find out whether this programme is of interest for your projects and programmes at: www.artscollaboratory.org.
So visit the website and send in your proposals!

Arts Collaboratory is developed by two Dutch foundations: Hivos and Stichting DOEN. The programme is carried out in co-operation with the Mondriaan Foundation.

Ethical Implications of governance in Africa

It is now 20 years since the well-known “Dakar Expedition” that brought together for the first time a significant sector of the ANC leadership and about 60 prominent public figures from inside South Africa. It is also 50 years since Ghana became the first African state to obtain independence from a colonial power. It is 50 years since the first intervention by United Nations “Blue Helmets” in an African conflict. What are the salient lessons to be learnt from those events after all these years? How far have we come since then? How do we perceive of the next decades in Africa? These are the questions that will be addressed at Goree Institute in beginning of August. The output, a horizon of aspirations, will be part of the ongoing Imagine Africa process

Imagine Africa and KLM

- As KLM and Skyteam represent the preferred airlines for most travelers with stakes in Africa, we foresee a long and growing partnership, says Cato Litangen, who is organizing the European branch of Imagine Africa.

KLM will promote the Imagine Africa banner, “the flag of imagination”, and introduce Imagine Africa on their Club Africa website. In addition Imagine Africa will share experiences and upcoming events at the Club Africa members’ site, to promote and gain exposure to African arts.

Besides of the business aspect, KLM Club Africa is highly focused on sustainability. Imagine Africa is an arts initiative with a lot to offer the KLM Club Africa members. Therefore we are convinced of the fit between KLM Club Africa and Imagine Africa.

Imagine Africa is an idea by the celebrated South-African writer, artist and director at the Goree Institute in Senegal, Breyten Breytenbach. The Institute gathered major parties within African arts and culture on Goree in March this year, supported by international organisations within culture and development. From the discussions it was suggested to run the Imagine Africa campaign.

By the force of exceptional artists and minds that see themselves as part of the whole world, not the “Third World,” a new African Image evolves. Imagine Africa contributes to this force of new imagination, by supporting contemporary African arts and culture.

For more information:

See.
http://www.imagineafrica.org/
http://www.klmclubafrica.com/

Breyten Breytenbach visiting Norway for his 1st time

Breyten BreytenbachThe founding father of Imagine Africa, Breyten Breytenbach, will be on Norwegian soil for his first time the 26th June. He is invited by Strømme Foundation for the Imagine Africa campaign. Breyten is booked for several duties. "Speaking the languages we don't understand" - about life in exile - "The islands of wind" - about the African Islands of special political importance - are two of the lectures we are looking forward to. Breytenbach will also do the formal opening of Internasjonalt Marked, celebrating cultural diversity - and the opening of the Imagine Africa campaign in Norway at the 29th.