The Prince Claus Fund and Mimeta joined forces in an attempt to develop synergies by publishing a joint call for proposals. The call had a special focus on freedom of speech, censorship, marginalised groups and culture and conflict. Below you will find the 18 projects selected from the call.
Algeria
Café Littéraire
Filmmaker Abderrahamne Bouguermouh signing his book Anza after a session on film and literature at the Café Littéraire in 2011
Who: Ciné+ (Association culturelle et cinématographique) Mohamed Ait Amraoui
What: Literary café
Where: Timezrit, Department of Bejaia, Algeria
When: 20-04-2013 to 20-04-2014
Amount attributed: 8.100 Euros
Summary:
The project consists of organising meetings about literature to connect authors with the public. The invited authors engage in a discussion, concluding with a debate about the content of their literary work. Subsequently, a literary bulletin will be produced that reflects on the meetings and provides a more extensive analysis of the presented works by eminent critics. Many of the meetings are to take place in the Théâtre régional de Bejaia as well as in other locations in the same department. The Prince Claus Fund will support the transport and lodging of the invited writers.
Burundi
Who: Troupe Lampyre
What: Theatre Festival
Where: Burundi
When: 06-01-2013 to 11-10-2013
Amount attributed:
13.938 Euros
Summary:
Buja sans Tabou is a three-day theatre festival with the principle theme ‘No Taboos and censorship at all. Total Freedom.’ The festival will gather both local residents and people from the sub-region together for professionally-led theatre workshops. The workshops are geared toward developing participants’ writing, staging and acting skills. The festival will end with a small concert organised with artists that are often censored in Burundi.
Buja sans Tabou will be organised by La Troupe Lampyre, a theatre group led by emerging playwright Freddy Sabimbon. La Troupe Lampyre will work in partnership with groups from Burundi, the sub-region (Rwanda, Congo) and Belgium. For the concert, Troupe Lampyre intends to invite Gael Faye, a politically-engaged young singer and composer who was raised in Burundi, as well as a local reggae group, Lion Story, whose position toward the authorities has made them controversial. The themes of the festival will be censorship and freedom of expression and will offer participating artists absolute freedom to express themselves as they see fit. The event will take place in Bujumbura over the course of three days.
Lutte Contre le Silence
Tony, Christian, and Thierry in the MOLI office
Who: Star RUGORI, on behalf MoLi (Mouvement pour les Libertés Individuelles).
What: Six artistic workshops aimed to encourage the LGBT community to express itself
Where: Bujumbura, Burundi
When: 20 May 2013 – 20 December 2013
Amount attributed: 6.100 Euros
Summary:
Burundi passed a law criminalizing homosexuality on 22 April 2009. The difficult legal situation is complemented by a sociocultural environment which does not allow the free expression of one’s sexual identity. Violations of human rights and lack of freedom contribute to an oppressive atmosphere. MoLi documents hate crimes and abuse based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity. It holds thematic weekly meetings which are documented and published on their website, as the story of the week. By collecting and presenting information on the daily lives of members of the LGBT community, the culture of silence can be challenged. MoLi encourages the LGBT community to express itself through art in order to fight against discrimination and promote tolerance, as well as to build confidence. The project Lutte Contre le Silence will initiate six artistic workshops focusing on poetry, writing, theatre, photography, drawing and singing under the guidance of established artists. The results of these workshops will be presented to the audience during a final event to celebrate the International Day of Human Rights on the 10 December 2013. All events will be documented and the artworks will be published on the website to reach out to the LGBT community that wishes to remain anonymous.
Ethiopia
DFA Workshop Series
Who: Aida Muluneh, on behalf of Desta for Africa Creative Consulting PLC
What: Photography/video workshop series that supports upcoming talent from East Africa
Where: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
When: 02-09-2013 to 07-10-2013
Amount attributed: 20.000 Euros
Summary:
Desta for Africa is a non-profit cultural organisation founded by Aïda Muluneh in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The idea for Desta came about to address the lack of adequate photographic training in Ethiopia. It is founded on the belief that through education and self-sustainable opportunities, Ethiopian photographers can promote a balanced view of their country.
The DFA photography workshop series, implemented by Desta for Africa, offers four different photography and video training programs that last for six weeks. The participants are photographers from Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya. Every two years, as part of the Addis Foto Fest (AFF), photographers from the international community provide an intensive course in theoretical and hands on training in Addis Ababa. The results of the workshop will be presented in the third edition of the AFF to be held in 2014. Through participating in the workshop series the invited photographers are offered the possibility to participate in the development of photography in Africa. The primary focus of this workshop series is to support photographers by providing them with a more advanced training opportunity.
Long Live the Girls: A Manefesto!
Who: Action for Youth and Community Change (AYCC)
What: Writing workshops focusing on socio-political issues for young women and girls
Where: Hawassa, Ethiopia
When: 2013
Amount attributed: 4.260 Euros
Summary:
‘Long live the girls: A Manifesto!’ is a writing project for young women and girls focused on gender equality in Ethiopia, not only in the capital Addis Ababa but also in the Southern Awassa region, which is very often overlooked. The project is highly relevant to recent developments in Ethiopia, where the government has just reviewed and revised gender equity policies to minimize the gender gap and promote development. During a series of workshops, 25 participants between 13 and 25 years of age are asked to address important socio-political issues such as family, health and education. Using the ‘manifesto’ concept as a platform for dialogue, the project’s organisers from Action for Youth and Community Change (AYCC) will encourage girls and women to grapple with government texts and ‘talk back’ through an engaging process of analysis, creative writing and dialogues. Ultimately, project participants will produce a “Girl Manifest” that responds to ideas on gender and equality in Ethiopia. The manifesto will be presented to audiences throughout Ethiopia during public events. Overall, the project aims to encourage new voices for a new generation of Ethiopian women and girls, and advocates for a literary and reading and writing culture among youth in general.
Wax and Gold
Who: Netsa Art Village
What: Pre-workshop, art projects, lectures, workshop and an exhibition
Where: Ethiopia
When: Summer of 2013
Amount attributed: 25.000 Euros
Summary:
Netsa Art village is one of the very few independent arts organisations in Ethiopia that focuses on contemporary art and activism. Netsa Arts Village provides Ethiopian artists with a forum for networking, communication and dynamic exchange. Concerts, readings, video presentations, discussions and exhibitions allow artists to come into contact with the local community.
The Prince Claus Fund supports an intensive ten-day workshop programme around the theme of ‘Wax and Gold’ for 20 artists: member artists from Netsa Art Village, individual artists who create art in public spaces and artists from other African countries. The technique of 'wax and gold' is the basic structure of Ethiopian poetry; besides the obvious meaning of the text (the 'wax') there is also another sense (the 'gold') hidden within the poem. This principle is used by Ethiopians to avoid the risk of for instance being arrested when addressing sensitive issues in this country where the freedom of speech is very restricted.
How to address important issues in art without getting into trouble will be a focus of the workshop programme. It will consist of discussions by Ethiopian artists, curators, politicians, and activists who will contextualize the issues currently affecting Ethiopia. One of the concrete outcomes of the programme will be an exhibition in the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design Gallery in Addis Ababa with work from all participants, which seeks to serve as an inspiration to both current arts students and to the public.
Gambia
Living Legacies
Documenting Ancient Legacies Maintaining Musical Traditions for a New Generation
Who: Tunde Jegede
What: Preserving the Griot tradition.
Where: Brikama, Bakau, Banjul and Bansang; The Gambia
When: March 2013 – February 2014
Amount attributed: 14.000 Euros
Summary:
The Griot Tradition of West Africa is one of the most important oral traditions to be found on the African continent; but, with rapid globalisation the Griot Tradition is being lost. Living Legacies aims to address this problem by creating a bridge between the old world and the new. The project will begin the long-term process of documenting, compiling and archiving the resources of the previous generation through locating archival footage, photographs and audio recordings as well as conducting new field recordings and making them accessible as an educational online resource. By collecting and collating footage, photographs and recordings, Living Legacies seeks to inspire a new generation to see the value of their past and appreciate their own heritage. This material will then be used to encourage several young Gambian artists to revisit the ancient repertoire thereby reviving this lost legacy for a modern audience. This will be done through live performance and there will be an accompanying exhibition which will be a tribute to the founders and practitioners of the Griot tradition. The project will attempt to draw the younger generation’s attention towards the griot tradition by having young and popular Gambian artists such as Wali Cham and Sambou Suso performing the traditional music.
Ivory Coast
Abidjan Video Art Festival
Who: Initiatives pour l’art contemporain (IPAC)
What: Abidjan Video Art Festival
Where: Ivory Coast
When: July 2013
Amount attributed: 20.000 Euros
Summary:
Video art is an art form not commonly seen in Ivory Coast. The country boasts over 2.000 professional photographers but lacks any established video artists. Initiatives pour l’art contemporain (IPAC) aims to introduce this art form to the Ivorian people by organising a video art festival.
The Abidjan Video Art Festival project will consist of workshops led by professional video artists who will teach interested photographers techniques for creating video art. Sixteen artists – of which 5 will be from Ivory Coast, 5 from West African countries, 3 from Central Africa and 3 from Europe and the Caribbean – will participate in the project. Additionally, the involved professional video artists will show their work at the Rotonde des Arts Contemporains arts centre and in screenings in public space, making this art form accessible to the larger public in Ivory Coast. IPAC directs the Rotonde des Arts Contemporains, which organises contemporary art expositions, books signings, debates and symposia.
Cine Droit Libre Abidjan
Who: Sangare Yacouba on behalf of Ciné Connexion
What: Film Festival “Ciné Droit Libre"
Where: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
When: January 2013 - November 2013
Amount attributed: 10.000 Euros
Summary:
Ciné Droit Libre is a film festival dedicated to human rights and the freedom of expression. The festival was initiated by the Association Semfilms in June 2005 and is held every year between June and July in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Over the years, Cine droit libre has become a true space of expression, a tribune for the defence of human rights, not only in Burkina Faso but also in other parts of Africa such as Bamako, Nairobi, Dakar and in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The creed of the festival, ‘a film, a theme, a debate’, is the window opened to debates on human rights and freedom of speech.
This festival is a platform for filmmakers and journalists from all around the world whose work (films dealing with human rights and freedom of the press) is censored or poorly distributed. The promotion of this kind of work is especially important for African filmmakers whose involvement in the area of human rights and freedom of expression is remarkable but little understood. The theme of this 5th edition of the festival is children rights. The festival will be managed through a collaboration between Cine Connexion, Semfilms and the Goethe-Institut in Abidjan.
Yeyokun (Let's bond together)
The Thian Tere Band, ICN’s Music Band
Chérif Ahmed Seydinan, President of l’Institut des Civilisations Noires (ICN)
Who: ICN - Institut des Civilisations Noires
What: performing arts tour across and a series of seminars and workshops
Where: Ivory Coast
When: 07-06-2013 to 20-07-2014
Amount attributed: 20.000 Euros
Summary:
The ‘Yeyokun’ (Let’s Bond Together) project is a series of performing arts tours and joint performances aimed at bringing together artists and linking them in a ‘tour circuit’ – and – taking scenic arts from urban neighbourhoods to the remote rural areas of Ivory Coast. This project responds to the major challenges that face performing artists in Ivory Coast in accessing a wider public and developing new audiences. This way, the ‘Yeyokun’ (Let’s Bond Together) project seeks to contribute to a better Ivorian society with greater social inclusion through what will be the largest theatrical and scenic arts events the country has ever known. In the framework of the ‘Yeyokun’ (Let’s Bond Together) project, ICN (Institut des Civilisations Noires) will undertake a nation-wide performing arts tour (festivals, outdoor theatre…) across the five great regions of the country and will organise a series of seminars and workshops to discuss the national cultural policy and how it impacts on the work of the artists. The project will last one year.
Liberia
Film Festival: Image of Liberia
Who: Kriterion Monrovia
What: Film festival and other activities linked to Kriterion Monrovia
Where: Monrovia, Liberia
When: 15-07-2013 to 15-02-2014
Amount attributed: 12.590 Euros
Summary:
In Liberia, and especially in Monrovia, there is a huge demand for cultural activity after the devastating 14 years of civil war. Kriterion Monrovia, a new independent art house cinema, offers an important new platform in the cultural reconstruction efforts in Liberia. It will, to the large number of youth in Monrovia, be a rare and much desired place to be both inspired and entertained. Kriterion Monrovia, like Kriterion Amsterdam, will be run by youth. As a non-profit organisation, all revenue generated by the restaurant and bar will be reinvested into the cinema and its activities. The cinema not only creates jobs but seeks to stimulate a transformation in Liberia’s cultural arena.
By offering an eclectic programme and addressing different issues that are important to young Liberians themselves, they hope to contribute to a strong democracy in Liberia.
With the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Kriterion Monrovia will organise a two-day film festival, preceded by two days of workshops. The film festival itself includes the screening of 15 movies, a total of 8 workshops, 15 artist talks and 3 round table discussions. Following the theme of the festival ‘Image of Liberia’, the focus will be on the cultural arena of Liberia, its youth and its development. Liberia’s past and present issues will be reflected, including themes such as slave trade, hardship and conflict, but also the resilience, power and strength of the Liberian people around the world, their achievements and their involvement in the national and international arena.
Libya
Reviving the Arts in Libya
Who: Arete Foundation for Arts & Culture
What: Annual programme consisting of various arts activities
Where: Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya
When: 2013-06-01 to 2014-05-31
Amount attributed: 33.019 Euros
Summary:
Arete’s annual programme consists of several cultural and artistic initiatives that seek to revitalize the art scene in Libya and introduce types of art that have not been exhibited previously in the country. The programme for 2013 includes film, visual arts, video art, creative writing and capacity building. It includes a series of lectures and workshops to acquaint Libyan artists and art students with distinguished international artists. Participants will also have the opportunity to train with the visiting professional artists.
Malawi
The WikiAfrica project
Who: Ivana Abreu, Art Africa Centre (Africa Centre)
What: The WikiAfrica Project
Where: Ethiopia and Malawi
When: June 2013 to May 2014
Amount Attributed: 24.000 Euros
Summary:
The WikiAfrica Project aims to increase the quality and quantity of African content on Wikipedia by creating new articles and expanding and enhancing existing content on Africa and its people. The project will be implemented in Ethiopia and Malawi and includes the following activities:
- Upload and expand information and knowledge that currently reside in cultural and academic archives;
- Activate, train and support a self-sustaining new generation of Wikipedian editors from across the continent.
By making archival information available online, WikiAfrica aims to empower and inform Africans. Information which is currently in hands of institutions and organisations working in the fields of culturally-sensitive heritage and marginalised communities, will be made publicly available. The focus will be on contemporary and socially relevant information. Heritage and activist institutions can correct misinterpreted or distorted histories by placing current issues in the correct historical and social context.
Mauritania
Femmes En Scene
Who: Sokan Theatre in collaboration with the Bureau des Arts et Communication (BAC)
What: Workshops in theatre-making for girls and women from Africa and in the
(Caribbean) African diaspora.
Where: Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Nouakchott, Mauritania
When: 2013 - 2014
Amount attributed: 25.000 Euros
Summary:
Femmes en Scene is a capacity building project for young female theatre makers from Africa that offers workshops in directing, scenography, set design, playwriting and other aspects of theatre making.
In Africa, women are generally underrepresented in the field of theatre creation, should it be stage design, writing, or production. In an effort to challenge this underrepresentation, the Sokan Theatre in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, together with the country’s Bureau des Arts et Communication (BAC), decided to organise an annual series of workshops which allow women theatre makers to enhance their professional skills, as well as foster professional ties between them. This year’s edition of Femmes En Scene will take place in Ivory Coast and in Mauritania, where the underrepresentation of women theatre makers is particularly apparent. Femmes En Scene intends to directly tackle this problem, by creating a training bridge between the two neighbouring countries.
In the years that the Sokan Theatre has organised Femmes En Scene, the project has proven its social and artistic relevance by carefully identify the question of space and the presence of women in African contemporary art. The focus on different ‘poles’ or regions allows different parts of the sub-region to benefit from this model, which has proven its success during earlier editions. An evaluation from 2009 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) showed that the project has “participated in the improvement of skills and status of women, performers, and the strengthening of arts education in the field of theatre”, and “promoted the development of the theatre sector in Cote d'Ivoire, and in the participating countries”. Moreover, the evaluation showed that upon returning to their respective countries, “women with this training were able to help advance the development of theatre by putting into practice their newly acquired skills and transmission of knowledge”, and ultimately, “serve as role models, inspiration and encouragement to other women who wish to pursue a career in a profession or the theatrical production or in another field”.
Sudan
Mobile Cinema: Taking Film to the Margins in Sudan
Who: Tracks for Training and Human Development (formerly KACE Al Khatim Adlan
Center for Enlightenment and Human Development), Khartoum, Sudan
What: A film tour offering audiences throughout Sudan
Where: Northern and Central Sudan
When: 2013
Amount attributed: 25.000 Euros
Summary:
As the name suggests, ‘Mobile Cinema: Taking Film to the Margins in Sudan’ is a film tour aimed at offering diverse audiences throughout Sudan the chance to enjoy watching and discussing both popular international films as well as contemporary regional cinema.
Although under heavy pressure from the current government, Sudan has a rich cinema-tradition, which is described by the Sudanese filmmaker Ibrahim Shaddad in his article ‘A very brief history of Sudanese filmmaking’. According to Shaddad, cinema houses proliferated in cities all over the country until the early nineties, whereas films reached the rural areas via the Mobile Cinema Unit’s numerous equipped vans. By ‘going to the movies’ shown by these cinema vehicles, those living in Sudan’s more remote areas became acquainted with other places and people, often for the first time. Unfortunately Sudan’s current government, which came to power in 1989, has placed heavy scrutiny on such public film screenings, and on the production and dissemination of films in general.
The Sudanese organisation Tracks for Training and Human Development aims to revive Sudan’s rich cultural tradition of ‘going to the movies’ (and the debate around it), by organising a film tour in northern and central Sudan. The goal is to realize no less than 88 film screenings and discussions, reaching out to neighborhoods that are otherwise excluded from attending such events.
Sudan Film Fest
Who: Sudan Film Factory, Khartoum, Sudan
What: Film Screenings, Discussion Forums and Networking Platforms.
Where: Khartoum, Sudan
When: 2013
Amount attributed: 6.000 Euros
Summary:
Sudan Film Fest is a one-week film festival of screenings, discussion forums and network platforms, focused on the importance of cinema as a form of artistic expression for social debate and change. The Sudan Film Fest is organized by the Sudan Film Factory, which aims at qualifying and building the capacities of young Sudanese talents, producing films and exposing a Sudanese audience to films, film making and cinema.
Originally established as a three-year project by the Goethe-Institut Sudan in 2010, the Sudan Film Factory offers training to young Sudanese filmmakers, allowing them to increase their skills in scriptwriting, cinematography, editing and directing. By organising film workshops and producing excellent quality films, the Sudan Film Factory contributes to the professionalisation of young Sudanese filmmakers and the creation of a new energy in Sudan. Since its inception, the Sudan Film Factory has been motivated, curated and designed by an energetic and creative group of independent young Sudanese film makers and critics. Despite the difficult circumstances for a cultural organisation operating in Sudan, especially when it comes to the scrutinized art of filmmaking, the Sudan Film Factory team has established an excellent track record in the production of high quality short documentary and fictional films, some of which have been awarded and managed to be screened at major film festivals, such as the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Luxor Film Festival in Egypt.
2013 is a year of transition for the Sudan Film Factory, as the festival will become an independent entity in 2014 when funding from the Goethe-Institut will come to an end. Supporting the Sudan Film Factory in this phase of transition will contribute to the long term goal of creating a serious Sudanese cinema.
Trans-African Photography Master Class
Akinbode Akinbiyi, Offering, 2006, Black Atlantic Divinities
Nigeria and Brazil, Lagos and Brazilia: migrant gods and returnees
Who: Sudanese Photographers Group in collaboration with Invisible Borders
What: Photography Master Class for at least 12 photographers (of which 5 are women)
Where: Khartoum, Sudan
When: June 2013
Amount attributed: 20.000 Euros
Summary:
Sudanese Photographers Group (SPG) started as simple group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/sphotographers) with the goal of bringing together Sudanese photographers and providing an online space for them to showcase their work daily and get feedback from more experienced members. In 2012 they decided to expand the activities of the group beyond the internet. Now the SPG is organising an intensive four-week photography master class that will lead to an exhibition and a publication. Participants are Sudanese photographers and photographers from the Invisible Borders Project (Nigeria).
In 2011, the photographers of Invisible Borders made a road trip from Lagos to Addis Ababa, passing through Sudan. During their stay in Khartoum, the Sudanese photographers organised a workshop with them and they had the opportunity to share their experiences. That triggered the idea of Trans-African collaboration on a larger scale. The master class will will be given by the Berlin-based Nigerian Photographer Akinbode Akinbiyi. In addition to improving photographic skills the master class also addresses the socio-political discourse and is aimed at enhancing the knowledge on creative ways of using photography as a tool for social intervention and the role photography can play in shaping the country. During the four weeks there will also be talks, presentations and a conference open to the public.
Swaziland
The Barn at MTN BUSHFIRE 2013
Who: The MTN Bushfire Festival
What: Talking Walls, part of The Barn of the BUSHFIRE Festival
Where: Malkerns, Swaziland
When: 27-05-2013 to 02-06-2013
Amount attributed: 10.825 Euros
Summary:
The Barn is an interactive art and dialogue space devoted to free exchange of ideas, performance art, exhibitions, lectures and round-table discussions taking place during the MTN BUSHFIRE Festival. Talking Walls is the community outreach programme of ‘The Barn’. The organisers seek to further involve their immediate community (Mahlanya Village) in the conversations and discussions that take place at The Barn. They plan to invite a team of graffiti artists to work on mural art on social issues such as the high HIV/ AIDs prevalence and orphan rates that affect the community. In addition, Clowns without Borders (SA) will work with children and their guardians on their personal development using creativity and play. A team of South African and Botswana Graffiti artists will go into the community to share the art form graffiti. Selected members of the community will be encouraged to share their views, beliefs and dreams with reference to the following themes: ‘Bring Your Fire’- How to make a positive contribution within the community; Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), Social Behavioural Change and the impact of HIV/AIDs in the community. The artists in collaboration with the members of community, will then use the dialogue to make the ‘Talking Walls’ project. The team of graffiti artists will include local and regional artists with experience in community based engagement. This creative process will involve an initial day of workshops. The outcome will therefore be an artistic interface - the Billboard Walls - which will be the result of the collaborative work between the graffiti & fine artists and the local community. The Clowns Without Borders team will operate as a live extension of this installation artwork, and will offer a live and interactive interface with the billboards and the themes that they emanate. They will include the children of the community in the Talking Walls project, by doing several fun activities for the children and their guardians, as well as help make a performance with the children, which will be held at the MTN BUSHFIRE Festival.
