AFRICA REVIEW - GEOGRAPHICAL AFRICA

Lutte Contre Le Silence Burundi 2013 Photograhpy workshop in Bujumbura © Atelier Agaciro Left page: Buja Sans Tabou Burundi 7 February 2014 La Troupe Lampyre performing the play ‘Déchirement’ at the Institut Français in Bujumbura © Julia Kneuse Last page: Femmes En Scene 2013 Ivory Coast and Mauritania 2013 Theatre workshops in Abidjan and Nouakchott © Sokan Theatre

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Yeyokun (Let’s Bond Together) Ivory Coast April 2014 The Thian Tere Band performing in Bouaké © Teteh M

Previous page: Talking Doors At Mtn Bushfire 2013 Swaziland May–June 2013 ‘The White Room’ by Dane Arsmtrong © Dane Armstrong Dfa Photography Workshop Series Ethiopia A workshop participant in action © Desta for Africa (DFA)

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Following page: Film Festival: Image Of Liberia Liberia 21 February 2014 Setting-up for the opening night of the festival in Monrovia © Kriterion Monrovia Ciné-Fil Algerie Algeria 2013 Audio-visual workshop in Timezrit © Association Cinéma et Mémoire

Previous page: Buja Sans Tabou Burundi 7 February 2014 La Troupe Lampyre performing the play ‘Déchirement’ at the Institut Français in Bujumbura © Julia Kneuse /A.R.I.A/ Algeria 2013 Installation by Algerian artist Amina Menia © Thierry Bal

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Living Legacies The Gambia 18 May 2014 Tunde Jegede (left) and Sunara Begum (right) during the recording session of Laemon Jatta (center) © Saul Njie

Wax And Gold Ethiopia Summer 2013 Work by Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Bekel © Peterson Kamwathi, Hermela Abayneh, Leykun Nahusenay & Boniface Muangi

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Azmari Filmmaking Workshop Ethiopia April 2014 Filmmaker Abenezer Tesfaye capturing one of his scenes with actress Betty © Elias Aba Milki

Yeyokun (Let’s Bond Together) Ivory Coast April 2014 ‘Balafon’ (xylophone) performance in Bangolo © Teteh M

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Lutte Contre Le Silence Burundi 2013 Photograhpy workshop in Bujumbura © Atelier Agaciro

Wax And Gold Ethiopia Summer 2013 Ethiopian artist Mulugeta Gebre Kidan © Peterson Kamwathi, Hermela Abayneh, Leykun Nahusenay & Boniface Muangi

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Mobile Cinema: Taking Film To The Margins In Sudan Sudan 14 December 2013 Film screening and discussion at the Nuba Women for Education and Development Association (NuWEDA) in Omdurman © Midhat Afifi

Previous page: Femmes En Scene 2013 Ivory Coast and Mauritania 2013 Theatre workshops in Abidjan and Nouakchott © Sokan Theatre Trans-African Photography Master Class Sudan September 2013 Nigerian photographer Emeka Okereke in Khartoum © Shihab Diab

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Ciné Droit Libre Abidjan Ivory Coast 2013 Film screening at the SOS Children’s Village in Abidjan © Ciné Connexion

Previous page: Talking Doors At Mtn Bushfire 2013 Swaziland May/June 2013 The first day of ‘Talking Doors’, a community outreach program © Dane Armstrong Wax And Gold Ethiopia Summer 2013 Ethiopian artist Henok Getachew © Peterson Kamwathi, Hermela Abayneh, Leykun Nahusenay & Boniface Muangi

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Buja Sans Tabou Burundi 9 February 2014 Musical concert by ‘Lion Story’ at Sabemeli Bar, Bujumbura © Julia Kneuse

Previous page: Lutte Contre Le Silence Burundi 2013 Evening show in Bujumbura © Atelier Agaciro Long Live the Girls Addis Ababa, Ethiopia August 2013 Poetry reading during a street performance © Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein

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Previous page: Talking Doors At Mtn Bushfire 2013 Swaziland May/June 2013 Installation at the Bushfire Festival © Gia Armstrong The Wikiafrica Project Ethiopia and Malawi 2013 WikiAfrica Kids in the Lower Shire of Malawi © The Africa Centre

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Introduction Geographical Call 2013: Africa In this Review the Prince Claus Fund is proud to present the results of the 2013 Geographical Call for Proposals in Africa (henceforth Africa Call). The Prince Claus Fund and Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development, published this call together.

The Prince Claus Fund supports artists, critical thinkers and cultural organisations in spaces where freedom of cultural or artistic expression is restricted or absent.

Since it was founded, almost twenty years ago, the Prince Claus Fund has worked throughout the African continent. Both the Prince Claus Fund and Mimeta (www.mimeta.org), have a special interest in projects that focus on freedom of expression and censorship.

Dramatic events over the last few years on the African continent – from the Arab Spring to the passing of Nelson Mandela, and a recent explosion of cultural and creative activity in the visual arts – make this call, supporting cultural and artistic undertakings, particularly timely.

The Prince Claus Fund supports projects that have a profound impact, both cultural and developmental, in the contexts in which they operate. This impact con­tinues beyond the timeframe of the supported project; grantees enter into the Fund’s wider net­ work of cultural operators around the globe, working together to support and foster culture. Whilst this Review records the actions of the projects that the Fund has supported, it hopes also to capture a sense of the cultural contexts in which they operate, and the wider themes that are shaping the continent today.

Given the wide scope of this call, priority was given in selecting projects to those in contexts where sup­ port was particularly absent. The call for pro­posals was closed on 18 February 2013; in total the Prince Claus Fund supported twenty-one projects across

the continent, in Algeria, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Sudan, and Swaziland. Six of these projects were supported jointly with Mimeta.

The goal of this Review is to provide an interesting overview of contexts, projects and grantees. The idea is not only to show the diversity of the projects that have been supported but also the people behind them, the context in which they take place, their impact, legacy and their relevance to our work in Africa. A short account of each country precedes the description of each of the twenty-one outstanding grantees. We conducted three in-depth interviews with particular participants to give more detailed personal accounts of their challenges and tribulations the projects faced working in some of the most challenging contexts in Africa. Finally, the Prince Claus Fund approached five critical thinkers from Africa to share their views on working in Africa, and on current trends and urgencies facing the continent: the Review thus includes essay contributions from: Renee Akitelek Mboya, Mike van Graan, Jok Madut Jok, Emeka Okereke, and Joe Osae-Addo.

This Review hopes to highlight the excellent work exceptional cultural organisations are doing across the continent of Africa, and to underline the vital importance of culture in its transformative power to generate positive social and economic change worldwide.

Christa Meindersma, Director, Prince Claus Fund

Selection Process

Of the 112 proposals received during the Africa Call, twenty-seven reached the research phase and twenty-one projects were financially supported. One of the supported projects from the Ivory Coast had to cancel their project due to contextual circumstances. The selection of these projects was made under a number of criteria, namely, quality, innovation, engagement and development relevance, costs, contribution to freedom of expression, and culture in conflict areas. The selected proposals were then researched in detail, and second opinions were gathered from independent experts both in, and from, Africa. Although all applicants provide references, independent and objective opinions are always sought for every project. Based on the results of this research, the programme committee approves or rejects each project. Each grantee is then notified of the amount of financial support they will receive. Upon completion of each project supported, the Prince Claus Fund evaluates and documents the objectives and successes. Exemplary projects are then shared on the website and through the Fund’s international network.

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Themes and disciplines

Artistic disciplines

In evaluating the proposals that the Prince Claus Fund received as part of the Africa Call certain recurrent themes and disciplines emerged among the twenty-one grantees. While the Review does not claim to conclusively categorise the many current cultural, technological and artistic trends within the Africa Call, there is a large degree of topical and thematic overlap in the initiatives supported by the Prince Claus Fund. Furthermore, the general focus of the call was on freedom of speech and censorship, and this is in evidence in all of the grantee projects.

We hope that the following brief summary of these recurrent themes and disciplines will contribute to a compre­ hensive overview of the projects that make up the Africa Call.

Themes Developing the Arts

Freedom of Expression

With a growing international interest in contem­ porary art from Africa and the awareness of the continent’s creative potential, many projects in this call have not only valued the arts as a vector of development, they have also shed light on vibrant art scenes. Considering the meagre support these scenes receive from national institutions in the supported countries and artists’ confinement through censor­ ship and restrictions, our partners have sparked and enhanced creativity in their local context, strengthened international partnership, and revived cultural traditions and heritage.

Freedom of expression is at the heart of the Prince Claus Fund’s Africa Call. For the Fund, freedom of expression opens debates, allowing projects to engage with sensitive issues, and thus, foster develop­ ment. Every project supported through this call pertains to this concept in one way or another. The projects reviewed in this Review have defied censor­ ship to present their causes in a conscious and structured form of activism that, in many cases, clashes with national repression and sanctions.

Human Rights

Human rights should be a universal priority. In many of the projects’ countries, individual rights are threatened, restricting the emancipation, and scope of action, of certain communities. Specifically, projects supported by this call acted as advocates of human rights, whether addressing children’s rights in Ivory Coast, the rights of young girls in Ethiopia or the rights of LGBT people in Burundi.

Empowerment and Participation

Given the Africa Call’s focus on freedom of expres­sion and censorship, and the track record of many of these countries in these regards, empower­ment and participation of local communities is an important concept that recurs in many of the supported projects. Many of the projects supported through this call sought to establish platforms that would give a voice to women, youth and the LGBT community.

In a context in which these communities are marginalised, repressed or stigmatised, culture provides a space for self-expression and dialogue.

Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Even though many of the supported projects have culminated in major events in the form of festivals, exhibitions and performances, the development phases of these projects often included workshops, trainings and residencies to insure the sustainability of the project and of local organisations. In carrying out their initiatives, our partners have insured that skills are passed on and that the relevance of their work continues.

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Film

With seven projects relating to this discipline, film is high on this call’s agenda. Film is a medium that perfectly serves the purpose of raising aware­ness and stimu­ lating change. Many screenings occurred with the sup­ port of the Africa Call. The Sudan Independent Film Festival, for example, shed light on the quality of local film productions and Mobile Cinema:Taking Film to the Margins in Sudan reached remote areas of the country. In addition to these public events, the Azmari Filmmaking Workshop has demonstrated the importance of the art of film­making in specific social contexts.

Photography

Photography is a medium that enables reportage and testimony, as well as giving the photographer the opportunity to capture a singular moment. The DFA Workshop Series and the Trans-African Photography Master Class organised respectively by Desta for Africa and the now well-known Sudanese Photogra­ phers Group provided a myriad of interesting insights into contemporary African societies, showing the growing potential of African photographers.

Visual Arts

‘Art for art’s sake’ is a powerful credo in the world of African visual arts today. Tainted with a long history of social engagement, contemporary African visual art is detaching itself from preconceptions and is finding new ways to integrate international trends and circuits while staying rooted in local contexts. Many projects in this call claim an autonomous and independent space of creation and expression, without dismissing the possibilities of partnership and transcultural exchange. Many of our partners work to improve the quality of visual productions, offering young and talented artists opportunities, and giving a contemporary and relevant perspective on visual art from the continent, notably the Arete Foundation and the project /A.R.I.A/, initiated by Zineb Sedira.

Literature

In the words of Maya Angelou, poet and a prominent figure within the American Civil Rights Movement: ‘words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.’ Creative writing, imagination, and critical thinking open up debate and change public opinion.

The projects Café Littéraire and Long Live the Girls: A Manifesto! both explored the discipline of writing not as an end in itself, but as a tool through which freedom of expression can be achieved.

Performing Arts

Stage arts and performances are an important part of the African artistic and cultural landscape. From dance to theatre and music, live performances create a direct relationship with the audience, stirring emo­ tions, reviving cultural heritage and traditions, and offering entertainment where it is not always evident.

Femmes en Scene and Buja sans Tabou, respectively organised by the Sokan Theatre and the Troupe Lampyre, both use theatre as a means of expression to empower women and denounce censorship.

Performance is a social and collective act that binds communities together, nurtures culture and inspires change.

Distribution of themes

Distribution of disciplines

Developing the Arts

12

Film 8

Empowerment and Participation

8

Literature 4

Freedom of expression

10

Performing Arts

Human Rights

4

Photography 3

Strengthening Local Infrastructures

6

Visual Arts

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Algeria

Freedom of expression

Capital: Algiers Population: 38,087,812 (2013) Projects supported: 3

Kiwanga (born in Canada, lives and works in Paris, France) were hosted in Algiers for a period of four weeks. During this project /A.R.I.A/ researched and developed their network and partnership oppor­ tunities with universities, art institutions and art magazines. Looking to the future, /A.R.I.A/ is, ‘hoping to develop an alternative education programme in order to respond better to the demands and needs of artists from Algeria and the wider region of the Maghreb.’

Literature

www.fr-fr.facebook.com/cineplus7 Project partner: Ciné+ (Association Culturelle et Cinématographique) This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

Historical Context Thirty years after independence from France, Algeria was rocked by a civil war of intense violence from 1992 –1998, following the success of an Islamist party in the 1991 elections.

In 1999, with the support of the military, Abdelaziz Bouteflika became President of Algeria – a post he continues to hold. Today, Islamist opposition parties perform poorly in elections. Following a wave of protests in the wake of popular uprisings during the Arab Spring, the government lifted its nineteen-year state of emergency on 24 February 2011.

Current situation Algeria’s government is using the high prices of oil and natural gas to improve the country’s infra­structure and in particular to develop industry and agriculture. The government maintains tight re­ stric­tions on freedom of expression, association and assembly, and on the practice of religious beliefs.Women continue to face discrimination in law, and in practice, and are inadequately protected against gender-based violence, including within the family. Reporters Without Borders ranks Algeria 122 out of 179 countries concerning its press freedom. Radio broadcasting and television networks work under government supervision. NGO work is limited – international NGOs cannot be legally registered in the country.

Algeria has one of the strictest visa regimes in the Arab world.

Arts and Culture Algeria’s cultural policy has been dictated by the state since independence and is formulated according to a centralised model based on the domination of the Ministry of Culture, which controls most cultural and artistic activities in the country through its financial resources. In 2007, Algiers was the Arab Capital of Culture. However, a boost of the local intellectual arts scene did not occur at that time, as the government continued to support a top-down approach to the arts with emphasis on official culture. Major cultural events in Algeria tend to be traditional cultural festivals with traditional dance performances, crafts markets or camel races.

Supported projects The Prince Claus Fund has been active in Algeria since 1999. Two of the larger projects the Fund has supported were carried out by Al-Jahiziya (in 1999), an independent non-governmental cultural institution founded in 1989 by a group of intellectuals to promote ‘liberty of thought and freedom of opinion’; and PEN International (in 2008), through a series of inter-regional literary events and exchanges in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides these projects, two Algerian cultural actors have received the Prince Claus Award: Mohamed Fellag in 1999 for his acting and writing (www.fellag.fr/), and the publisher, Barzakh Editions in 2009 (www.editionsbarzakh.dz).

Developing the Arts

Visual Arts

www.ariaprojects.org Project partner: /A.R.I.A/

Café Littéraire

Cine+ is an up-and-coming organisation run by a very active group of volunteers in Bejaia, on the coast of Algeria. Their project, Café Littéraire, consisted of a series of conferences on literature that aimed to connect Algerian and non-Algerian writers in Bejaia with the public, as a reaction to the high censorship and limited freedom of expression writers in Algeria face.

According to Mohamed Ait Amraoui, project manager, Ciné+, ‘in Algeria, many writers see their work censored by the government for daring to denounce the social and political situation in the country or when they openly criticise crooked and corrupt leaders.This project is an initiative that wants to break the barrier of fear and encourage writers and artists to create and innovate with freedom of expression.’

Subsequently, they produced a literary bulletin that reflected on the conferences and provided a more extensive analysis, by eminent critics, of the works presented. Many of the meetings took place in the Théâtre Régional de Bejaia, amongst other locations.

The Prince Claus Fund supported the transport and lodging of the invited writers.

Many of the authors involved in Café Littéraire had experienced censorship by the state first hand, for openly reflecting on, and denouncing, taboo subjects in Algeria such as corruption. This project created a platform for writers to discuss and critically debate sensitive subjects that can be more easily touched on through literature than spoken about openly in society. ‘These literary events have concretely contributed to the opening of the minds in the region of Bejaia, and the awakening of critical thinking among the public who leave each meeting with new perspectives on society and social relations,’ says Amraoui.

These conferences and debates took place in December 2013 and it is hoped that the project will help to foster a culture of discussing both literature and social taboos in public. As Amraoui puts it, ‘we hope to have more experience in organising such events and we hope that the number of participants in these meetings will increase. As we also hope that this project will succeed in mobilising more funding for its durability, last in time and become a major regional event.’

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/A.R.I.A/

(Artist Residency in Algiers) is an informal platform that designs, develops and delivers a oneyear residency programme in Algiers, Algeria. /A.R.I.A/ also provides advice, facilitates introductions, and encourages collaborations on behalf of art practitioners and organisations based in Algeria and elsewhere. /A.R.I.A/, through hosting international artists, projects positive awareness and visibility of Algeria and its surroundings to global audiences. In the words of Yasmina Reggad, /A.R.I.A/’s Programme Curator, ‘we want to develop a local audience within the community of Algerian artists as well as giving more visibility to a small but growing art scene.’ /A.R.I.A/ was the first artist in residence programme in Algeria. For this reason, exchange and interaction between artists from the Algerian diaspora, the Maghreb and the local cultural scene is crucial to support the country’s arts sector. This project raised awareness about the Algerian art scene and gave visibility to this underrepresented country in the international land­ scape of contemporary arts. ‘In two years’ time, /A.R.I.A/ has become a major contemporary art platform in North Africa providing information and advice to international art practitioners and institutions,’ says Reggad. ‘We have been able to develop our activities beyond a residency programme. We are also contributing in the mobility of Algerian artists outside the country.’

In 2013, with the funding of the Prince Claus Fund, /A.R.I.A/ selected and invited one Algerian artist living outside Algiers, one artist living and working in the Maghreb region, and one artist from the rest of the world. Mohamed Bourouissa (born in Algeria, lives and works in Paris, France), Atef Berredjem (born in Algiers, lives and works in Annaba, Algeria), and Kapwani /A.R.I.A/

Ciné-FIL ALGERIE

Association Cinéma et Mémoire is an association in Bejaia that aims, through its project Ciné-Fil Algerie, to create a permanent training and audio-visual resource centre in its current local office. The office now houses a film archive featuring documentary and experimental Algerian and international films.

Twelve years after the end of the Algerian Civil War, the project created a space where the images and voices of Algerian film are made available to the public and where the creation of new images and voices of contemporary Algeria is made possible through training and coaching. It is a space for reflection, debates and discussions about the Algerian context.

As well as contributing to the development of an audio-visual resource centre in Bejaia, the project organised workshops and screenings in Bejaia and five different cities throughout Algeria (Alger, Oran, Setif,Timezrit,Tizi Ouzou). ‘The film industry is completely marginalised in Algeria, major cities enjoy all the support and small towns and villages are disregarded.This is why we focus our work on remote areas,’ say Association Cinéma et Mémoire. ‘Trends in civil society are obviously contradictory, between a citizen awakening on one side, and a strong exploitation of youth and youth movements on the other.’ And the situation in Algeria is not improving: ‘since the enactment of a law that restricts 37

problem. Burundi was ranked 172 out of 183 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, making it the most corrupt country in East Africa.

Freedom of speech is legally guaranteed, but press laws restrict journalists in broad, imprecise ways, and sanctions for defamation and insults include harsh fines and imprisonment. The government, which owns the public television and radio stations, dominates the media; it also runs Le Renouveau, the only daily news­ paper. Several private broadcast media outlets also operate, though most have a limited broadcast range.

Women have limited opportunities for advancement in the economic and political spheres, especially in rural areas. Burundi continues to have a serious problem with sexual and domestic violence, and these crimes are rarely reported. Burundi passed a law criminalising homosexuality in 2009.

Arts and Culture Cultural programs have suffered as a result of poverty and political upheaval. Most cultural initiatives are funded by foreign individuals or NGOs. One of the most important cultural events in Burundi is the Burundi International Film Festival. After the independence of Burundi, drum tunes became a symbol of unity. Kidum (Jean Pierre Nimbona) is a Burundian master drummer and singer. He is based in Nairobi, and his infectious tunes have hooked legions of fans across the East Africa region.

Supported projects In 2007, Radio Isanganiro received a Prince Claus Award for its efforts to dissipate ethnic tensions within the country (www.isanganiro.org).

The project Buja sans Tabou, supported through the 2013 Africa Call, is one of the first large scale projects supported in the country by the Prince Claus Fund.

freedom of action, the situation for cultural associations is very difficult in Algeria.This law was adopted in January 2014. All Algerian associations have been ordered to comply with the new law.’

The challenge of the project was to teach young Algerians to own and produce images and thus participate in the democratisation of knowledge and citizenship education. The project encouraged the development of stable film clubs across the country.

It was addressed to students and young people in remote towns and villages without cinemas. The aim is ‘to reconnect youth with the act of watching a movie together in a common space, even if it does not meet the standards of a real movie theatre.’ Entrance to screenings was free. The programming was a mix of Algerian as well as international movies.This project aimed to instil a sense of ownership over this creative process in the long term. Often, ‘it happens that we meet youngsters who watch a movie on the big screen for the first time in their life.’

Habiba Djahnine, documentary maker and director of Cinéma et Memoire, received a 2012 Prince Claus Fund Award for reviving Algerian cinema through her high-quality documentaries, and her commitment to educating new generations of filmmakers to freedom of expression in general.

Empowerment and Participation Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Film

Project partner: Association Cinéma et Mémoire

which were documented and disseminated online.

‘As an individual, the dissemination of information on a small scale is the means for reducing ignorance. Because, despite punitive laws, despite homophobia fueled by ignorance, there is always a space for expression’, says Star Rugori of MOLI. ‘Although MOLI is not a cultural organisation, we believe it is essential that people can talk and we support all forms of expression.’

Collecting and presenting information on the daily lives of members of the LGBT community presents a challenge to the country’s culture of silence. This project encouraged the LGBT community to express itself through art in order to fight against discrimination, promote tolerance, and build confidence.

Lutte Contre le Silence initiated six artistic work­ shops focusing on poetry, writing, theatre, photography, drawing and singing under the guidance of established artists. The results of these workshops were presented to the audience during a final event to celebrate the International Day of Human Rights on 10 December 2013. All events were documented and the artworks published online, to reach out to members of the LGBT community who wished to remain anonymous.

According to Rugori, ‘the physical safety of the partici­ pants, the activities and even the places were reviewed case by case so we could ensure minimal risk to the partici­ pants. For example, the final exhibition could not have large media attention and be open to the general public.’

There was however some difficulty in finding enough female workshop participants. It was difficult to obtain the targeted number of fifteen participants at each of the workshops but once the announce­ ments were communicated in local languages (Swahili and Kirundi) this improved.

It is interesting to note that when Agaciro (an inde­pendent group based around a blog for the LGBT community) started to be active in Burundi’s LGBT community, they would rarely have even twenty participants at their meetings. Since the launch of this project, however, they have almost always had over twenty people present at their meetings, of whom half are new participants. It is also interesting to note that they are seeing more and more young people who speak Swahili, and youngsters from difficult neigh­ bourhoods, which was not the case before this project began.

in partnership with groups from Burundi, the subregion (Rwanda, Congo), and Belgium.

The implementation of this project enabled the creation of the first ever theatre festival in Burundi with a special focus on the issues of freedom of expression and censorship. ‘Imagine, the first Frenchlanguage theatre festival ever held in Burundi!’ says Sabimbona Freddy, from La Troupe Lampyre. ‘The theatre brings colour back to the country and also helps to forge cultural and human bonds with our neighbours, our guests, and hence, see the world from a new perspective.’

This project was a passionate attempt to create a space for regional artists to share work, in order to bring Burundi out of isolation from artistic activities within East Africa. The benefits and the need of such a festival for the local and sub-regional artistic com­ munities were tremendous. According to Sabimbona Freddy, ‘Burundi is unique because it has an unshakable faith in the future.Whatever happens, a Burundian’s greatest strength is his ability to never bend.’ Furthermore, ‘within five years Africa will be essential in culture and for a simple reason.There is such a desire, such a thirst for knowledge that at some point it can only explode – in a good sense!’

Freedom of Expression Human Rights

Performing Arts

www.facebook.com/lampyre.troupe Project partner: Troupe Lampyre

Burundi Capital: Bujumbura Population: 10,060,714 (2013) Projects supported: 2

Historical Context Burundi became independent from Belgium in 1962. In 1993, after only 100 days in office the country’s first democratically elected president, Melchior Ndadaye, was assassinated. The subsequent conflict between rival Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups lasted for almost twelve years. A new constitution was established in 2005 and a new, Hutu-majority government was elected under Pierre Nkurunziza, who remains president today.

Current situation Since the 2010 elections, political rifts and violence are mainly between rival Hutu groups, and not between Hutus and Tutsis as in the past. Burundi’s fragile democracy was threatened in 2011 by violence between supporters of the ruling party and opposition groups that had boycotted the 2010 elections. According to Human Rights Watch, Burundi is not an electoral democracy, and the country lacks representative institutions at the national level, in both the legislative and executive branches of government. Corruption remains a significant

Lutte Contre le Silence

Buja sans Tabou Buja sans Tabou was a three-day theatre festival with the principle theme ‘no taboos and censorship at all.

Total freedom.’ The themes of the festival were censor­ ship and freedom of expression, and the festival offered participating artists freedom to express their artistic and cultural work. La Troupe Lampyre worked 38

Freedom of Expression Human Rights

The LGBT community in Burundi has to work under­ ground and therefore the development of activities is difficult and requires a great deal of courage. Women in particular are difficult to reach. A culture of silence is still very much present in everyday life. This project was among the first attempts to build awareness for the LGBT community through art expression. This project, Lutte Contre le Silence (fight against silence), documented hate crimes and abuse based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity in Burundi.

Lutte Contre le Silence held thematic weekly meetings

Literature Photography Performing Arts

moliburundi.org moliburundi.wordpress.com Project partner: Mouvement pour les Libertés Individuelles (MOLI) This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

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Ethiopia

Developing the Arts

Capital: Addis Ababa Population: 93,877,025 (2013) Projects supported: 5

public.The girls presented their writings to the audience on many different occasions and in various ways: from street poetry to ‘poetry jazz’ performances at the National Theatre of Ethiopia, from two literary festivals in Hawassa and Addis Ababa to social media such as Facebook and Twitter. ‘It took longer than we expected to break down walls and really get to substantial and honest conversation, but we did get there,’ says Ejigu.

Through critical analysis, young girls and women aged from eleven to thirty critiqued and engaged with women’s rights, gender equality, and the barriers therein, on both a personal and national level. ‘It is still very common for girls and women to play a secondary role in organisations, including arts and culture,’ says Ejigu, but ‘in the next five years, we would like to grow Long Live the Girls to be an established and cutting-edge literary and creative expression project for girls and women in Ethiopia… We would like to host conversations between men and women on gender equity issues and truly create new thinking and action to make this country a more open and tolerant place to express ideas without fear or degradation.’

Photography

www.dfaplc.com Project partner: Desta for Africa

Historical Context Despite an Italian occupation in the 1930s, Ethiopia’s monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, something that remains a source of national pride. In 1974 a bloody coup deposed Emperor Haile Selassie, imposing a socialist regime that was marked by uprisings and refugee crises.

Today, Ethiopia is involved in several border conflicts, the most important of which has been unresolved since the 1998 war with Eritrea. Tensions, and frequent violent outbreaks, are a feature of the border with Somalia and to a lesser extent with Sudan. These unstable border situations are reflected in an increasing number of refugees and displaced persons from Ethiopia.

Current situation Radio and television remain under the control of the government. Print media are limited due to high illiteracy and poor distribution. In 2003 the government suspended the only independent media organisation in the nation, the Ethiopian Free Journalists. An Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega faces life imprisonment after being convicted of terrorism charges. He was arrested in September 2011 for publishing articles online about the Arab Spring and questioning the Ethiopian government’s use of anti-terrorism laws. In August 2012, the Ethiopian military was accused by Human Rights Watch, of conducting a campaign of arbitrary arrest, rape and torture against villagers in the Gambella region.

Arts and Culture Netsa Art Village is one of the standout cultural organisations in the country. As a membership organisation it stimulates development of contemporary art in Ethiopia. This art collective houses some of the most talented and cutting-edge artists in Ethiopia. Adugna Community Dance Theatre Company is another cultural organisation that works with street children, prisoners and young people with physical disabilities, lifting them from poverty through dance. The Fekat Circus is a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting arts as an agent for social change and development. The Addis Film Festival takes place in May and is considered to be the biggest annual cultural event in the country.

Supported projects The Prince Claus Fund has been active in Ethiopia since 2000 with various smaller projects. In 1999, sociologist Dessalegn Rahmato received a Prince Claus Award for his outstanding work as a writer. Through the Africa Call 2013, the Fund has supported larger projects in the country.

DFA Photography Workshop Series

Desta for Africa (DFA) was founded to address the lack of adequate photographic training in Ethiopia.

It is founded on the belief that through education and self-sustainable opportunities, Ethiopian photo­ graphers can promote a balanced view of their country.

The DFA Photography Workshop Series offered four different photography and video training programs that lasted six weeks. The participants were photo­ graphers from Ethiopia. The main aim of the DFA Photography Workshop Series was to support emerging photographers by giving them an opportunity to under­ stand the technical and creative concepts of photo­ graphy. According to Aida Muluneh, founder of DFA, ‘having these work­shops is an opportunity for us to learn the best way to teach in Ethiopia due to the various social and political challenges of the country.Through the feedback, reporting and documentation we are compiling a concise curriculum for the development of the DFA School of Photography and Media. By establishing an institution, our objective is to develop the art, craft and business of photography not only in Ethiopia but also Africa.’

The DFA Photography Workshop Series was an inter­­cultural project that reached out to different generations; it was connected with different areas of society, driving development and change through art education. ‘We have the strongest female photo­ graphers I have seen thus far,’ says Muluneh.

The success of Addis Foto Fest, organised by DFA, where photographs from the workshops were exhibited, even brought discussions to the govern­ ment about the successes and challenges that Ethiopian photographers face in documenting their country. This illustrated how the project can contribute to the promotion and stimulation of freedom of expression in Ethiopia.

The main challenge for the project was harass­ ment by police and security officials. Photographers were taken to the police station. It was worse if the photographer happened to be Ethiopian. ‘There is a lot of interest coming from the world as it relates to contemporary art from Africa,’ says Muluneh, ‘it is a long road but the journey has begun.’

40

Long Live the Girls: A Manifesto!

Interview with Kidest Tariku Ejigu t page 58

has the ambitious and unique objective of tackling and discussing important gender issues in Ethiopia with girls and young women in order to develop and produce a manifesto that can be shared around the country at public events. ‘We realised that girls and women in Ethiopia had very little awareness about the gender policies that impact their lives and thought that creative writing could help demystify this language while building creative and critical thinking skills,’ says Kidest Tariku Ejigu, Executive Director, AYCC. ‘It is important to create platforms for dialogues, conversations, literary events, and other ways to share ideas in a respectful and thriving work context.To work toward freedom of expression, we have to live these values everyday through our behaviour, and not just on paper.’

Long Live the Girls focussed on gender equality not only in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa but also in the Southern Awassa region, which is often overlooked.

The project was highly relevant to recent develop­ ments in Ethiopia, where the government had just reviewed and revised gender equity policies to mini­ mise the gender gap and promote development.

According to Ejigu, ‘most of the girls who went to Addis had never been before, had never seen a gallery, a national theatre or the national museum. Doing street pottery was a totally new experience for everyone. No one had heard about Article 35 of the constitution (on women’s rights) and here they were shouting and teaching about it on the streets of Arat Kilo!’

For three months, during a series of workshops, thirty-two participants between thirteen and twentyfive years of age were asked to address important socio-political issues such as family, health and education, allowing them to develop their analytical skills, their writing skills and their performance in Long Live the Girls: A Manifesto!

Empowerment & Participation Freedom of Expression Human Rights

Literature

www.facebook.com/longlivethegirls Project partner: Action for Youth and Community Change (AYCC); Break Arts

Wax and Gold

Netsa Art Village is one of the very few independent arts organisations in Ethiopia that focuses on contem­ porary art and activism. This project, Wax and Gold, consisted of discussion workshops by Ethiopian artists, curators, politicians, and activists about many of the issues currently affecting Ethiopia.

One of the concrete outcomes of the programme was an exhibition in the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design Gallery in Addis Ababa with work from all the 41

According to Elias Aba Milki, Workshop Tutor and Organiser, Azmari Films, ‘the main motivation behind this project was the need for a more inclusive film industry where people from all walks of life have the access to tell their stories and that of others through film.The govern­ ment still tightly controls our media landscape here in Ethiopia. By giving our participants the tools and skills of filmmaking, we hope to make them less dependent on the very regulated traditional media landscape to tell stories.’

Through a workshop and an outreach program, the project aimed to make new media such as videojournalism and filmmaking more accessible to young men and women. By working in a youth centre in one of Addis Ababa’s slums, Azmari Films targeted partici­ pants who had the least access to both filming equip­ ment and filmmakers willing to share their skills. The project continued onto Harar, in the Eastern region of Afar, and Mekele, in the northern region of Tigray.

‘It has been very rewarding to see people from different regions of the country, who were a bit wary of each other first, come together as a group and learn to collaborate with one another,’ says Milki.

The first element of the workshop, which made it particularly unique, was providing the participants with full access to modern professional filmmaking equipment and software. Secondly, it gave the partici­ pants the tools and skills they needed to organise their own workshops in their respective cities in the future. The project had more than 100 applicants, and has satisfied the growing interest in film through these participants led workshops. ‘Until just a few years ago, most people used theatre, radio, and foreign films for entertainment.With the opening of many cinemas and the meteoritic rise in film production, local film has quickly become the main sector in the entertainment industry.Though filmmakers still face many challenges, this growth of film will slowly build a better-structured and accessible film industry, says Milki.

participants, which sought to serve as an inspiration both to current arts students and to the public.

Twenty artists (sixteen local and four international) were directly involved in the Wax and Gold work­ shop, but they also participated indirectly by assisting and collaborating on the projects. The artists worked together intensively over a relatively short period of time and focussed on how the arts can be used for self-expression. According to Mihret Kebede, Director, Netsa Art Village, ‘different art practices and festivals are flourishing on our continent. And also a newly developed trend of using our own professionals like curators, writers and critics will open up our artistic practices to the outside world… it is important to have international exchanges and exposures for the wider development of the art practices in our continent of Africa.’

Exhibiting three-dimensional art in public space in Ethiopia is almost unheard of. Having realised this, the project raised a great deal of interest and inter­ action from the public and the local community.

A large number of the activities were open to the public; more than 150 people attended presentations and talks by local and international professionals and experts from the art scene of Ethiopia. ‘We learnt a lot by working with different professionals, artists and experts involved in the project itself. And most importantly, we found out that we have the potential to do such kinds of big projects as a collective if we just give it a try. Now our belief in ourselves is much stronger than before,’ says Kedebe.

Developing the Arts Freedom of Expression

Performing Arts Visual Arts

www.netsaartvillage.com Project partner: Netsa Art Village

Developing the Arts Freedom of Expression Project partner: Azmari Films

Azmari Filmmaking Workshop

This project organised documentary filmmaking work­ shops and curriculum development in three different cities in Ethiopia.The project emanated from the desire to find an alternative to the traditional media of tele­ vision and newspapers which are easily censored.

42

Film

on girls from shortly after birth until age sixteen.

Arts and Culture The International Roots Homecoming Festival is a well-known cultural event that attracts an international audience of those linked to, or interested in, West African culture. This biennial combines tradi­ tional music, dance and art with visits to historic sites.

The Kartong Festival is a good example of an event that celebrates local and international music and culture, creating both community and international bonds through music and the arts.

Supported projects The Prince Claus Fund supported the Kartong Festival in 2007 (www.africanlinx.org/ kartong-festival). In 2008, the Fund supported the restoration of the Slave Island – James Island, the Compagnie Française d’Afrique Occidentale (CFAO) and the Kerbatch Stone Circle Museum.

The WikiAfrica project Was also implemented in Ethiopia, but is listed under projects supported in Malawi.

Empowerment and Participation Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Literature

See page 49 www.wikiafrica.net Project partner: The Africa Centre

The Gambia Capital: Banjul Population: 1,883,051 (2013) Projects supported: 1

Living Legacies: Documenting Ancient Legacies, Maintaining Musical Traditions for a New Generation

Historical Context The Gambia became independent from the United Kingdom in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, tensions between the two countries have often flared up. It remains one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 168 out of 194 countries in the Human Development Index.

Yahya Jammeh has been president since leading a military coup in 1994. The Gambia does not have abundant natural resources that could be exploited.

Agriculture, tourism and fishery are the most important economic drivers in the country. Besides that, money transfers from The Gambian diaspora are very important to the country’s economy.

Current situation Since a coup attempt in 2006, the human rights situation in The Gambia has worsened.

Reporters without Borders rank The Gambia 141 out of 179 in the Press Freedom Index 2011/2012.

However, some newspapers in the capital Banjul report independently. Women’s rights are weak in The Gambia. The law does not prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM), and the practice remains wide­ spread. A 2005-6 survey by UNICEF found that almost 80 per cent of girls and women between the ages of fifteen and nineteen had undergone FGM and that seven of the nine major ethnic groups practiced FGM

was led and facilitated by Tunde Jegede, a kora player, composer and pioneer of African classical music, who has been dedicated to promoting and preserving the traditional music of The Gambia and West Africa for the past thirty years. Living Legacies aimed to address the endemic problem of cultural heritage and old traditions being lost to a younger generation in The Gambia by creating a bridge between the old world and the new.

The project began the long-term process of documenting, compiling and archiving the resources of previous generations through locating archival footage, photographs and audio recordings as well as conducting new field recordings and making all of these accessible as an educational online resource.

By collecting and collating this footage, photographs and recordings, it inspired a new generation to see the value of their past and appreciate their heritage.

This material was then used to encourage several young Gambian artists to revisit the ancient reper­ toires, thereby reviving this lost legacy for a modern audience.

Living Legacies

43

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. The project attempted 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 perform the traditional music. ‘I was advised from very early on to keep this project independent of the government to maintain its credibility culturally and with all the artists involved.This definitely proved to be the best route as we were able to get on with it without any political agendas and we were determined to keep local politics out of this cultural project,’ says Tunde Jegende. ‘It is the only project of its kind within West Africa and we would like to broaden and expand it to include music and traditions from right across the continent.’

Developing the Arts Strengthening Local Infrastructures

for written literature, as little exists in native languages. Bernard Dadie is perhaps Ivory Coast’s best-known writer to emerge in the twentieth century. He wrote the country’s first play, Assémiwen Déhylé, and one of its first novels, Climbié. Women entered the literary scene during the mid-1970s.

Among the best known are Simone Kaya, Fatou Bolli, Anne-Marie Adiaffi,Véronique Tadjo, Flore Hazoumé, and Gina Dick.

One of Ivory Coast’s most famous festivals is the Fêtes des Masques (Festival of Masks), where villagers pay homage to the forested spirits embodied in the masks. The Fête du Dipri held in Gomon is an eccentric event to exorcise the village of evil spells.

Another important event is the weeklong carnival in Bouaké held in March.

The arts are largely self-supporting, although the government encourages and provides support to dance troupes, artists, writers, and the museums.

Village cultural groups receive some government assistance.

Supported projects In 2000, Werewere Liking received a Prince Claus Award for her commitment to the devel­ opment of theatre, dance, and literature practices.

Since 2003, the Prince Claus Fund has supported the Sokan Theatre through different projects, mainly theatre and writing workshops. A recent project partner is the Ivorian print journalist Selay Marius Kouassi, whom the Prince Claus Fund supported in 2012.

Performing Arts

www.tundejegede.com Project partner: Tunde Jegende

Ivory Coast Capital: Abidjan Population: 22,400,835 (2013) Projects supported: 4

Historical Context Following independence in 1960, Ivory Coast benefited economically from close ties to France. Political instability has dogged the country since 1999, most recently flaring up after presidential elections in 2011. Ivory Coast is a republic with strong executive power embodied in the President.

The country is highly dependent on agriculture and related products and is among the world’s largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans and palm oil.

Current situation The Ivorian people have generally been open to foreign media, usually French.

Successive governments have varied in their attitudes to the foreign press and media. Ivory Coast has faced a period of serious human rights violations and these violations, especially when it comes to freedom of expression, continue today. Many socially critical filmmakers and journalists in Ivory Coast (and abroad) are coping with censorship and experience difficulties in broadcasting their work.

Arts and Culture Ivory Coast has enjoyed a long history of storytelling, primarily because of its high illiteracy rate. Large parts of the adult population, in particular women, are illiterate, and many children between six and ten years are not enrolled in school.

By passing on traditional poetry, folktales, and myths, the storytellers, called griots, impart societal values, history, and religion. French is the dominant language

a wider public and developing new audiences. Yeyokun (Let’s Bond Together) sought to contribute to a better Ivorian society with greater social inclusion through what was the largest theatrical and scenic art event the country has ever known.

In the framework of the Yeyokun (Let’s Bond Together) project, the Institut des Civilisations Noires (ICN) undertook a nationwide performing arts tour (festivals, outdoor theatre, etc.) across the five regions of the country and organised a series of seminars and workshops to discuss national cultural policy and how it impacts on the work of artists.

Mixing performing arts with policymaking, and academia with the objectives of peace building and conflict resolution in a context as complicated as Ivory Coast was a difficult, complex and ambitious task. According to Daniel Touba, Project manager of Yeyokun, the project ‘took scenic arts from urban neighbourhoods to the remote rural areas of Ivory Coast and responded to the major challenges that face performing artists in Ivory Coast in accessing a wider public and developing new audiences. Above all it gave way to fruitful interactions between the artists/performers and the audience.The impact of the project on the artists and the places that hosted the tour was remarkable!’

With a performing arts tour and joint performances, this project offered many upcoming artists the opportunity to learn, be economically empowered, access a wider audience and develop new audiences in remote rural areas. The project addressed political and social issues, questioned taboos, and fostered cultural dialogue between former rival communities, bringing a working alternative to a context where political mediation and solutions have proven less effective. ‘Art is a very strong alternative to bridge the gap between rival entities where mere political discourse remains powerless or fails.

With art, latent rivalries between political groups or specific components of the social fabric are easily brought to the surface and discussed,’ says Touba.

interest for documentary cinema and human rights issues.

The public come to see the films and stay to discuss the issues. For me, it is a big step towards awareness,’ says Yacouba Sangaré. ‘However, the big challenge is the fund­­ raising for this kind of project. It’s really not easy. All the doors close as soon as you start to speak about human rights.’

The festival was managed through collaboration between Ciné Connexion, Semfilms and the GoetheInstitut in Abidjan. The Prince Claus Fund had sup­ ported Ciné Connexion before with the organi­sation of the first edition of this festival in Burkina Faso, which was a great success. According to Sangaré, ‘the Prince Claus Fund helped the festival to grow, to take on more dimensions, by increasing the screenings venues, by wel­com­ ing experimental directors who shared, through the master classes, their experiences with young Ivorian filmmakers.’

The festival consisted of three main activities: the training of NGOs in the use of video and web tools, a master class on documentary film, and film screenings, which were held in nine different locations. Around 250 people attended the opening ceremony.

The fifth edition of Ciné Droit Libre Abidjan hosted five guests: Samir Benchikh, Gideon Vink, Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Smockey and Bakary Ouattara. This fifth edition of CDL allowed the various partners of the festival to strengthen their partnership and improve the organisation of the festival. ‘If Africa wants to develop its culture, it is necessary to multiply the cultural exchanges between the various countries. In uniting our strengths we shall be stronger,’ says Sangaré.

Freedom of Expression Human Rights

Film

www.cinedroitlibre.bf Project partner: Ciné Connexion This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

Developing the Arts Freedom of Expression

Performing Arts

Project partner: Institut des Civilisations Noires (ICN)

Ciné Droit Libre Abidjan Ciné Droit Libre is

a film festival dedicated to human rights and freedom of expression. It is a platform for filmmakers and journalists from all around the world whose work 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 remark­ able but often overlooked. In 2013, the theme of the fifth edition of the festival was children rights. ‘We are the only human rights film festival in Ivory Coast.That makes us different from the others.We have aroused an

44

Yeyokun (Let’s Bond Together)

This project responded to the major challenges that performing artists in Ivory Coast face in accessing 45

closing of media during the presidential elections in 2011, Liberia fell 26 places on the Reporters Without Borders 2011–2012 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 110 out of a total of 179, just above South Sudan and Ukraine.

Arts and Culture The Liberia Heritage Initiative based in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, intends to teach Liberian youths the history and cultural values of their ancestral land by imparting to them strategic artistic skills. The National Museum of Liberia in Monrovia has the goal of obtaining, preserving and displaying cultural artefacts and other historical items, which depict the country’s heritage, which was grievously affected by the fourteen years of war. According to the museum’s Director, Caesar Harris, approximately 5,000 artefacts were looted during this period and now less than 100 larger artefacts remain.

A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bai T. Moore, Roland T. Dempster and Wilton G. S. Sankawulo are among Liberia’s more prominent authors.

Supported projects Film Festival: Image of Liberia, organised by Kriterion Monrovia, which is part of this call, is one of the first larger projects supported by the Fund in Liberia. In 2007, the Prince Claus Fund supported a three-day national cultural festival organised by Hilltop Communications Inc.

Femmes En Scene 2013 Was also implemented in the Ivory Coast, but is listed under projects supported in Mauritania.

Empowerment and Participation Developing the Arts

Performing Arts

Project partner: Sokan Theatre (Mauritania / Ivory Coast) See page 50

Liberia Capital: Monrovia Population: 3,989,703 (2013) Projects supported: 1

Historical Context Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic.

The settlement of freed slaves from the United States of America in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians had established a republic. The West African nation was relatively calm until 1980, when arbitrary rule and economic collapse culminated in civil war as Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia militia overran much of the countryside, entering the capital in 1990. Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia’s civil war and thousands more fled. The conflict left the country in economic ruin and overrun with weapons. The capital remains without mains electricity or running water.

Since 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been president, re-elected to office in 2011.

Current situation Corruption is rife and unemployment and illiteracy are endemic in Liberia.The UN maintains some 15,000 soldiers in the country. Moreover, the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country continues. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Liberia. In 2012, the Movement for the Defence of Gays and Lesbians in Liberia was established.

Reporters Without Borders has been alarmed by a dangerous recent increase in acts of violence and intimidation against radio and TV stations and news­ papers. Because of attacks against journalists and the

into a series of fiefdoms guarded by militias, under­ cutting any sense of national unity and triggering violent clashes between rival communities. Libya’s economy depends primarily upon revenues from the petroleum sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and over half of the country’s GDP. Current situation Libya is a destination and transit country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation. Reporters Without Borders is increasingly worried by the signs of a decline in respect for freedom of information since 2007 including visa problems, filming bans, arbitrary arrest and deportation. Libya ranks 154th on the Press Freedom Index, just above Uzbekistan and Rwanda.

Arts and Culture Since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has seen an explosion of artistic expression, with the appearance of new publications, art galleries and graffiti.

The current government, in contrast to Gaddafi, no longer restricts cultural expression. There are several active organisations in the country focusing on culture and development. For example, the Dar Al-Fanoun (Art House) in Tripoli hosts exhibitions. The Voice of Libyan Women is a Libyan women’s advance­­ment and empowerment NGO based in Tripoli, with branch offices in Zawia and Misrata, which has a focus on the political participation of Libyan women, as well as the elimination of all forms of gender based violence.

One of the best-known Libyan poets, Khaled Mattawa, was born in 1964 and raised in Benghazi, but lives and works in the USA. Mohamed Zwawi is probably the most famous Libyan cartoonist; his works have received wide recognition and have been published in books and in Libyan print media.

Supported projects Reviving the Arts in Libya, which was supported through this call, is the first large project supported by the Prince Claus Fund in Libya.

but also seeks to stimulate a transformation in Liberia’s cultural arena.

By providing quality film entertainment in a profes­ sional environment Kriterion Monrovia cultivates appreciation for film and the visual arts and acts as a hothouse for new cultural entrepreneurs and ideas.

By offering an eclectic programme and addressing issues that are important to young Liberians, it hopes to contribute to a strong democracy in Liberia. With the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Kriterion Monrovia organised the two-day Film Festival: Image of Liberia, in February 2014, preceded by two days of workshops. Film Festival: Image of Liberia itself included the screening of fifteen movies, a total of eight workshops, fifteen artist talks and three round table discussions. Liberia’s past and present issues were reflected upon, including themes such as the 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. ‘Film Festival: Image of Liberia was the first of its kind, and the idea was to promote local filmmakers. By organising the festival, we were able to raise topics that were discussed during debates, and after screenings.We have discovered what it means to organise such a big event, from the root level.This has allowed us to make a big step in terms of branding the Kriterion Monrovia Cinema,’ says Hodge.

The festival created a space for international exchange and inspira­tion by showing international films, by having a mixed team of volunteers coming from dif­ ferent countries, by having not only local but also international partners and by having the trainers at the workshops share and compare ideas through their own international experiences. In total more than 350 visitors were reached during this project.

Empowerment and Participation Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Film

www.facebook.com/kriterionmonrovia Project partner: Kriterion Monrovia

Film Festival: Image of Liberia

Kriterion Monrovia is a new independent art house cinema in Monrovia, Liberia, which focuses on the culture in the city by screening art house movies and organising cultural events.

In Liberia, and especially in Monrovia, there is a huge demand for cultural activity after the devastating fourteen-year-long civil war. Kriterion Monrovia, which is based on the model of the Kriterion in Amsterdam, is run by young people. ‘By giving young people a voice in the cultural climate they will also take ownership of their society and that will stimulate innovation in the cultural sector,’ says Pandora Hodge, Project Coordinator, Kriterion Monrovia. The cinema not only creates jobs 46

Libya Capital:Tripoli Population: 6,002,347 (2013) Projects supported: 1

Historical Context The 2011 civil war in Libya ousted Muammar al-Gaddafi, who had led Libya since his 1969 coup precipitated the country’s independence in 1951. As a result, Libya is currently undergoing political reconstruction, and is governed under an interim constitution drawn up by the National Transitional Council (NTC). Since 2011 the situation in Libya has worsened. The country has disintegrated

Reviving the Arts in Libya

The Arete Foundation seeks to revitalise the art scene in Libya by introducing forms of art that have not been exhibited previously in the country. Their 47

project, Reviving the Arts in Libya, presented films, visual art, video art, creative writing and capacity building activities, including a series of lectures and workshops, to better acquaint Libyan artists and art students with the work of distinguished international artists. ‘Our vision has been to strengthen the artistic and cultural literacy of Libyan youths and young artists.We hope that in a few years we will be able to assist some new and vital artists who can move the arts sector to abandon local insularity and to adopt experimentation and innovation,’ says Khaled Mattawa, President of the Arete Foundation for Arts and Culture.

The project developed a series of lectures and workshops, weekly film screenings, direct capacity building, an outdoor exhibition of video art works, and Libya’s first installation art show. Participating artists included Khaled Hourani (Palestine), Najwa Barakat (Lebanon/France), Dave Griffiths (Britain), Alla Younis (Jordan), and Hadia Gana (Libya), Hadia Gana (Libya), Mohammed Ben Lamin (Libya), Redwan Abu Shuweisha (Libya), Reem Gibriel (Libya), and Khaled Mattawa (Libya/USA). According to Mattawa, ‘the support of the PCF made all the difference. It was the base funding that we used to secure all other funding.

Had we not had the support of PCF we would have started, and would have been unable to secure the rest of the funding from other sources.’

The Arete Foundation for Arts & Culture is an important venue for the cultural life of the capital Tripoli. Their events, such as exhibitions, festivals and workshops, are well visited, attracting audiences of different ages, genders and backgrounds. The organi­ sation has an inclusive approach, and has found a way of maintaining high standards without intimidating the public, whilst also attracting people who have never been to a reading, an artist’s talk or an exhibition before.

Given the safety issues in the country, the project was carried out with some minor delays. ‘The security situation in the country is quite fragile. People don’t feel safe going to arts events soon after dark and our events (video art show outdoors and cinema club screenings) take place in the evening,’ says Mattawa. ‘We learned that the people in Libya want the arts in their country because the arts are important, and because the presence of the art in their country makes them feel important, and also safe.The arts assert people’s rights to live a normal, safe, and rich life.’

Developing the Arts Empowerment and Participation

the process and learn to work together with a shared cause.

It has been a life-changing experience for the Wikipedians and the team so far.’

Malawi Capital: Lilongwe Population: 16,777,547 (2013) Projects supported: 1

Historical Context Malawi became independent in 1964.

Malawi ranks among the world’s most densely popu­ lated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80 per cent of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for one-third of the country’s GDP and 90 per cent of export revenues.

Current situation Today, though considered an electoral democracy, police brutality is reportedly common, as are arbitrary arrests and detentions.

Malawi was ranked 100 out of 183 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index. Freedoms of assembly and associ­ ation have come under pressure in recent years.

Protests in 2011 were followed by a crack­down that left eighteen Malawians dead. Freedom of the press is legally guaranteed but has come increasingly under threat. Despite government pressures, Malawi’s dozen or so newspapers present a diversity of opinion.

The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, and dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/ AIDS. Consensual sexual activity between same-sex couples is illegal and is punishable with prison terms.

Customary practices perpetuate discrimination against women in education, employment, business, and inheritance and property rights.Violence against women and children remains a serious concern, though in recent years there has been greater media attention to, and criminal penalties for, abuse and rape. Forced marriages and the rape of young girls by older men remain widespread.

Arts and Culture The Gule Wamkulu (big dance) is a traditional cultural event performed by the Chewa and Mang’anja of Malawi and features heavily carved masks, feathers and skin paint. There are several local organisations working with culture and development in Malawi. Blantyre Arts Festival is an annual arts festival organised by the Warehouse Cultural Centre in Malawi.

Malawi International Film Festival – which is new to the country, was set up to encourage a culture of cinema in Malawi, as well as to inspire young Malawian film­ makers to join the industry. Lake of Stars Festival is an award-winning festival that takes place on the shores of Lake Malawi and entertains vast audiences with performances by Malawian and international artists.

Supported projects In 2010, the Prince Claus Fund supported the rehabilitation of cultural heritage sites affected by a series of earthquakes that hit Malawi in 2009. The WikiAfrica project is one of the first larger scale projects supported by the Prince Claus Fund in Malawi.

Visual Arts Film

www.arete-foundation.org Project partner: The Arete Foundation for Arts & Culture This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

48

Interview with Isla Haddow-Flood t page 59 Empowerment and Participation Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Literature

www.africacentre.net, www.wikiafrica.net Project partner: The Africa Centre

Mauritania The WikiAfrica project

Capital: Nouakchott Population: 3,437,610 (2013) Projects supported: 1

aims to improve the quality and quantity of African content on Wikipedia.

By making archival information available online, WikiAfrica aims to empower and inform Africans about their continent. ‘The WikiAfrica Project was developed to redress the imbalance of information that exists on Wikipedia about Africa.’ say Michael Phoya and Abel Asrat, who worked on the project. ‘It will move the perception away from a negative two-dimensional view towards a more complex, nuanced understanding of all the aspects that affect the peoples of Africa.’

The project was led by two ‘Wikipedians in Residence’ (WiR), one in Ethiopia and one in Malawi.

These WiR were chosen through an open call that was sent out to institutions in Malawi and Ethiopia, and were trained by The Africa Centre and Lettera27 staff, as well as by an external trainer from the Wikipedia Community.The WiR were in their position over the course of a year, under the super­vision of The Africa Centre. These WiR worked with eleven organisations, collaborating with each for a month, with the first month allocated for training. Each WiR drew together existing Wikipedians and encouraged new individuals to activate formal Wikipedia pages.

Both Malawi and Ethiopia are subject to very tight media restrictions and extensive human rights violations.

Only through the free flow of information and readily accessible knowledge can Malawians and Ethiopians be in a position to understand their own histories and their rights. Wikipedia is one of the most power­ ful existing systems of knowledge production and distribution online. The involvement of trained people and institutions as contributors makes it possible for African knowledge to be part of Wikipedia.

Through WikiAfrica, contemporary and socially relevant information concerning culturally sensitive heritage and marginalised communities was made publicly available. According to Phoya and Asrat, ‘the experience of the intensive training has shown the thirst for this kind of knowledge and intervention in Africa. It has been great to watch the Wikipedians from vastly different backgrounds, languages, and contexts bond throughout The WikiAfrica Project

Historical Context Mauritania became independent from France in 1960. In 1989, 60,000 black Mauritanians were expelled to Senegal and Mali, and thousands were killed. Since 2007, slavery has been illegal, black African Mauritanian refugees have returned from Senegal and Mali, and press freedom and a climate of free political activism has emerged. Despite the prohibition of slavery, organisations estimate the number of slaves in Mauritania to be approximately 20 per cent of the population. Sixteen per cent of the country’s children between the ages of five and fourteen work. In February 2011, demonstrations during the Arab Spring took place in the capital of Mauritania.

Current situation Economic, social and administrative problems prevail, especially organised crime (drug trafficking, people smuggling) and the growing treat of terrorism. Twenty-one per cent of the population live under the poverty line. Seventy per cent of the country’s food is imported. Mauritania produces 7500 barrels of oil and gas a day.

After the presidential elections in July 2009, the human rights situation has improved somewhat. However, the illiteracy rate for women is 70 per cent, and 50 per cent among men. In terms of freedom of expression, in 2011-2012 Reporters Without Borders rank Mauritania 67 out of 179, above Croatia and Greece. The situation is, however, described as ‘having noticeable problems.’

Arts and Culture Bon Ould Al-Dif is the best-known cartoonist in Mauritania. Alioune Fall Brahim (aka Waraba, which means ‘lion’ in Bambara) is one of the most talented rappers in Mauritania. He is known for his fast rapping and freestyle raps in Wolof, in hip-hop, dancehall and reggae music. Noura Mint Seymali is a thirty-two year-old musician who has turned heads in her conservative country with her blend of Mauritanian music with styles like jazz, zouk and reggae.The country has four towns on the UNECSO World Heritage list: Chenguitt, Ouadane, Tichit and Oualata.

49

Supported projects In 2009 the Prince Claus Fund supported Waraba in the studio recording of a youth education CD, and in 2010 with the distribution and promotion of a CD of Mauritanian rap music. Femmes En Scene, a project that is part of this call, is one of the first large projects supported in the country by the Prince Claus Fund.

a well-known female stage director who led a special workshop in Mauritania resulting in a major play with an international cast. During the first twenty days of the workshops in Mauritania, the residency focused on the creation of a major play with an international cast, which went on an ‘African tour’ in May 2014.

The project offered women in Mauritania the oppor­ tunity to gain experience in theatre and exchange ideas about the conditions in which they operate.

‘Culturally, this project enables capacity building of women, allowing them to integrate artwork and especially theatre,’ says Ouédraogo Ablas, Coordinator, Sokan Theatre.

‘The project created a spirit of sharing, exchange and fellowship among women.’

Developing the Arts E mpowerment and Participation

Performing Arts

Project partner: Sokan Theatre (Mauritania / Ivory Coast)

Sudan Femmes En Scene 2013

freedom of movement and trade, and caused serious hardship to nomadic groups whose migratory routes traverse the border.

Arts and Culture The Sudan Artists Gallery was estab­ lished in 1999, to participate in on-going efforts to document contemporary Sudanese art in particular and contemporary art in Africa in general.The Sudanese Women Artists Association is a non-profit non-political association, located in Khartoum. The association’s goals are to encourage and support female artists to increase their artistic activities and to play a role in the art movement in Sudan.

Supported projects The Prince Claus Fund has been active in Sudan since 1999 through projects focusing on preserving cultural heritage and through partner­ ships with renowned organisations such as the Foundation Arts Africa Sudan. In 2001, Ibrahim El-Salahi received the Prince Claus Award for his outstanding work and career as a painter and teacher in postindependence Sudan. In 2007 the Sudanese Writers Union received a Prince Claus Award for their work promoting dialogue and seeking solutions to conflicts through culture.

role of photography in socio-political discourse. For this reason the Sudanese Photo­graphers group decided to initiate a master class workshop leading to an exhi­ bition, in partnership with Invisible Borders Trans-African Photographers Organisation, the Nigerian based col­ lective whose photography Road Trip Project has in many ways inspired the Sudanese Photographers.

According to Emeka Okereke, ‘photography in Sudan has lacked attention for a long time, and now there is a new generation of young and energetic photographers who have a huge passion for this art. It was noticeable that many photographers here in Sudan are now starting to work on projects instead of just shooting beautiful photos.

And now young Sudanese photographers have started networking with their colleagues from around the continent.’

In 2011, the photographers of Invisible Borders, Emeka Okereke, Emmanuel Iduma, Kemi Akin-Nibosun, Adeola Olagunju, and Nana Oforiatta-Ayim, with the Prince Claus Fund’s support, made a road trip from Lagos to Addis Ababa, passing through Sudan. During their stay in Khartoum, they organised a workshop with Sudanese Photographers and had an opportunity to share their experiences. That triggered the idea of a trans-African collaboration on a larger scale.

In June 2013 the Berlin-based Nigerian Photo­grapher Akinbode Akinbiyi headed a four-week master class.

In the words of Okereke, ‘the essence of the master class is to create a platform for in-depth discussion and exchange, tapping from the experiences of the road trip and sharing with those artists and public in the region we had visited.The works from the road trip (especially while in Khartoum) were reviewed and discussed with Sudanese photographers in relation to their specific reality.The exhi­ bition of works created by participants of the master class then offers this experience to the public.’

In February 2014 there was a three-week exhibition in Khartoum showcasing the works produced by the participants of the workshop. The exhibition is expect­ ed to travel to other art festivals in Africa such as the Addis Foto Fest, Lagos Photo, Bamako Biennale, Biennale Benin, Joburg Art Fair amongst others. A book was published to accompany the project, which articu­lates the process of the master class as well as the final result. This book will be diffused alongside the traveling exhibition and was completed for the inaugural exhibi­ tion in Khartoum in February 2014. ‘The presence of the Prince Claus Fund gave the project more importance, and many people wondered why the Fund would support photography in Sudan. And it was especially helpful when we were getting visa letters from officials here in Sudan.

They were more positive after they found out that Prince Claus fund was involved in the project,’ says Okereke.

Capital: Khartoum Population: 35,482,233 (2014) Projects supported: 3

In Africa, women are generally underrepresented in the theatre. In an effort to challenge this, the Sokan Theatre in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, together with Mauritania’s Bureau des Arts et Communication, decided to organise an annual series of workshops that allow women theatre-makers to enhance their professional skills, as well as foster professional ties between each other. In the years that the Sokan Theatre has organised Femmes En Scene, the project has proven its social and artistic relevance by sensi­ tively exploring questions of space and the presence of women in African contemporary art. By teaching women the skills necessary to pursue a career in theatrical production, the project has successfully contributed to the strengthening of arts education and the development of the theatre sector both in Ivory Coast and other participating countries.

The 2013 edition of Femmes En Scene took place in Ivory Coast and in Mauritania, where the under­ representation of women theatre makers is particularly apparent. The project created a bridge between Ivory Coast and Mauritania. This was achieved through a program for the women from both countries, which focused on theatre production, ranging from workshops, to training, to the creation of a play by the women, and the touring of the play. This included five workshops carried out in 40 days with the partici­pation of 59 trainees, conducted by ten experts coming from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.

The organisation aimed, eventually, to promote the productions resulting from these workshops, envisioning various international tours.

The workshops in Ivory Coast focused on a specific project developed especially for this occasion by

Historical Context Sudan is a federal republic that achieved independence from Egypt and the UK in January 1956.

During Colonial rule the south and the north were divided by language and religion; two prolonged civil wars dominated the country’s history following independence. Following the humanitarian emergency in Darfur, on-going since 2003, in March 2009 the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A charge of genocide was added in 2010. The second civil war culminated in a peace treaty in 2005, which led to a referendum on independence in South Sudan in 2011. South Sudan became independent from the North on 9 July 2011. Faced with an economic crisis triggered by the secession of the oil-rich South, Sudan has since struggled to maintain economic stability.

Current situation The 2005 interim constitution recog­ nises freedom of the press, but the media face signifi­ cant obstacles in practice. The Sudanese Govern­ ment directly controls TV and radio, requiring that both media reflect government policies. Ten reporters were charged with defamation in 2011 for reporting on the alleged gang rape of a female student. The political situation in Sudan is currently worsening due to a surge in arrests of opposition activists and leaders, the banning of a leading political party, violent responses to public demonstrations in Khartoum and other cities, and the crackdown on the activities of journalists. The on-going dispute over the new inter­ national boundary between Sudan and South Sudan has led to the border being sealed. This has curtailed 50

Trans-African Photography Master Class

Sudanese Photographers Group (SPG) started out as a group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/ sphotographers) with the goal of bringing together Sudanese photographers and providing a space for them to showcase their work online and get feed­ back from more experienced members. Three years later, SPG has grown into a group with over 14,000 members.This rapid growth shows the gap that existed in the Sudanese cultural sector for an organisation that brings together the nation’s photographers. It also shows that despite the contextual and political envi­ ronment, photography is a thriving art form in Sudan.

The SPG recognised that in order to get more exposure and to effectively implement photography as a tool for social change they needed to enhance their photo­ graphic skills and deepen their knowledge about the

Developing the Arts

Photography

www.spg.sd Project partner: Sudanese Photographers Group (SPG) This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

51

it has a well-respected institution in Sudan for long time ago, and it gave us credibility and helped us to approach supporters from different backgrounds.’

Interview with Talal Afifi t page 60 Developing the Arts Freedom of expression S trengthening Local Infrastructures

Film

www.facebook.com/SIFF.Official Project partner: Sudan Film Factory

Sudan Independent Film Festival

The Sudan Film Factory aims to build the capacities of young Sudanese people in producing films, and to expose a Sudanese audience to films, filmmaking and cinema. Motivated, curated and designed by an energetic and creative group of independent young Sudanese film makers and critics, the Sudan Film Factory has established an excellent track record in the production of high quality short documentary and fictional films, some of which have been awarded and screened at major film festivals, such as the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Luxor Film Festival in Egypt.

In January 2014, the Sudan Film Factory organised the Sudan Independent Film Festival in Khartoum, a weeklong 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 aim was to provide Sudanese filmmakers with a platform to promote the culture of filmmaking in Sudan, thereby fostering the awareness of its importance, knowledge of past cultural heritage, a network for the future development of cinema in Sudan, and a visibility in and outside the borders of Sudan. ‘After one week of the final ceremony, the Minister of Culture held an official meeting with the director of Sudan Film Factory and had a press conference in which he announced 2014 to be the year of Cinema in Sudan.

As a result, debates and conceptual discussions took place between intellectuals about independent cinema,’ says Talal Afifi, director of the Sudan Independent Film Festival.

Film screenings (presenting both acknowledged and emerging filmmakers from different generations) in various cultural centres and cinemas were accom­ panied by a series of lectures, discussion forums and networking platforms for artists, filmmakers, intellectuals, journalists, experts, decision makers and general audiences. These lectures and discussions targeted young audiences, between eighteen and thirty-four years old. ‘The festival set a high standard for visual arts and cultural events which is encouraging more institutions to get involved in this movement,’ says Afifi. ‘Having the name and logo of Prince Claus Fund gave us a great push,

Mobile Cinema:Taking Film to the Margins in Sudan

The Sudanese organisation Al Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE) aims to revive the rich cultural tradition of going to the movies by organising film tours in northern and central Sudan.

Although under heavy pressure from the current government, Sudan has a rich tradition of cinema.

Cinemas proliferated in cities all over the country until the early 1990s, and films reached rural areas via cinema vehicles, which enabled those living in Sudan’s more remote areas to go to the movies. Unfortunately Sudan’s current government has placed heavy scrutiny on such public film screenings, and on the production and dissemination of films in general.

The project’s goal was to realise film screenings and discussions in regions where there is a lack of infra­ structure for cultural events, reaching out to neigh­ bourhoods that are otherwise excluded from attending such events.

The project was conceived as a yearlong film tour throughout Sudan, offering diverse audiences in Sudan the chance to enjoy (and subsequently to debate) contemporary regional cinema as well as films from Hollywood. According to Ahmed Elmahdi, from KACE, ‘screening movies outside Khartoum was extremely challenging. As we travelled with the equipment, we raised the attention of the security.We systematically had to 52

Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch. A constitution was established in 2006, but the status political parties remains undefined.

Current situation On the Human Development Index, Swaziland is ranked 140 out of 187 countries. The country recently overtook Botswana as the country with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Twenty-five per cent of adults in the country live with HIV; however, a 41 per cent drop in new HIV infections was reported in November 2012. Orphans and vulnerable children account for an estimated 15 per cent of the total population. Although Swaziland does not see systematic human rights violations, the situation is tense. Demonstrations for democracy, initiated by opposition groups and labour unions, have faced tough crackdowns from the police and the authorities.

Arts and Culture The country’s monarchy and its ethnic and traditional character shape its cultural events: tribe celebrations are common and occur regularly.

The Mantenga Swazi Cultural Village is a living museum of tradition and represents the classic Swazi lifestyle during the 1850s. The Indingilizi Art & Craft Gallery, established in 1982, has earned a reputation for excellence and as a reliable source of contemporary art from Swaziland and elsewhere in Africa.

Supported projects In 2009, the Prince Claus Fund sup­ported Laway Arts in the organisation of a co-production between South Africa and Swaziland in which young people were trained in the field of theatre and dance. Talking Doors at MTN Bushfire 2013 is one of the larger projects supported by the Prince Claus Fund in Swaziland.

negotiate with the security.We would have preferred to travel without any equipment but renting it would have been too expensive.’

The films screened were followed up by debates that stimulated open dialogue and raised awareness on sensitive subjects such as slavery and racism in Sudan. The debates created opportunities for freedom of speech and thought – participants were afforded the opportunity to express their opinions on the films and whatever themes they deemed relevant to their own lives. Approximately 1,617 people attended the screenings. The films screened can be grouped into six categories: racism, conflict, women issues, environmental issues, education, and drugs. Not sur­ prisingly, the majority of the debates after the screen­ ings took a political turn regardless the topic of the film. In fact, most of the participants were activists.

‘Sudan is a place where public expression of opinion is tantamount to dissidence; projects like the mobile cinema have helped to maintain a culture of free expression in the face of great pressure from government authorities,’ says Elmahdi. ‘This project took five years of planning in order to execute.The Prince Claus Fund is one of the only partners willing to give a project like this a chance and giving us the foundation to stand on for similar projects in the future’ E mpowerment and Participation Strengthening Local Infrastructures

Film

www.kacesudan.org Project partner: Al Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development This project was supported jointly with Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

Swaziland Capital: Mbabane Population: 1,403,362 (2013) Projects supported: 1

Historical Context Swaziland became independent from Great Britain in 1968. It is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries worldwide; almost 98 per cent of the population are ethnically Swazi, of which about 90 per cent are Christian. Until the early 1990s, Swaziland’s economy developed positively as a result of foreign investments into the country. Many companies invested into Swaziland in order to reach the South African market, in which investments were not possible because of the international restrictions at this time. However, since South Africa’s transition in 1994, investments into Swaziland heavily decreased and the economic situation has significantly stagnated.

Today, the unemployment rate in Swaziland is around 40 per cent. The country is a monarchy, ruled by King

Talking Doors at MTN Bushfire 2013

MTN Bushfire is Swaziland’s acclaimed annual inter­ national music and arts festival. This year the festival developed Talking Doors, a community out­reach pro­ gram, to involve their immediate community, Mahlanya village, in conversations and discussions with a team of graffiti artists.Together they worked on a mural that tackled the social issues that affect the community, 53

such as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the high numbers of orphans. Swaziland has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, one of the lowest life expectancies, dismal corruption figures, dilapidated hospitals, and over 100,000 orphaned or vulnerable children in a population of just over a million.

As part of the project, selected volunteer members of the community were encouraged to share their views on how to make a positive contribution within the community, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), Social Behavioral Change, and the impact of HIV/AIDS. The graffiti artists in collaboration with the members of community then used the dialogue to make the Talking Doors project.

The outcome was an artistic interface, which was the result of collaborative work between the graffiti and fine artists and the local community. The one-day workshops resulted in both permanent and mobile walls and doors, which were mounted throughout the participating community, and in the Barn space of the Festival, creating a new landscape that incor­ porates the realities of this community. According to Dane Armstrong, Project Coordinator & ArtReach Director, MTN Bushfire, ‘this project was undertaken with the primary goal of creating a physical space where festival-goers could interact with different artists in various creative mediums.’

The ‘Talking Doors’ were mounted wooden billboards erected at the installation sites. To include the children of the community in the Talking Doors

Bibliography

project, Bushfire collaborated with Clowns without Borders, South Africa. ‘Talking Doors at the festival was a great success. Every hour that the installation was open, there were people queuing up to enter. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from participants and facilitators alike. Festival-goers came back again and again to the installation, bringing their families and friends, eager to create, interact, have fun, dress up, try something new, and “bring their fire”,’ says Armstrong.

Bushfire festival combined contemporary cuttingedge arts and artistic freedom, popular music, and deep respect for traditional culture, in a largely rural setting and against a mountain backdrop. As an arts festival, it focused on addressing social problems caused

by HIV and orphans. It reached an audience of 20,000.

The festival was a rare example of presenting social goals alongside artistic ones in an organic way. ‘This project has a lot of potential to become a regular part of the Bushfire experience, as well as a tool for creative engagement with communities around Swaziland. A big part of the project is that it provides paid work to local artists, yet is free of charge to participants.’

Developing the Arts Empowerment and Participation

The country profiles in this publication were collaged by the Prince Claus Fund’s research department for this Review from a variety of sources. Most of this material can be found online at the sites, listed in the bibliography below. The Prince Claus Fund has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this review, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Readers are advised to contact the stated primary source or the product’s originating institution before acting on any of the information provided.

Central Intelligence Agency The World Fact Book www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworld-factbook accessed June 14, 2014

Human Rights Watch ‘Publications’ www.hrw.org/publications accessed June 14, 2014

Reporters Without Borders www.en.rsf.org accessed June 14, 2014

Performing Arts

Amnesty International, ‘Human Rights by Country’ www.amnesty.org accessed June 14, 2014

www.bush-fire.com/ Project partner: MTN Bushfire

International Monetary Fund ‘Countries’ www.imf.org/ accessed June 14, 2014

The World Bank ‘Publications’ www.worldbank.org/reference/ accessed June 14, 2014

Euromonitor International ‘Countries’ www.euromonitor.com accessed June 14, 2014

The Culture Trip ‘Africa’ www.theculturetrip.com accessed June 14, 2014 United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Index www.hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi accessed June 14, 2014

54

Transparency International ‘Country Profiles’ www.transparency.org/country accessed June 14, 2014

55

Reviving The Arts In Libya 2013 Libya December 2013 Volunteers of the Arete Foundation at the Red Castle in Tripoli Š The Arete Foundation for Arts & Culture

57 56

Interviews completely different societies reflected was a great opportunity for us.

we mixed the younger and the older girls together.

It was a great experience for the young children to learn from the older ones and the older ones to learn from the small ones. They shared their ideas and they came up with ideas and points to propose together.

QQ

QQ

Well, the biggest challenge at the moment is tech­ nology and communications. Technologically imple­ mented communications like Skype or Google Hangouts are at the mercy of the lions in both Malawi and in Ethiopia and it can get very frustrating trying to have a meeting with people, trying to talk about projects, so that’s the greatest barrier at the moment. And then also for them, the greatest barrier at the moment seems to be again technology-driven in that they have a lot of power outages, but we are trying to find ways around that by supplying them with solar power packs so that they can continue their work. It is more about electricity and communi­ cation networks. Those are just organisational frus­ trations rather than any great challenges to the work.

Are you still in contact with the girls?

Yes, I am. Following the project Long Live the Girls, I have became general manager of the organisation and I will continue to organise meetings and talk with the girls who were part of the project. We are now planning the next workshop.

QQ

Kidist Tariku is Executive Director of Action for Youth and Community Change (AYCC) in Hawassa, Ethiopia, and the on-site coordinator and translator for the project LONG LIVE THE GIRLS: A MANIFESTO! which focuses on girls’ empowerment through creative writing. Kidist holds a B.A. in Economics from Dabre Brhan University in Ethiopia and currently lives in Hawassa.

QQ

Why did you undertake this project?

QQ

Society here in Ethiopia is very complex. We have a specific problem with gender inequality.The problem is endemic to our culture and education, in our uni­ versities and high schools and even at home. It under­ mines girls, and inhibits them from speaking out or doing what they want. Because of this situation I wanted to work with girls.

QQ

How would you describe the social position of young women in Ethiopian society?

Let’s talk a bit more about your project you came up with. How does writing empower young girls?

The writers involved in Long Live the Girls also learned about the manifesto as a literary form, writing personally yet also together, to capture their feelings and ideas.

So, they just put their feelings out there. We gave them the opportunity to practice and to talk in front of other people. To see and talk about what the problem is: why are we shy of doing something? What are we ashamed of? What are the traditional roles here?

QQ

hat was the most rewarding moment W you felt during this project?

The whole thing was amazing! The girls were so shy at the beginning that they could not even say a word.

But finally, I can tell you how much they talk now!

They are very confident, they talk in front of people, they have became sociable and able to communicate their feelings! So that’s the best thing we could have dreamt of.

During the Long Live the Girls workshops we noticed that girls are very shy, they don’t speak, they don’t feel confident in saying what they want to say, they hide their feelings. In Ethiopia there is a perception that Education is only for boys, girls stay home, while the boys can go out and learn.

QQ

I s there a particular anecdote you could share with us, something that struck you during this project?

It was a challenging project to undertake in such a patriarchal society – there were many practical issues. When you want something and address the government to ask for it, often you do not get permission. It was very challenging to convince the authorities about the benefits of our project.

We laughed when we named the project – we wanted to challenge the gender order within Ethiopian society.

Long Live the Girls A Manifesto

How did you experience working with a group of young women?

At the beginning, everybody kept silent and was shy, but by the end of the project they had started to express their feelings. We did not limit the age so 58

the WikiAfrica Project Isla Haddow-Flood is a writer, editor and marketing strategist who is passionate about harnessing communication technology and media platforms to facilitate access to open knowledge that relates to and enhances the understanding of Africa. Isla currently works for the Africa Centre (www.africacentre.net) where she is the Project Manager of WikiAfrica (www.wikiafrica.net). She is also undertaking a Masters degree at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town.

QQ

hat was the biggest challenge regarding W the implementation of this project?

QQ

hat content is high priority for you, and W how do you determine its importance?

We created criteria for the selection of organisations.

The partners’ selection criteria are relevant to the project. They should be either a heritage, or a cultural, or a media, or some other civil society organisation.

So that it reflects not only the culture and the heritage and the contemporary situation but it also has a uni­ versal appeal or a national appeal of some sort. We try to go for organisations that have an impact on a kind of a national or regional level, so not a small NGO doing very important, niche work but some­ thing much more open.

Why did you choose Malawi and Ethiopia?

We have worked over the last two years with institutions across Africa to integrate their content into Wikipedia and then mostly with cultural and heritage institutions. The main challenge we had was that there aren’t enough Wikipedians – there are Wikipedians across Africa, but they work in isolation.

There wasn’t a formalised grouping of Wikipedians in countries who could assist institutions in getting their content online, and host outreach programmes within those societies. We initially worked with organi­ sations and then we realised that we actually needed to activate people on the ground, give them the correct training and give them an impetus to sustain their ability to work as Wikipedians.

The reason we chose Malawi and Ethiopia was because they are both very interesting in how they are perceived by the wider world. Ethiopia has an extraordinary heritage, Ethiopians are incredibly proud of it, but a lot of information doesn’t come out to the rest of the world. At the same time in con­ temporary Ethiopia, society is quite limited by the government. That is one of the reasons why we chose Ethiopia because there is this wealth of knowledge that needs to be celebrated and Ethiopians need to be given the opportunity and the tools to celebrate it.

As far as Malawi is concerned, Malawi used to be extraordinarily restricted. Women weren’t allowed to wear dresses up to a certain length – I think that until recently they were allowed to be two inches above the ankle. Today, there has been a huge liberation in the media freedom, and so to have these two

QQ

What has motivated you personally?

One of the reasons for me to do this work is to make sure that the richness of what we constantly contribute to the world is actually visible to every­ one. People often don’t understand what Africa contributes. But it is important that people under­ stand what Africa does actually contribute to the global conversation, and how it is an equal player in this global conversation that we are having.

QQ

How do you think this project will be relevant five years from now?

Looking back, I really hope that there are Wikipedians in residence that actually follow this model and use our online tool kits and courses so that it becomes a selfsustaining program, and a career choice for people to be part of this program. They can be social entre­ preneurs by expanding the options of culture, the media, and other institutions within their countries into the open movement.

59

QQ

The opening ceremony was the highlight – the launch of the event. We had our theatre, we had our films in our hands, we had our guests, and the audience standing at the doors wanting to get in. For me seeing the concretisation of the work we had done with this festival was the highlight of this project.

Sudan Independent Film Festival Talal Afifi is a film curator, creative producer, and director of the Sudan Film Factory. Talal has worked as a human rights activist and in cultural management in Egypt and Sudan, and managed the production of a variety of documentaries and short films, in addition to supervising filmmaking workshops and training in Sudan. Afifi is interested in further developing the independent filmmaking industry in Sudan and in supporting new modes of documentary production and presentation.

QQ

QQ

I n what way has your project been important in Sudan?

QQ

How did you manage to integrate Sudanese cultural diversity into the realisation of this project?

Diversity is well represented in the project. Many people who worked on the project brought their cultural influence to the organisation of the festival (Christian, Muslim, African/Animist Religions, etc.) We also saw the influence of diversity in the different movies made in Sudan and screened at the festival.

hat sort of impact does film have to overall W development in the country?

Usually in Sudan after a screening, there will be a dis­ cussion, a debate – so in that sense it triggers real reflection on communities’ social issues. After the film festival, I was asked to visit the Ministry of Culture and give a report to the minister about what happened.

They were amazed by the great festival put together by young people, and this strong network between the Sudan Film Factory, the Goethe Institute, Prince Claus Fund and our volunteers.The Minister had a press conference and announced 2014 to be the year of cinema in Sudan.The Minister put a committee together and the Sudan Film Factory was part of it. This com­ mittee will reflect on how to support filmmaking in Sudan and the country’s cinema. This is a great thing for Sudan. It gives its honour back to the visual arts and builds the bridge between the independent, underground scene and the authorities.

QQ

Can you explain the enthusiasm generated by your project?

For many people, it came from nowhere, they wondered how such a festival emerged, unnoticed in its preparation that had lasted a year, with 80 dedicated volunteers. So, once implemented, it was a positive surprise that generated this enthusiasm.

Because it was the first film festival in Sudan – the first independent film festival. After our week of screenings, many debates and workshops took place discussing independent cinema and talking about this practice in different parts in Khartoum. It brought back the idea of people coming to see films from outside Sudan, because for more than twenty-five years this culture has been absent in Sudan.

QQ

hat was the highlight of this project W in your eyes?

Buja Sans Tabou Burundi 9 February 2014 Musical concert by ‘Lion Story’ at Sabemeli Bar, Bujumbura © Julia Kneuse

100 years ago; it was a documentary. But we cannot talk about a century of cinema in Sudan because there are many gaps in this history – mainly due to economic factors. The number of features produced in Sudan is not high. Cinema in Sudan suffered under the current regime, which has been in power since 1989.The visual arts were suppressed and there was a curfew, which made it practically impossible for cinemas to operate.

Furthermore, the economy was not stable, so all of this drew the cinema down. But we have some very good filmmakers in Sudan, like Hussein Shariffe who made about ten films and had his own school of cinema.

It was a very poetic and very Sufi kind of filmmaking.

QQ

What motivated you personally?

I have been working for three years training young filmmakers and professionals in the field of cinema, giving them the means and the opportunity to develop their skills and enrich Sudanese film productions and the Sudanese film scene. So, the festival was part of a larger process that entails the revival of a film industry and that larger process is what motivates me the most.

QQ

here do you see the Sudan Film Factory W five years from now?

In the future, I want the festival to become independent, to be self-sustainable with a fixed and dedicated team, to become a referential event for cinema and to attract increasing attention.

hy is film so important today in Sudan?

W What is the history of cinema in Sudan?

The first film was produced and screened in Sudan 60

61

Lutte Contre Le Silence Burundi 2013 Evening show in Bujumbura © Atelier Agaciro

Reflections African Art and the Prince Claus Fund’s 2013 Africa Call Renée Akitelek Mboya

might never, catch up with an idealised Western modernity, these artists are claiming their contexts and responding in real time to the social situations which challenge their creativity and expression. They have created spaces that are dedicated to the free exchange of ideas, not at all intimidated by the constant provocation of images that choose only to capture the imagined failures of African urban modernity.

In post-independence Africa – during the 70’s and 80’s – art became an attendant practice of belonging that was pitted starkly against the harsh daily realities of postcolonial modernity, specifically, the intense pressure to modernise in the ruins of a resourcestripped continent. The demand was to create spaces for work and ‘development’ that mimicked Western realities – plate glass skyscrapers and Soviet-style concrete tower blocks that keep in the heat during the make-believe winter months. Rarely intersecting with the reality of the everyday, art became co-cultural, organised only in the intimacy of the domestic space – long-playing records with water-damaged sleeves, magazine cut-outs framed in the broken glass of bathroom windows, the hat and leather jacket, drycleaned twice a year and worn only at the Saturday night disco. Art became the thing we did in private.

The real strength of the Prince Claus Fund is demon­ strated in this respect. By focusing geo­graphically, the 2013 Call for Africa has allowed artists to reflect internally, to deny the pre-determined conversations on African arts, African culture and the needs of Africans – and to create opportunities for themselves and their communities which have impact in real time and which change structures and cultures of working and thinking in ways which can be easily passed on – across communities and hopefully generations.

They say political context is a field of imagination – created in the same way as imagining relationships between people. The Prince Claus Fund in 2013 created the opportunity for a way of thinking about the role of arts and culture, at the same time as avoiding the sense of entitlement that emerges when one community is a donor and the other the recipient of a donation. In creating an occasion for the ‘democ­ rati­sation of knowledge and citizenship education’ and the juncture for communities to express them­ selves through art as a means of fighting ‘against discrimination and promote tolerance as well as build confidence,’ the competing imaginations of different cultural regions have been brought together. As the projects are juxtaposed with each other – in ways that are sometimes startling – unexpected alliances are produced, expanding not only what we consider to be the domain of African art but also who we define to be an African artist – a role that obviously expands far beyond the limitation of geography.

This is the paradox of new opportunities.

Emerging largely from the perspective of Christian missionary training, African art has had a long journey to redefine itself. In the twenty-first century, the civilising mission of the past had foreclosed the range of aesthetic experiences that were considered valid and representative. The challenge of contemporary African art thus has been to emerge from perspec­ tives that emphasise African backwardness and dependency, and are calibrated to create a culture of shame and feelings of despondency, hopelessness and helplessness in African viewers attempting to define themselves through arts and culture.

Perhaps these distinctions are fallacious. What, after all, is African art? Nonetheless it cannot be denied that contemporary creative Africa is experiencing a revival, a redefinition that has so far included an assumption of responsibility rarely seen before within the artistic spectrum. African artists are attempting to use art to change their contexts; to speak for main­ stream culture in ways that reclaim ‘African-ness’ for the economically battered and the culturally ambiguous.

In 2013 the Prince Claus Fund put out a call for project proposals that would have a positive impact on ‘both the cultural sector and social development.’ Congolese playwright Sony Labou Tansi writing in 1985 said ‘art is the strength to make reality say what it would not have been able to say by itself or, at least, what it might too easily have left unsaid.’ The projects that were put forward in response to this call reflect the dramatic shift that has occurred in the last decade.

Rather than submit to the always attenuated idea of African modernity – one that has not, and indeed 62

Renée Akitelek Mboya is a (essay and autobiography) writer from Nairobi, Kenya.

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Culture and development in Africa Mike van Graan

countries the creative industries are largely irrelevant as economic drivers or means of subsistence; mining and agriculture are more likely to attract such investment.

The 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) looms large. Nowhere are the MDGs more relevant than in Africa – home to more than two-thirds of the world’s HIV-positive population, a region with the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality, with more than 60 per cent of the popu­ lation without access to water sanitation, and with an average life expectancy of under 55.

With widespread poverty on the continent, the sustainability – let alone growth and profitability – of the creative industries in many countries would be at huge risk without the markets to support such industries. Notwithstanding the 2005 UNESCO Convention and other measures to promote pref­ erential access to global markets for creative goods from the global south, such international markets remain largely inaccessible for reasons ranging from security concerns (impacting on artists’ mobility) to lack of knowledge of international markets and the absence of means to reach these.

In short, ‘culture as a vector of development’ defined in terms of the creative industries and their potential impact on meeting the MDGs in Africa, is a myth with­ out historical substance in most African countries where the MDGs are most relevant.

Advocates of ‘culture as a vector of development’ have in recent times stressed the importance of the creative and cultural industries as potential economic drivers that would not only create employment on a continent where less than 30 per cent of the population works in the formal economy, but also generate the resources necessary to meet the region’s development challenges.

Yet, Africa does not have a problem with economic growth. The International Monetary Fund has shown that in the first decade of this millennium, six of the ten fastest-growing economies have been African econ­omies (Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda). While many counties encountered economic downturns in the last six years, most African countries have grown their econ­ omies by an average of 4 per cent or more. Despite such rapid economic growth poverty, close to 50 per cent of Africans continue to live on $2 a day or less, as was the case more than thirty years ago. Rather than meet the development needs of the continent’s citizens, economic growth has resulted in massive wealth accumulation by national, politically connected elites, deepening inequality. Angola, the fastest-growing economy on the continent, has an unemploy­ment rate in excess of 60 per cent (yet the President’s daughter is one of the wealthiest women in Africa) while Equatorial Guinea, also an oil-rich economy, has the highest GDP per capita ($32,000), but more than 70 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Nevertheless, proponents of ‘culture as a vector of development’ – particularly those based in the global north – have increased their advocacy for culture not only as a means or ‘enabler’ of development, but also as a goal of development. This is reflected in the agitation for culture’s inclusion in a post-2015 international development agenda.

does not take into account human rights and freedoms is an exceedingly limited one, and yet, most forms and practices of development emphasise economic and at best, social development, but ignore substantial human rights and freedoms, struggles for which – ironically – have adverse consequences for economic development.

It is important to recognise, then, that development itself is an act of culture, premised on particular ideas, values, ideological assumptions and interests, and in turn impact – sometimes positively, sometimes negatively – on the worldviews, social forms of organi­ sation and identities of its supposed beneficiaries.

Accordingly, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach and a repetition of a dogma applicable perhaps in con­ ditions in the global north, the relevance of ‘culture as an integral dimension of development’ in Africa requires rigorous analysis and understanding of conditions that vary not only from region to region and country to country, but even within countries.

Such a beginning may help to inform more appropriate strategies and perhaps more modest, but more effective, claims for culture – or the arts – within development strategies.

Mike van Graan is the Executive Director of the African Arts Institute in Cape Town, South Africa. www.afai.org.za

Repeating the mantra of ‘culture as a driver of devel­ op­ment’ in order to legitimate culture or more particularly the arts in national and international political discourse, is to ignore the negative impacts of culture in development, with Africa displaying ample examples of these. Conflicts rooted in religious differences (key cultural signifiers of individual and communal identity), ethnic mobilisation to win demo­ cratic elections that then result in the marginalisation of cultural communities that do not win power, the disempowerment of women and other minorities based on sexual orientation under the banner of ‘culture’ are fundamental obstacles to, and reversals of, human, social and economic development.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Creative Economy Reports of 2008 and 2010 reveal that it is North African countries and South Africa that contribute most of Africa’s – negligible – share of the global creative economy, and that design-related creative industries are the largest contributors in this regard. For the creative industries to grow at the levels required to contribute more substantially to national economies and – potentially – to address development needs, will necessitate massive investment in all aspects of the value chain: education, creation, production, distribution and consumption. In many African

As a region, North Africa has consistently featured highest on the Human Development Index with Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria doing well with regard to indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and income.

However, these countries have experienced, and continue to experience substantial political turmoil as their citizens struggle, not for human development, but for fundamental human rights and freedoms.

An understanding or definition of development that 64

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Emeka Okereke

A few months ago, I came across Mo Ibrahim’s keynote address at the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Tshwane, South Africa. I listened as he pronounced that (and I paraphrase) ‘there will be no progress on the African continent until there is free movement of cultures, capital and people across borders.’

provoking themes such as ‘Africa and the Politics of Postcoloniality.’ As is often the case, PACA was slowed down after a decade of activity by the politics of sus­ tain­ability and perhaps by the fact that their methods were giving way to a much more open, hands-on approach with practices that sought to incorporate the everyday public rather than focusing primarily on the arts, the artists and the art world.

From his words, we can deduce that in many different sectors, not just in the arts, the freedom – or the lack of it – associated with movement plays a major role in the discourse on how to forge ahead in a con­ tinent burdened by the downsides of abundance and possibilities. This much is clear. But what seems rather foggy in this mad rush for movement, and exploration of possibilities, is the question of direction. Where are we heading? Are we tran­scending limitations or are we merely circulating within them?

In 2008, the late Cameroonian artist Goddy Leye organised Exitour, a project that took five Cameroonian artists on a five-country road trip from Cameroon to Senegal for the Dak’art Biennale. Faced with visa issues at the Senegalese border, they missed the first week of the Biennale. The artistic intervention directly reflected the harsh reality of attempting to navigate the continent. It is, in itself, a performance in which the artists used their bodies and presence as the object for trans-border discourse.

These questions have come to form the driving force behind the endeavours of artists and thinkers who champion ‘movement.’ Perhaps the aim is not to arrive at a definite answer. Perhaps it suffices that the questions exist. Perhaps the back and forth between these notions becomes the mechanism of necessary movement.

In 2009, ten artists from Nigeria embarked on a similar journey from Lagos to Bamako, encountering their own share of obstacles, which did more good than harm, spurring them on to more road trip inter­ ventions. The Invisible Borders Trans-African Project (as the project is known today) is a microcosm of the defiant energy hovering above the continent, energy that instils people with the urge to explore beyond their comfort zone. There is something about this energy that refuses to take anything at face value or accept generalisations, especially in matters con­ cerning Africa. It recognises the vastness and the great distances and rather than see them as a hindrance, it recognises the endless possibilities they offer. There­ fore when we ask ourselves: in what direction are we moving, the best answer as it stands would be: ‘it is not as much about the destination, as it is about the journey itself.’

Over the years, artists, mostly African ones, have tried to address this issue. An immediate example that comes to mind is the Pan-African Circle of Artists (PACA), which was founded in 1991 at the University of Nigeria by some young artists of Nigerian and Ghanaian origin. According to their founding dictum, part of their aim ‘was to create a forum on which art and culture in Africa could be promoted and disseminated from inside by Africans and on Africa’s terms.’

Before I continue, I would like to pause and reflect on this notion of the ‘insider-African’ because it is in the function of this very phrase that we find the temperament that fuels an urge towards affinity with an African reality characterised by the multiplicity and diversity of 54 countries and over a billion people.

The emphasis on the ‘insider-African’ carries with it a proactive antithesis to the apologetic responses to the many definitions imposed on Africa and its people

by Western ideologies in the past. But beyond that, it proposes an open confrontation with the con­stitu­ ents of our own everyday reality – working with it, in it, through it – as the only means of overcoming its limitations. It presents an Africa that recognises that the solutions to her problems are right under our feet; that we have been standing on them all along.

PACA used tools such as lectures, workshops and roundtables to propagate their ideas in different countries across the continent, focusing on thought-

Femmes En Scene 2013 Ivory Coast 2013 Theatre workshop in Grand-Bassam © Sokan Theatre

Movement is the Word

Invisible Borders Trans-African Project is set to embark on the fifth edition of its road trip project in June 2014. It will be the first Trans-Continental road trip and will take ten artists from Lagos to Sarajevo within a period of five months.

Emeka Okereke is a Nigerian Contemporary Artist, he is also Founder and Artistic Director of the Invisible Borders Trans-African Photography Organisation. www.invisible-borders.com

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Sudan Independent Film Festival Sudan January 2014 Exhibition visitors © Sudan Film Factory

The New Nation of South Sudan Cannot Afford Cultural Exclusion Jok Madut Jok

as part of the body politic. The country needs to be reflective on her recent past so it does not forget that cultural margin­ali­sation was among the main reasons for the long liberation wars that were fought with the north. The country must not go in for the same practices that drove the people of South Sudan out of the union with the north. The entire country must be conscious of her diversity in policy decisions that are made every day, so that no citizen or ethnic group feels unrepresented.

South Sudan is, without a doubt, one of the most ethno-culturally diverse countries in the world. There are over 67 major ethnic nationalities in this young country of some nine to ten million people. These groups have many similarities and dissimilarities in the field of cultural practices such as marriage systems, folkloric arts, livelihoods and means of production, religious traditions and a variety of other areas of socio-cultural, political, and economic life. But while they undoubtedly hail from such disparate regions as the plains of Bahr el-Ghazal, the swamps of Upper Nile, the hills of Eastern and Central Equatoria and thick forests of Western Equatoria, there is no question that they all have one thing in common.

They all belong to a single polity called South Sudan and it belongs to all of them. This may sound obvious, but belonging to a nation comes with rights and obligations. There is a long history of oneness, be it the shared negative experiences of slavery, colonisation, exclusion from distribution of the national cake, political marginalisation, disdain for their cultural identity by Khartoum’s successive governments before South Sudan’s independence, forced Arabicisation and Islamicisation, or their collective struggle against this external domination, a struggle that spanned 191 years, which has now culminated in independence.

The trick now is how to take their transformation and turn it into a sense of nationhood, a guarantee for citizenship rights, and source of pride for them all.

With the realisation that all nations are made, not born, now is the chance to demonstrate to the world that ethno-cultural diversity does not have to be the liability that it has become in many countries of the world, including old Sudan. To practice policies of inclusivity, the new nation has to celebrate the various cultural practices and do so equitably on a national stage. For example, the national media outlets have to produce cultural programs that reflect the cultural mix that makes up South Sudan. All the cultures have to be considered national cultures, to be promoted, displayed and celebrated equitably in museums, archives, memo­ rials, cultural centres, music, film, arts, and educational curriculum. Failure to recognise this important practice can only lead to citizens’ discontent, and eventually produce ethnic discord and risking civil wars, as some ethnic groups develop a feeling of marginalisation. The country’s own history has revealed that exclusionary practices such as the ones practiced by Khartoum are unsustainable and can cause the break-up of countries.

Domination of the national platform by certain cul­ tural or ethnic groups at the expense of others can only produce citizens who give no loyalty to the nation.

And for a country that suffers a legacy of discord and political violence, South Sudan has to embark on a project of recon­ciliation, and cultural diversity is one strong area that contributes to either conflict when it is poorly managed or stability when cultural commonalities are celebrated and differences are recognised. The other differentials that need to be noted and included in this project are gender, age, and professions. From the traditional cultural per­spec­ tive, these differentials have the tendency to negatively affect these groups. It does not take long before cultural marginalisation translates into exclusion from services, jobs and citizenship rights.

There are several things that the political leadership, the civil service, and civil society, can do to make the dream of nationhood possible. They can start with an effort to avoid the usual temptation in emerging states to think of development, infrastructure, and delivery of services as more important than a project to create a citizenry that is loyal to the nation. This is a political project that aims to cultivate a culture of dialogue between the citizens and their government.

The need to respond to the expectations of their people to receive these services as the peace dividend is extremely important, but it is equally crucial to underline the fact that their success in serving their citizens hinges upon the recognition of the importance of culture as the ingredient that forms a nation. They need to recognise that nation building and state building are two different projects but are faces of the same coin, and that the idea of nation building is a concern of everyone throughout South Sudan.To forge a collec­ tive national identity, so that the citizens are able to see their citizenship in the nation as more important than citizenship in ethnic nationalities, it is important to view cultural diversity as an asset that must be put to use in order to build a colourful nation in such a way that each single citizen sees him or herself 68

Jok Madut Jok is Undersecretary in the Ministry of Culture and Heritage of South Sudan and Cofounder of the Sudd Institute in South Sudan. www.suddinstitute.org

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Joe Osae-Addo

For most Africans, culture is embedded in our souls.

It is an intrinsic quality that connects us. It talks about the collective, it addresses our heritage and roots, and it is something that pre-colonial Africa depended on for survival. In Ghana, we have cultures that shared a common agenda in spite of differences in ethnicity.

This has united us throughout our history but has also been divisive. By and large, culture and heritage is something that most Africans have revered.

The culture of the collective Culture as a collective idea is potentially transformative; it is important for us to reorganise, regroup and become energised around a single vision and a single goal as a group, rather than as individuals.

The collective is what traditionally made Africa strong, and it is something which we are steadily losing as a lack of cohesion is clearly evidenced in African cities.

With the advent of the colonial era, culture came under siege – Europeans, opportunists and their local collaborators exploited ethnicities and differences, which lead to tragedies like the slave trade.The colonial era in particular was very divisive and it remains a hindrance to our development.

The culture of productivity and efficiency As African nations evolve, African people aspire to new ways of living. In order to compete internationally and to grow our economies, in education, engineering and manufacturing, and popular culture, we need to be productive and efficient by focusing on quality. We need to become highly organised and merge our indigenous ways with western approaches to create our own contextual responses to the global economy.

During the post-colonial era, culture and the arts played a vital role in defining the independence movement and African leaders were astute in using elements of culture and the arts, like painting, poetry, music and theatre, to rally their people around a common cause. This was one of the great strengths of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia, Julius Nyerere in Tanzania, Joao Kenyatta in Kenya, and Leopold Senghor in Senegal.

These leaders built a whole industry around culture, and used it successfully to develop a strategy of national development.

The culture of ‘inno-native’ approaches and solutions ‘Inno-native’ is a word I coined many years ago. It means being inventive and innovative without losing our indigenous approach. This approach is truly sustainable.

A culture that recognises that identity and heritage matters We need to know who we are we as a people, what we stand for and how we believe humanity will flourish. We must develop a habit of constantly redefining the word ‘culture’ itself. Culture, as both the intuitive and the learned, is an organic, dynamic condition of change. Often we interchange the word tradition with culture. Tradition, by nature, is under constant siege, but culture must and does evolve.

These are issues that Africans need to define ourselves, before we can begin to assess how the fundamental elements of tradition can have an impact on Africa’s development. Africa needs to develop solutions that are sustainable on our own terms.

In 1960s Ghana, for example, the development of a very distinct art scene was focused around young artists who were charged with defining what the new Ghana would stand for. We can still see their influence in our cities, where tropical architecture evolved, inspired by both tradition and European avant-garde movements like Bauhaus. These buildings today are heritage buildings, and studied by architecture academics and students who visit Africa just to see them. This post-colonial cultural movement is one of the great legacies of the era and helped to transform our bourgeoning economies. A proud sense of identity, built through the arts and culture, played an important part in creating confidence for young nations to develop themselves.

Living Legacies The Gambia 2014 Tunde Jegede (left) interviewing the writer, scholar and politician Sidia Jatta (right) © Living Legacies

The Transformative Role of Culture and the Arts and its Impact on Africa’s Development

A culture of sustainability What does this mean in the African context? African cultures and traditions are at root sustainably minded and our respectful and sensitive daily interactions with the planet and each other have ensured our survival for generations. This was not about gadgets and gimmickry, but rather an intuitive response to nature and the resources that we have, recognising that we need to handle these resources with absolute care and reverence for our own survival.

Growing up in Ghana in the 1960s we would hear

In order to understand the dynamic of culture and development, we need to examine ‘culture’ beyond the dictionary definition. We sometimes simplistically confuse culture with heritage. For me, the following ideas are crucial to the nature of Culture itself.

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Film Festival: Image Of Liberia Liberia 21 February 2014 Sayetown Community screening preceding the Festival © Kriterion Monrovia

folklore about why fishermen fish only on certain days, or why farmers only farm on certain days or in certain seasons. This was to protect the environment and prevent over-fishing, yet there were wonderful nar­ ratives and mythologies to describe this sustainability in vivid terms. If you broke the sacred rules, there would be consequences. This mythology, which is part of our culture, acted as a policing entity of sort, and is also being lost. I would love to develop a whole slew of narratives from across Africa that spoke about this mythology that protected the environ­ment. We need to engage these kinds of discourses using our own language. Africans must believe and promote the culture of the collective and these traditional narratives are powerful tools to bring the community back into the African development agenda.

towns of Obuasi or Tarkwa, amongst many others.

How do we use culture and the arts to bring attention to the fact that contemporary culture and economic wealth does not reside alone in the cities but also in the regions? How do we use this idea as a trigger for development?

In the same vein, our traditional systems are valuable to development. Our traditions and culture are embedded in our traditional rulers and the seats that they hold, which are still revered to this day. Our local chiefs and elders must be engaged because our culture is embodied in their leadership. We need to look at ways of galvanising people on the local level, using tradition and using culture to begin to address issues that have previously been dealt with efficiently.

Ghanaians are, and have always been, very hardworking people who understand the land and who have tilled it, using resources efficiently and distributing them evenly to the benefit of the community. So why has modernity truncated this tradition of sharing, of dedi­ cation, of using resources rather than exploiting them?

Development in Africa Development often refers to modernity, and emphasis has always been on the African city which represents fast growth, huge infrastructural developments, migra­ tion from the rural to the urban – all of the western markers of modernity. It is true that Africa is developing, but for who? And does Africa need to develop in this direction? Why are we not talking more about the towns within the provinces and the villages in our regions and how we can use these areas as growth poles or centres? I am not saying we should focus less on cities, but we should focus equally on the lessdeveloped regions. After all, the majority of Africans do not live in the cities – contrary to popular belief – rather, most Africans live in rural areas. We must begin to examine why this fast rural migration is taking place. What are the factors creating this phenomenon?

There is a big difference between exploitation and sustainable use of resources. Exploitation means we are not putting back what we take out and this is what we need to reverse. Exploitation affects all aspects of our development agenda, be it education, healthcare, infrastructural building and economic planning. The economic planning tools that are available to us need to be recalibrated to fit our local needs.This will require a great deal of hard work from our leadership, who often follow models from the West because it is easy.

But we need to also recognise that these solutions, historically, have not benefited us and we need to develop our own methods through hard work.

Ultimately, constructive and sustainable development of the African environment will come from the local level, harnessing our culture and our heritage.

Independence era leaders understood the power of the arts and building institutions to promote and revitalise the arts because they have a direct link to the soul of Africa. Now this soul is under siege.

One of the reasons is that our governance structures are over-centralised and this stems directly from the relics of the colonial administration structure. By that I mean mayors and regional leaders are appointed by the presidency, which means that the people of these small towns and villages do not have a say about who governs them or allocates their resources. They are not able to generate revenue that they control themselves. I think this phenomenon has a huge psycho­ logical impact on the majority of Africans, who feel that they need to be dependent on a central govern­ ment based in the cities. Therefore, many feel that they have to go to the seat of power, from which the distribution of resources stems.

In the arena of design and architecture, there has to be a big push to describe who we are in our built environment. The built environment symbolises our contemporary culture. It is one of the ways of understanding and describing a people’s contemporary culture. I believe it is very important that we embrace the idea of an indigenous inspired narrative so that our cities and urban areas do not become places that we do not relate to.

We need to develop our provinces. In Ghana, all of our resources, our cocoa and diamonds, are not in Accra, our capital. These resources exist in the small

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In closing, I want to return to the role of arts and culture in development.What kinds of voices are being listened to in this new Africa, and where are the alternative voices? For so long Africa has depended on certain groups to shape the agenda. I am appealing to the creative community: we need to engage; we need to be part of the change. We will not be listened to if we do not take our rightful positions in the eco­ nomic development agenda, because, after all, we can offer development clear advantages: conceptualisation, intuition, and the ability to visualise and document ideas. This is what Africa needs: vision, documentation and most importantly, culturally enhanced passion to deliver tangible change. Development will happen with or without us. It is up to us to bring culture, heritage, arts and traditions into a truly ‘inno-native’ response.

We need to work at encouraging our designers and the population at large, the purveyors of taste and design, to appreciate who we are, and be inspired by what we stand for historically. We need to come up with products and environments that can actually assist Africa’s growth. Our cities and towns need to be designed using local materials and our culture and influences should create innovative spaces. One of our continuously ignored talents lies in the crafts arena. The crafts are a great opportunity to grow our economies, create employment, and connect with our past in a positive way. The crafts need to evolve to reflect contemporary Africa intellectually, physically and financially. In manufacturing, why are we not tapping into our huge natural resources and adding value with good design to produce new products for the world market?

Conclusions Creative people need to engage in the economic development process of Africa. African cultural entrepreneurs must become the custodians of this sector of development and look at it as an economic engine of growth.This is the vital missing link between how we transition from being entrepreneurs of culture and arts to supporting the economic engine of growth. There are quite a few good examples around the world to emulate. I always look at the example of Cuba: a living, organic museum without walls. Culture is embedded in the soul of its people, it is embedded in its architecture, be it colonial or modern, it is embedded in its way of life. There is no separation between, tourism, way of life and economic regeneration.

Joe Osae-Addo is a Ghanaian architect and Chairman of ArchiAfrika; a Network Partner of the Prince Claus Fund. www.aaaccra.org

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Talking Doors At Mtn Bushfire 2013 Swaziland May/June 2013 Project facilitator Ralph Smit deconstructing the installation © Dane Armstrong Page 77: Buja Sans Tabou Burundi 7 February 2014 La Troupe Lampyre performing the play ‘Déchirement’ at the Institut Français in Bujumbura © Julia Kneuse

There are very good models to emulate as a way of getting people to participate in, and engage with, what is already there as living culture. Our foods need to be packaged in a way that reflects the com­ pe­tition of the modern world. The key is to showcase and highlight our great achievements rather than always complaining about the lack of public funding for cultural endeavours. We the people need to recognise that, through our culture, there is wealth in who we are.

This will eventually affect tourism, a potentially thriving source of income. Most of us travel to experience the culture of Rome, or the culture of Venice, and come away with the incredible architecture of historical Europe and its open spaces. Development must include both built space and also the open, negative spaces.

This is where Africa has a great deal to offer. It is difficult to talk of ‘African Architecture’, but what we can talk about are the interstitial open spaces between the built forms. It is our climate that could ultimately define an African architecture.

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2013 Number of Projects per country

Distribution of grantees

Applicants 112 Grantees 21

First time grantees 76%

New organizations (founded in or after 2010) 33%

2013 percentage of budget by country

Algeria

Lybia

Algeria

11

Burundi 7 Ethiopia 17

Mauritania

the Gambia

4

Ivory Coast

15

Liberia 7

Sudan

Lybia 4

THe gambia

Malawi 10

Ethiopia Liberia

Ivory Coast

Burundi

Mauritania 7 Sudan 15 Malawi

Swaziland 3

Swaziland

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COLOPHON Editors Thomas Roueché & Bertan Selim Assistant editors Emma Bijloos, Jean-Sylvain Tshilumba Mukendi, Slavica Ilieska & Willemijn Rijper Content Statistics Caro Mendez Design Irma Boom and Julia Neller

Forthcoming Review

2013 Thematic Call Rethinking Public Space

© 2014, Prince Claus Fund Prince Claus Fund Herengracht 603 1017 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands princeclausfund.nl First published 2014 by Prince Claus Fund Printed in the Netherlands ISBN / EAN 978-90-76162-28-7

The Prince Claus Fund’s May 2013 thematic call for project proposals focused on cultural initiatives related to the rethinking of public space.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any forms or by any means electronic, mechanical or otherwise without prior written consent of the copyright owners.

Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders but if any have inadvertently been overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

The term ‘public space’ refers to a social space that is open and accessible to all. The strength of projects engaged in public space lies in their potential to reach out and involve a wide and diverse range of people. Through this call, the Prince Claus Fund supported creative cultural initiatives that rethink, re-appropriate and/or re-use public space in innovative and novel ways and are linked to their respective local contexts.

The photos throughout the Review were provided courtesy of the project partners.

P43, 49 © Hilina Abebe.

The Prince Claus Fund was particularly interested in projects that facilitate freedom of expression, stimulate dialogue and encourage cultural exchange. The next Review will detail the projects supported by the Prince Claus Fund in this call.

A number of the projects listed in this Review we supported jointly by the Prince Claus Fund and Mimeta, Centre for Culture and Development.

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