Projects
This year the advisory council of the foundation chose the first six projects and decided to support them. Musicians in Burkina Faso, a cross-national music festival for the promotion of young talents in Eastern Africa, a pan-African short film contest, projections on public places in Cameroon and the support of the local book market in Senegal and Mali, these are the first six projects to be supported by the foundation "Art in Africa".
© UNESCO/ Georges Malempré: young girl in Cotonou, Benin.
The projects in detail:
1. Sustaining Musicians' Cooperatives (Burkina Faso)
With the help of UNESCO, a cooperative of musicians was brought into being that supports artists with the establishment of general framework conditions so they can make a living with their work. The cooperative also has an office that advises the artists in organisation and legal matters. The support of the foundation is employed for technical equipment such as recording and reproduction devices and for setting up a network for national distribution.
2. Music Crossroads (cross-national)
Music Crossroads offers young talents aged 15 to 27 years the opportunity to bring to perfection their musical talents and to gain experience on the stage. This initiative - founded in 1996 by UNESCO - operates a network of local festivals. Over 15,000 musicians have hitherto participated in performances, workshops and sessions. The funds of the foundation are used to develop state of the art teaching materials in the corresponding languages of the young musicians.
3. Acquisition of books for African libraries (cross-national)
A project that has been active since 2004 aims at providing libraries in Senegal and Mali with the resources to acquire books; the funds go exclusively to the acquisition of African publications in the corresponding languages of the country, as well as products of local publishing companies. Purpose of the project is the simultaneous support of African publishers, booksellers and libraries. With the help of the foundation's funds, these resources are increased, so that the project can be extended to further countries.
4. International Short Film Festival (pan-African)
This international short film festival calls upon young African filmmakers to address the issue of how Africans damage and how they are useful to their continent, and to do so with an artistic and contemporary perspective. The contest will be announced for the whole of Africa in March 2007. Out of all of the synopses sent in, a pan-African jury proposes 20 films for production. The results will be presented at the Berlinale in 2009. Partner for cooperation in this contest will be the Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe and the Goethe-Institut e.V.
further information about this project
5. Art Project "Hors les Murs2" (Cameroon)
The art project "Hors les Murs2" intends to present the current art production of the Cameroonian art association Cercle Kapsiki. In public spaces the interested public is included in their activities. Large-scale pictures and projections generate "counterparts" to the prevailing ideas of consumption and politics; the world of images in private rooms and the privately consumed cyberworlds of the internet cafés are taken to the public spaces and the streets of the city of Douala. The foundation "Art in Africa" is funding the rent of the billboard-spaces to realise this project.
6. K FACTORY (Cameroon)
Since 2002 the studio K FACTORY has been a meeting place as open workshop, artists' residence and event venue in the historically popular quarter of Bell in the seaport of Douala. Here, artists present their work on the occasion of the monthly discussion rounds called "Causeries", young artists from Cameroon, from other African countries and from Europe get an opportunity to work in a resident programme and are building a small documentary centre about current art for the public of the quarter. The K FACTORY is in urgent need of renovation, painting is as necessary as new sanitary installations and a new visitors' area. The shelves in the library area also need to be renewed urgently. The money to provide materials for producing art work and for carrying out the activities in the quarter is rarely at hand, in spite of beginning cooperations, sometimes even on an international scale. The quality of the art of the association Cercle Kapsiki (that is dedicated to operating the K FACTORY) has, nevertheless, acquired international esteem in the context of the platform Doual'Art. The foundation "Art in Africa" is supporting the urgently needed renovations and thereby ensures the continuity of the studio.
You can help! Support art- and cultural projects in Africa with a donation:
Donation account
Foundation Art in Africa / German Commission for UNESCO
Sparkasse KölnBonn
account no.: 34 00
bank code no.: 370 501 98
Iban: DE12 3705 0198 000 0034 00
Swift: COLSDE33
© UNESCO/ Georges Malempré: young girl in Cotonou, Benin.
The projects in detail:
1. Sustaining Musicians' Cooperatives (Burkina Faso)
With the help of UNESCO, a cooperative of musicians was brought into being that supports artists with the establishment of general framework conditions so they can make a living with their work. The cooperative also has an office that advises the artists in organisation and legal matters. The support of the foundation is employed for technical equipment such as recording and reproduction devices and for setting up a network for national distribution.
2. Music Crossroads (cross-national)
Music Crossroads offers young talents aged 15 to 27 years the opportunity to bring to perfection their musical talents and to gain experience on the stage. This initiative - founded in 1996 by UNESCO - operates a network of local festivals. Over 15,000 musicians have hitherto participated in performances, workshops and sessions. The funds of the foundation are used to develop state of the art teaching materials in the corresponding languages of the young musicians.
3. Acquisition of books for African libraries (cross-national)
A project that has been active since 2004 aims at providing libraries in Senegal and Mali with the resources to acquire books; the funds go exclusively to the acquisition of African publications in the corresponding languages of the country, as well as products of local publishing companies. Purpose of the project is the simultaneous support of African publishers, booksellers and libraries. With the help of the foundation's funds, these resources are increased, so that the project can be extended to further countries.
4. International Short Film Festival (pan-African)
This international short film festival calls upon young African filmmakers to address the issue of how Africans damage and how they are useful to their continent, and to do so with an artistic and contemporary perspective. The contest will be announced for the whole of Africa in March 2007. Out of all of the synopses sent in, a pan-African jury proposes 20 films for production. The results will be presented at the Berlinale in 2009. Partner for cooperation in this contest will be the Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe and the Goethe-Institut e.V.
further information about this project
5. Art Project "Hors les Murs2" (Cameroon)
The art project "Hors les Murs2" intends to present the current art production of the Cameroonian art association Cercle Kapsiki. In public spaces the interested public is included in their activities. Large-scale pictures and projections generate "counterparts" to the prevailing ideas of consumption and politics; the world of images in private rooms and the privately consumed cyberworlds of the internet cafés are taken to the public spaces and the streets of the city of Douala. The foundation "Art in Africa" is funding the rent of the billboard-spaces to realise this project.
6. K FACTORY (Cameroon)
Since 2002 the studio K FACTORY has been a meeting place as open workshop, artists' residence and event venue in the historically popular quarter of Bell in the seaport of Douala. Here, artists present their work on the occasion of the monthly discussion rounds called "Causeries", young artists from Cameroon, from other African countries and from Europe get an opportunity to work in a resident programme and are building a small documentary centre about current art for the public of the quarter. The K FACTORY is in urgent need of renovation, painting is as necessary as new sanitary installations and a new visitors' area. The shelves in the library area also need to be renewed urgently. The money to provide materials for producing art work and for carrying out the activities in the quarter is rarely at hand, in spite of beginning cooperations, sometimes even on an international scale. The quality of the art of the association Cercle Kapsiki (that is dedicated to operating the K FACTORY) has, nevertheless, acquired international esteem in the context of the platform Doual'Art. The foundation "Art in Africa" is supporting the urgently needed renovations and thereby ensures the continuity of the studio.
You can help! Support art- and cultural projects in Africa with a donation:
Donation account
Foundation Art in Africa / German Commission for UNESCO
Sparkasse KölnBonn
account no.: 34 00
bank code no.: 370 501 98
Iban: DE12 3705 0198 000 0034 00
Swift: COLSDE33
