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May 16, 2012

21:39

Harare Celebrates The Life and Work of Walter Muparutsa

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May 07, 2012

14:30

Rwanda’s Rwesero Arts Museum Marks International Museum Day 2012 with Four international Exhibitions

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By Ogova Ondego
Published May 7, 2012

Rwesero Arts Museum in Nyanza, Rwanda, launches two big and two smaller shows on May 18, 2012 to mark the International Museum Day 2012. as her contribution which make together an international arts exhibition on a scale she never had on display until now.

Running May 18-September 9, 2012, the exhibition features works of various African artists, including South African photographer Pieter Hugo, Rwandan sculptor Jean-Baptiste Sebukangaga, Dutch photographer Andrea Stultiens and Rwandan artist Collin Sekajugo.

Johannesburg-born Pieter Hugo is expected to participate with his impressive project, Rwanda 2004: Vestiges of a genocide. Hugo always focuses on contemporary Africa and his photographs make the world sharing in the weak and rich aspects of the African continent. Ten years after the Rwandan genocide, Hugo came to Rwanda to do research after all kind of pregnant sites during those horrifying 100 days and after, like former roadblocks, remnants of mass graves and memorial sites. Many of these sites do not exist anymore. Hugo’s project keeps these sites alive like symbolical Stations of the Cross.

Next to Hugo’s exhibition there has been made a selection out of the Rwesero Collection of art works directly dealing with genocide. These works by Rwandese artists will be completed by generous loans from Butare based sculptor Jean-Baptiste Sebukangaga.

In contrast with Hugo’s solemn photoworks is The Kaddu Wasswa Archive by Dutch photographer Andrea Stultiens who, in most of her projects, focuses on specific social groups and penetrates into their social surroundings. The results of her explorations give a good insight in how she uses photography as a medium of story-telling.

In the last decade Stultiens developed a special relationship with Uganda where she met Kaddu Wasswa in 2008. This ordinary Ugandan has documented his whole life by conserving photographs and all kinds of documents as vivid proofs of all kind of social waves. His archive does not only show him in a range of professions, but also as a family and community man. It mirrors Uganda during colonial times and the regimes of dictators like Amin and Obote. The exhibtion will stress on topics like struggle against HIV and deforestation, that for peace, education and health care. These are not typical Ugandese topics, for also many Rwandese visitors will recognise these topics.

On his part, Masaka(Uganda)-born Rwandan Sekajugo has been invited as a curator. Sekajugo is not only the founder of Ivuka Arts in Kigali and Kampala, but he is also a stimulating force of community art in Rwanda and Uganda. With all his initiatives he makes true his motto, ‘how art can change lives’. In Rwesero he is set to show the results of his work during workshops with international sculptors in his artist residency annex sculpture park, Weaverbird, in Masaka, Uganda. These Art & Community projects shall also be displayed.
The International Museum Day, marked annually since 1977, is held worldwide sometime around May 18. From America and Oceania to Europe, Asia and Africa, International Museum Day aims to increase public awareness of the role of museums in developing society.

The theme for 2012 is ‘Museums in a Changing World. New challenges, New inspirations’. This is born out of the realisation that museums are faced with interpreting, and existing in, a field that is becoming increasingly fluid. Each institution may face a unique set of goals, interests and audiences.
Rwesero Arts Museum is marking the International Museum Day for the first time. Hers will be an international arts exhibition on an unprecedented scale.

April 25, 2012

11:46

All-Africa Arts Festivals and Cultural Events Network Launched

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By Ogova Ondego in Accra
Published April 25, 2012

A continental network of African arts festivals and cultural events has been launched following a three-day conference for African festival organisers and representatives meeting in Accra, Ghana, April 19-21, 2012.

The network, that brings together theatre, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, heritage and multi-disciplinary events, had brought together some 300 delegates from 18 African countries representing 37 festivals to chart the way forward for African arts and cultural events. It culminated in the adoption of the constitution, the election of officials and the launch of the all-Africa network known as African Festival Network (AFRIFESTNET) on April 21, 2012.

The journey to launch AFRIFESTNET had begun at the Festival of the Dhow Countries (also known as Zanzibar International Film Festival) following a seminar for delegates in July 2010. The gathering, meeting under the aegis of the pan-African ARTerial Network, had resolved to establish a network of African festivals and events to help develop, consolidate and promote African arts and cultural events into a sustainable creative industry.

Representatives of festivals from other parts of the world attended the event alongside key decision-makers of African festivals and major events that have been in existence for at least five years.

The vision of the seminar at ZIFF, explained the outgoing ARTerial Network Secretary-General Mike Van Graan, was “to build the independent sustainability and to promote African arts festivals as key platforms to nurture, celebrate and project excellent and emerging African artists nationally, regionally and internationally.”

By the end of the launch event, AFRIFESTNET had 155 registered members representing festivals and events in theatre, music, dance, film, heritage, literature, visual arts and multidisciplinary events from all five regions.

The countries represented at the launch of the AFRIFESTNET included Morocco (North Africa); Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Togo, (West Africa); Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon (Central Africa); Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda (East Africa) and Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Southern Africa).

The launch included keynote addresses by Korkor Amarteifio (Chairperson of Arterial Network) and Kathrin Deventer (CEO of the European Festival Association which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2012 and which expressed a desire to work as a potential partner of AFRIFESTNET); a panel discussion on the economic and social impacts of festivals with case studies from Morocco, Swaziland, Togo, South Africa, Malawi and Ghana; roundtables on fundraising and sustainability strategies for festivals; the use of social media in marketing festivals; building and consolidating festival circuits and training festival managers as well as workshops in which delegates proposed various actions for AFRIFESTNET to implement to improve festivals on the African continent.

Akua Sena Dansua, the Minister for Tourism in Ghana, who welcomed the delegates at a reception cocktail ahead of conference, congratulated them on AFRIFESTNET that, she said, has enormous potential in the development of Africa. She said AFRIFESTNET falls within her ministry’s “policy framework of promotoning the cultural heritage of Ghana through the wide range of the creative industry of which festivals and creative arts constitute an integral part.”

Stressing the importance of festivals in national development, Akua Sena Dansua said that she hoped AFRIFESTNET would “further sharing of knowledge and experiences and promotion of cultural diversity which should cascade into policies and programmes for implementation by the government, the private sector, donor partners and civil societies.”

The Minister, who also attended one of the sessions of the conference, said her ministry would “continue to support and create the congenial environment for any social event that seeks to create opportunities for wealth creation and employment generation in Ghana.”
She said it was in that context that the Ministry of Tourism of Ghana was focusing “on PANAFEST and EMANCIPATION celebrations as two major events in our cultural tourism calendar.”

For instance, she said, the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the United Kingdom Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton, UK, would organise Carnival 2012 “designed to encourage local content creativity.”

Besides adopting a founding resolution and a Constitution to legalise AFRIFESTNET, the delegates elected an 8-person Steering Committee to lead the organisation over the next two years.

The Steering Committee:
President/Chair: Dr Kwesi Owusu – Environmental Film Festival of Accra (Ghana)
Vice-President/Vice Chair: Fidelis Duker – Abuja International Film Festival (Nigeria)
Treasurer: Tony Lankester – National Arts Festival (South Africa)

Regional Representatives :
North Africa: Brahim El Mazned – Timitar Festival (Morocco)
Central Africa : Luc Yatchokeu – Le Kolatier “Africa Music’s Market” (Cameroon)
Western Africa: Rokhaya Daba Sarr – Africa Fête ( Senegal)
Eastern Africa: Farah Nurani – Samosa Festival (Kenya)
Southern Africa : Musola Cathrine Kaseketi – Shungu Namutitima International Film Festival of Zambia (Zambia)

April 24, 2012

2:12

How 2 Steal 2 Million is the Best Film in Africa!

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By Ogova Ondego in Lagos
Published April 24, 2012

South African thriller, HOW 2 STEAL 2 Million, is the Best Film in Africa and its creator, Charlie Vundla, the Best Director. The film has also produced the Best Editor (Garreth Fradgely) and the Best Supporting Actress (Terry Pheto). Though it had received 10 nominations, HOW 2 STEAL 2 Million turned out to be the most awarded film– Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing—during the 8th annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Gala Night held at The Expo Centre of Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 22, 2012.

ADESUWA, a historical epic from Nigeria, was the second most awarded production, taking home three AMAA statuettes for Costume Design, Visual Effects, and Best Nigerian Film.

Coming in third was South Africa’s crime drama, STATE OF VIOLENCE. Directed by Khalo Matabane, it won Best Film in an African Language and Best Achievement in Sound prizes.

Fourth was MAN ON GROUND, a co-production of Nigeria and South African that won Best Supporting Actor for Fana Mokoena and the Special Jury Award.

Nigeria’s Rita Dominic was named Best Actress for her role in Kenyan film Shattered, while Ghanaian Majid Michel won Best Actor for his role in Somewhere in Africa. Danny Glover’s Toussaint Louverture was named Best Diaspora Film.
In what appeared like a contest between South Africa and Nigeria rather than an all-Africa event, the latter beat the former to second place—Nigeria took 12 awards compared to South Africa’s 10—in an event hosted by HEROES star Jimmy Jean-Louis and that was graced by musical performance from Asa, 2Face Idibia and Viviane Ndour.

The jury of AMAA 2012 was chaired by Dr Asantewa Olantunji, director of programming of The Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA. Other members of the jury included June Giavanni, programmer for Planet Africa at The Toronto International Film Festival; Keith Shiri, founder and film curator at Africa at The Pictures, London, England; Dorothee Wenner, a curator at The Berlin Film Festival, Germany; Shaibu Husseini, an actor, dancer and The Nigerian Guardian arts journalist, Nigeria; Steve Ayorinde, editor-in-chief of The Daily Mirror newspaper, Nigeria; Ayoko Babu, executive director of The Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA; Dr Hyginus Ekwuazi, a film scholar and critic, Nigeria; and film directors Berni Goldblat and John Akomfrah, OBE.

Here is the full list of all the awardees:

1. Best Film: How 2 Steal 2 Million, South Africa

2. Best Short Film: Braids On Bald Head, Nigeria

3. Best Documentary: African Election, Nigeria/Germany

4. Best Diaspora Feature: Toussaint Louverture, Senegal/Guadalupe

5. Best Diaspora Documentary: The Education Of Auma Obama, Germany

6. Best Diaspora Short Film: White Sugar In A Black Pot, USA

7. Best Animation: The Legend on Ngong Hills, Kenya

8. Best Film by an African Living Abroad: Mystery Of Birds, USA/Nigeria

9. Achievement in Production Design: Phone Swap, Nigeria

10. Achievement in Costume Design: Adesuwa, Nigeria

11. Achievement in Make Up: Shattered, Kenya

12. Achievement in Soundtrack: Alero’s Symphony, Nigeria

13. Achievement in Visual Effects: Adesuwa, Nigeria

14. Achievement in Sound: State Of Violence, South Africa

15. Achievement in Cinematography: Otelo Burning, South Africa

16. Achievement in Editing: How 2 Steal 2 Million, South Africa

17. Achievement in Screenplay: Ties That Bind, Ghana

18. Best Nigerian Film: Adesuwa, Nigeria

19. Best Film in an African Language: State Of Violence, South Africa

20. Best Child Actor: Tshepang Mohlomi (Otelo Burning), South Africa

21. Best Young/Promising Actor: Ivie Okujaye (Alero’s Symphony), Nigeria

22. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Fana Mokoena (Man On Ground), South Africa/Nigeria

23. Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Terry Pheto (How 2 Steal 2 Million), South Africa

24. Best Actor in a Leading Role: Majid Michel (Somewhere In Africa), Ghana

25. Best Actress in a Leading Role: Rita Dominic (Shattered), Nigeria

26. Best Director: Charlie Vundla (How 2 Steal 2 Million), South Africa

27. Special Jury Prize: Man on Ground, South Africa/Nigeria

April 20, 2012

1:49

BBC Africa Debate Looks at What Shapes the Global Image of Africa

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By BBC World Service
Published April 20, 2012

People across Africa often question the images the continent projects around the world, focusing on famine, disease, poverty, instability and violence. Western media and aid organisations, are often blamed for perpetuating this one-sided negative view of Africa, and some people believe that Africa can only influence its image abroad if it gets to control or own part of the global media market.

However, there are those who argue that the way the continent is portrayed is a reflection of what is happening in many African countries, and that no amount of spin can improve such an image if there are no meaningful reforms.

This is the subject of the April 2012 edition of BBC World Service’s programme, BBC Africa Debate. Presented by the BBC’s Akwasi Sarpong and Fergus Nicoll, Africa’s global image: Justified or prejudiced? will be recorded in Kampala, Uganda, and broadcast at 19.00 GMT on Friday, April 27, 2012. BBC Swahili will also record and broadcast a debate on the same subject, on the same day.

African governments have repeatedly but often unsuccessfully attempted to shake off negative connotations and rebrand. Nigeria, for example, had little success when it tried to rebrand in 2009 with its “Nigeria: Good people, great nation” campaign. South Africa, however, has managed to get rid of its long-standing association with apartheid, and to establish itself as a premium tourism destination.

There have also been attempts to rebrand the continent as a whole. An annual series of media summits began in 2006 with the aim of showing to the world “the other side of Africa”. The initiative drew support from the likes of Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, and the Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. But why has success been limited – and the narrative of Africa as home of some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, of expanding middle classes, of vibrant, unique arts and talent, largely left outside the global focus?

BBC Africa Debate will be asking in Kampala what actually shapes the global image of the continent and whether the image of Africa projected internationally is justified or prejudiced. The programme will explore whether this image reflects reality and if Africa can influence the way it is portrayed.

Around 100 invited guests, including media, representatives of NGOs, business people, government officials, opposition and activists, students and academics, PR professionals, bloggers, and other social-media users who actively work to change perceptions about Africa.

This edition of BBC Africa Debate will be recorded on Friday, April 27, 2012 at the Fairway hotel, Kampala, Uganda, and will be broadcast by BBC World Service at 19.00 GMT on the same day. The programme will be repeated on Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 13.00 GMT. BBC Swahili’s debate will be recorded at the same location on Friday, April 27, 2012, and will be broadcast at 15.30 GMT on the same day.

Each edition of BBC Africa Debate is broadcast from a different location in Africa.

April 10, 2012

22:47

Nairobi to Offer Short Courses in Television and Film Production

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By Ogova Ondego
Published April 10, 2012

The Mohamed Amin Foundation Broadcast Television Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, will in August 2012 offer short courses in camera, sound, lighting and editing for any one “interested in garnering the basic skills required to shoot and edit documentary-style programmes and narrative films.”

The course, to run August 13-31, 2012, is planned to accommodate 12 participants who will each pay US$2000 for the experience.

According to a media release issued in Nairobi, the institution, that has been conducting broadcast television training since 1998, will cover various aspects of the television medium from analogue to digital formats and systems; technical understanding of camera and sound recording; understanding of light and its use in Documentary and Filmmaking; and post-production editing using Final Cut Pro.

Though running over a short period, the planned course appears to be quite comprehensive and covers almost every aspect of camera, sound, lighting and editing.

The detailed curriculum is as follows:

Week 1 – Technical understanding of the television medium from analogue to digital formats and systems – Technical understanding of camera recording – shooting skill development with one piece cameras – Technical understanding of sound recording equipment – skill development in using microphones and mixers.
• Understanding PAL/NTSC/Standard Definition/High Definition/Aspect
Ratios/Codecs/Compression/File Formats.
• Hand-held shooting techniques and skill development
• Understanding composition elements and subtext
• Understanding the audio signals, balanced and unbalanced
• Demonstrations and practical skill development using sound mixers and
microphones to record quality audio on location and in the post-production process.
• Demonstrations in the advanced functioning of broadcast television lenses,including manual iris adjustment for exposure, manual focusing techniques and the use of test equipment to gain broadcast safe exposed video.

Week 2 – Understanding Light and its use in Documentary and Filmmaking. Using camera support systems. Utilizing techniques practiced in Week 1, participants would light and shoot sequences for documentary and narrative film that will be used in week 3 for the editing process.
• Understanding light, colour and the use of lighting equipment.
• Understanding of camera support systems and skill development in their use.
• Skill development in lighting interviews and film scenes
• Shoot news/documentary picture sequences to be used during week-3 in editing.
• Light and shoot interviews that can be combined during week-3 in editing.
• Understanding scriptwriting formats for documentary and narrative film
• Crew positions and work flow on a film set
• Light and shoot a scene from a narrative film that can be used in week-3 in editing.

Week 3 – Post-production editing using Final Cut Pro in our 12-seat Apple Mac laboratory.
• Introduction of the Interface
• Digitizing footage
• Edit sequences & interviews shot in week 2.
• Edit film scene shot in week 2.

The Course will be delivered on:
• Cameras supplied by MoFORCE Training
• Mac G5 computer lab using Final Cut Pro
• Professional Audio & Lighting Equipment

Admission and Enrolment is on a ‘first-paid, first-served’ basis.

April 09, 2012

13:08

Tanzanian Mustafa Hassanali Unveils His ‘Afrikalos’ 2012 Collection in Lagos, Nigeria

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April 08, 2012

19:27

An All-Africa Network of Festivals to be launched in Accra, Ghana

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April 04, 2012

21:28

BBC Introduces Africa’s New Music Talent to Global Audiences

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April 03, 2012

21:47

Culinary Tourism is the Fastest Growing Interest Among Travellers

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By Tourism-Review.Com
Published April 3, 2012

Food is one of the fastest growing interests among travellers in tourist hot spots like In places like South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, India, Egypt, and Myanmar where the culinary tourism industry is gaining rapid popularity. It is an extremely viable option for cultural exchange and economic revival of a place.

The International Culinary Tourism Association reports that food is not just among the top travellers’ interests but it is as important for tourists as aspects like accommodation, scenery and climate. Cuisine provides tourists an opportunity to experience the exotic gastronomies of a particular place. Most travellers prefer to sample the local exquisite dishes.

Instances of architecture, landscape, museums, and hospitality may attract a tourist at a particular travel destination, but culinary tourism is a growing aspect of tourism economy in tourist hot spots.

The International Culinary Tourism Association offers the following evidence in support of the tremendous growth in the culinary tourism industry:

1. The number of consumer requests received via the Association’s website continue to grow and are nearly at their pre-economic recession (2008) level.
2. The number of consumer-oriented restaurant information websites has grown from fewer than a dozen in 2003 to 173 in 2012.
3. The number of culinary tour operators around the world has grown from just a handful in 2003 to nearly 150 in 2012.
4. The Association’s membership has grown to more than 16,000 food and tourism trade professionals since 2003, when the Association was founded.

Culinary tourism may comprise gourmet food but it is not limited to it. It aims to provide a memorable experience for the tourists. Of all foodies, only 8% of them are gourmet food enthusiasts.

Culinary tourism is a great way to exchange cultures. To develop the culinary tourism aspect of any destination, a fourfold action plan can be adopted:

1. Parking Spots
A lack of parking spots can discourage tourists and many would drive away even without taking a second glance. To stop that, the local restaurants should provide ample parking space and advertise it too. Providing valet service is also a good strategy.
2. Ground Breaking Ideas
Way of presentation, imagination and novel notions can catch a tourist’s attention. Kedonganan – Jimbaran is a fishing village in Bali that has been remodelled as a hot seat of culinary tourism. There are 24 cafes dotting the shores of the village that provide seafood delicacies.
3. Good Relations with the Locals
It would pay real well to treat the locals nicely. Employing them in the restaurants or collaborating with them would help. This would prompt them to redirect tourists to dining places and thus bring in a boom in business.
4. Collaboration with Other Restaurants
It is unwise to regard other restaurants as competition. Instead, if many restaurants collaborated in forming a chain and entered a business relation, it would be much more profitable for them.

March 30, 2012

23:05

Women’s Month 2012 Art Exhibition Closes in Kampala

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By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Published March 30, 2012

The Afriart Gallery in Kamwokya, Kampala has just hosted what could be billed as a great line up of some of the best contemporary women artists working in Uganda in celebration of the Women Month of March.

The exhibition, that ran March 2-20, 2012, showcased the great advancements in art by top female artists displaying paintings, collages and photography. The display also included unique hand-made ear-rings by Ugandan jewellers and other handcrafts.

The list of the exhibition titled, Women artists in Uganda, included Stella Atal, Rosario Achola, Hellen Nabukenya, Maria Naita, Amanda Tumusiime, Sheila Nakitende, Meltem Yasar and Roshan Karmali.

Achola’s oil and mixed media display includes The Lost Art of Romance, Bujagali, and Fool’s Gold.

The piece titled Bujagali explains the male element of economic development versus the female element of nature. With the building of the hydroelectric power dam at Bujagali, a sacred place is going to be lost in the process. In the middle of the painting is the sacred area that is holding a secret of something more precious than gold.

Fool’s Gold, on the other hand, is about the expectations of marriage. On the right is a man expressing his love and sexuality; he is the shining light, for his expectations are insemination reproduced by the fish and frogspawn below him. On the left is the bride and her expectations are fertility and a secure home. But these expectations break her neck.

Karmali, a photographer, designer and poet, displayed her photographic collection tilted Contemporary Tribe Series that included Rachael, Jessica, and Simone, and?? Her series asks, who is a tribe? What makes up a tribe? and What is tribe?

“…tribes are made up of people who share the same traditions, cultures and a sense of unity, and look out and take care of each other. In the contemporary context, as our cultures and ethnicities become diluted, how does our generation connect to our indigenous heritage? We make a new tribe that takes strides or elements from our tradition and hold on to them in our contemporary lives,” Karmali observes. “These series are about finding people who function in life and keep alive their ancestry and cultural rituals despite being in the place that is changing. We tend to dilute our cultures with consumerism and the need to fit in and be the same. If we don’t celebrate our ancestry and tradition we are going to be creating generations of children who don’t connect, celebrate, indulge in the beauty and richness of our cultures. And this is not only happening in Africa but the other cultures in the world as well.”

There was no better photo that summarised Karmali’s series than Simone, a portrait of a young woman of Burmese and American mixed race who has smeared herself with sandalwood paste as protection from the sun, a practice still in use in Burma. She lives in Washington, DC, USA and this is a way of staying connected to her Burmese heritage.

Also on display were the works of Atal, a specialist in acrylics on barkcloth and fashion designer of wearable art. Her works–My Sunshine, Beauty Contest, and Rhythms of the Day– carry three fresh faces with beads as if inspired to do something for the day.

While Nakitende’s paintings included Me Time, Strength of a Woman, First Love, and My little friend, Tumusiime’s were Long Stride, Adolescent, and Empowered, and Nabukenya’s Blue Land, Abstract, New Life, Love in Paradise, and Advance.Naita’s works were My Bouquet, Follow Your Dreams, and My Best Friend, among others.

Meltem Yasar had marvelous photography made up of coloured and black-and-white portraits; she seemed to have fallen in love with nomadic peoples of western and eastern Africa. She had pictures of these people dressed in their traditional head gear, beads, burgles and hair styles. Most of them were captured in their homesteads in happy moods, smiling and displaying beautiful white teeth. Yasar‘s collection included Big smile from Omo Valley, Bottle Cap Girl, Lost in his eyes, Himba Girl, Black-est eyes, beautiful smile, Scar tattooed Karamajong Girl, Big Karamojong Smile, and Beauty in the crowd, among others.

Rosario Achola, a surrealist painter and photographer, described the exhibition as a way of expressing the different layers of what makes a woman. “And it is also a way to examine the power dynamics in the different gender roles assigned to us by society,” she said.

On her part Stella Atal said, “I think it is a way of reaching out to other women showing them our talent by expressing our inner feelings through paintings and other forms of art. We also want to prove to those who studied fine art and are not practising it that it is not a dirty job. Some people think painting is meant for men and not women, and that is why only a few of us women are few women in this trade. So we want to challenge the men that we, too, can do it.”

Daudi Karungi, the curator of Afriart Gallery, said the exhibition was meant to showcase women’s creativity in Uganda with the sole purpose of displaying their capabilities.

March 27, 2012

11:10

Here is Traditional Wisdom for Contemporary Africa

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 27, 2012

It is rare for one to come across a book that appeals to every reader: young and old; ancient and modern; literate and barely literate. But such a book–coming in print, audio and audiovisual formats–shall be launched in Kampala, Uganda, in April 2012.

Co-edited by Dominica Dipio of Uganda’s Makerere University and Stuart Sillars of Norway’s University of Bergen and published by ComMattersKenya of Nairobi, the 276-page Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda is praised by critics as a ‘definitive collection of Ugandan folktales from diverse cultures’, a ‘gem for enthusiasts of cultural studies, scholars of orature and folklore, and lovers of stories’ and as a ‘tome that takes the reader galloping through a millennium of folk-telling on a written chariot of dramatic script’.

This book is the result of research carried out on the folklores of the people of Uganda that stated in 2007. The main objective of the project, writes lead researcher and co-editor Dipio, an associate professor of literature, ‘was to document and disseminate the richly imaginative cultural forms of Ugandan people, using a multi-media approach’. Dr Dipio adds that ‘the specific focus on folktales was occasioned by its ability to embed the values of a people like no other genre of folklore can. Furthermore, stories have the universal quality of border-crossing and uniting people of diverse backgrounds as they focus on what is essentially human’.

Dr Dipio, who has written and co-edited several publications in her wide ranging research areas of literature, film, media, religion and cultural studies, says the researchers and their assistants collected more than 100 tales from various ethnic groups in Uganda in the local languages in order to publish a bi-lingual collection.

‘This, however, was dropped for the practical reasons of the voluminous size of such a publication, and for the fact that readers may be interested in only one or two languages at most. This decision comes with a cost: the loss of flavour in the translated stories. The editors have, however, tried not to drain the tales of their oral features in course of translation,’ writes Dipio in her preface to to Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda.She aptly notes that ‘There are expressions in the local languages that do not have equivalents in the English translation’.

The book is divided into five sections complete with an endorsement and index of narrators and narratives. The narratives, too, are arranged in five sections based on the various themes the folktales address. They include Tales of Friendship and Treachery,Tales of Origin, Tales of Family Relationships,Tales of Social and Political Relationships, and Tales of Monsters and Ogres.

The themes in the stories could ring a bell on contemporary issues. There are stories touching on themes such as treachery, greed, betrayal and the price one pays for each of these almost universal vice.

Some stories explain how and why things are the way they are today. For instance, the origin of beer, water masses, forests, and mountains is explained.

The importance of patience, wisdom, diligence, discipline, and hard work is also stressed in some stories.

The tension between the younger and the older generations in the management of public affairs is addressed just as the vanity of outward appearance that is only skin-deep is exposed for what it is.

Each story is summarised with an appealing realistic illustration drawn by Richard Kato that the designer, George Kangara Karanja, has used well on the pages and the coves of the book.

Austin Bukenya, a well known scholar of folklore, describes the book as ‘the latest fruit from Makereres long and passionate engagement with oral art.’

Although Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda focuses on the folktale, Bukenya writes in his endorsement of the book that ‘the collection gives us valuable insights into other forms of orature, since there is always an interfluence among its various genres. The proverb blossoms into narrative, just as easily as it sums up the story, and the whole performance is animated with song and drama’.

While observing that ‘the constraints of print may obscure some of the liveliness of these tales’, Bukenya notes that the decision of the editors to ‘work directly from performed narrative still reflects an impressive level of vivacity in the text’. To him, Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda ‘is an irresistibly enjoyable read’. He commends editors Dipio and Sillars for emphasising what he refers to as ‘the wisdom aspects of the folktale: the philosophy, the psychology, the moral, social and spiritual values of the narratives’.

The global outlook of this work, Bukenya writes, is reflected not only in its national coverage of the folktale, as contrasted with the mono-ethnic presentations common in East Africa, but also in the cooperative collection and editorial collaboration of Ugandan and Norwegian scholars from Makerere and Bergen universities.

Aaron Mushengyezi, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature at Makerere University, says this book replaces the old griots ‘who chronicled both the official and popular stories of their times so that traditional wisdom is passed on. Where the script takes away from the oral nature of these tales, the audio and visual formats return the oral quality that is lost in translation from local languages to English’. He concludes that ‘This collection of traditional wisdom is a delightful must-read for a wide range of audiences, for good stories appeal to all’.

Also praising the book is Tom Odhiambo, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi. Dr Odhiambo, who teaches oral literature, says that the stories in Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda ‘pay homage to the fact that our humanity thrives in the telling of stories; stories that keep us together, keep us busy, teach us about who we are, what we can become, and how to relate better to the environment around us. These stories, full of animals, should be a reminder to many of us and to posterity about how close humans have lived with animals; about the relationship between culture and nature. These stories tell us about how our cultures have been formed in an interplay between us and the environment around us, thus affirming our belonging to the world beyond home or house, the world of animals and plants. This collection is also testimony to the resilience of African people’s wisdom, their creativity and philosophy. But these tales are also a challenge or an invitation to the reader to create his or her own stories that reflect the changing social, cultural, environmental, political, economic or spiritual circumstances’.

James Ogoola, the Principal Judge of Uganda, describes Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda as a book for every reader: young and old; ancient and modern; literate and barely literate that ushers the reader into ‘the very heart and soul of a thousand years of an African people’.

Saying ‘folktales of Africa were at once simple to grasp, but equally subtle pregnant with complex layer upon layer of underlying mystery and meaning, hidden underneath the seemingly simple surface’, Ogoola further states that the ‘simplicity of the stories is only skin deep. Underneath lies deep complexity. The format of animal animation tells a revealing tale of human conduct, a peoples philosophy and psychology, as well as their ethics and metaphysics’.

Ogoola, who wrote the foreword of the book, argues that ‘African folktales are steeped in a pyramid of ancient wisdom whose tips tell only tale nuggets of the mystical treasures lying buried in the voluptuous secret vaults hidden down below’.

Like the invaluable reference material that it is, Traditional Wisdom: Folktales from Uganda is not only arranged according to themes but also has an index of narrators and narratives to enable the reader to find what they are looking for quickly.

Inquiries about this book can be sent to ComMattersKenya (director@commatterskenya.com) ahead of the April 2012 launch. Orders for the book may also be sent through the same address.

March 26, 2012

12:51

Kenya Employs Dutch and South African Theatre Experts to Help Capture European Tourists

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 26, 2012

A musical theatre show that highlights the cultures and traditions of Kenya through song, dance, costume and set design shall be staged across Europe over a three month period starting from September 2012.

Dubbed Out of Africa: The Magic of Kenya and sponsored by the Kenya Tourist Board with a view to promoting Kenya as the African tourist destination of choice, the group is set to present at least 70 shows in Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark.

The 90-minute musical show is produced by Peter Ultee Productions B.V. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands in partnership with Meerkat Productions of Nairobi, Kenya, according to a media release issued in Nairobi on March 14, 2012.
“This products main objective is to market Kenya in Europe as the preferred tourist destination,” the media release says. “The show shall be staged 6 nights a week, with an average of 500 people every night in the audience. This translates to an outreach of not less than 40,000 Europeans throughout the three-month tour.”

Touring Europe from September 25, 2012 to December 7, 2012, the official premiere is set for September 28, 2012 in Zoetermeer, near The Hague in The Netherlands.

Working with Peter Ultee, a producer known for his African musical Theatre shows–Township Boy, Under African skies, Stamping, Soweto Spiritual Singers, African Mamas, Daughters of Africa, Sing Mama Africa–that have been in the European market for the last 25 years are Gloria Orwoba (executive producer), Leoni Jansen (artistic stage director), Oscar Siegela (artistic stage assistant), and Portia Lebohang (dance choreographer), among others.

Meanwhile, preparation for the tour commenced on March 23, 2012 with auditions for singers and dancers at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi.Band auditions took place at the same venue on March 26 with training and short list auditions set for March 26-31, 2012 at the same venue.

While rehearsals are scheduled for July 23-September 1, 2012 at Braeburn Theatres in Nairobi’s Lavington neighbourhood, the group is expected to fly to Europe on September 16, 2012.

But just who is behind the the musical theatre show?

Producer Peter Ultee is said to be a veteran who has been producing African musical theatre shows for 25 years. He has produced African shows for export from countries such as Senegal, Mali, Guinea, South Africa and Kenya. With his vast experience in the international theatre, Ultee is known for his tours of shows across Europe and has been embraced by the entertainment industry as one of the few producers who produce good quality African shows, and deliver the best that there is in the industry.

Executive producer Gloria Orwoba previously worked for the Nairobi-based Sarakasi Trust before joining Peter Ultee Productions B.V as the Africa Representative. With a background education in Architecture and her experience in international theatre, Gloria brings with her an eclectic approach to managing this theatre production.

Artistic stage director Leoni Jansens skills in the arts, culture and entertainment industry have seen her recognised by various organisations as a master class tutor in various conservatories, Rock academies, and also on television. Jansen has sang on stage with the notable African singers like Busi Mghlongo, Youssou Ndour, Angelique Kidjo, Sinbongile Khumalo, Toumani Diabate, and Muhammud Ahmed. She is recognised for artistically producing the Daughters of Africa musical theatre months.

Choreographer Portia Lebohang received her formal dance training skills in Moving Into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) in South Africa. Her first choreography, Let there be peace in 1994), earned her the Most Promising Female Award at the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella. In 1999 her choreography on part-time students presented at the same festival got a Pick of the Stepping Stone award.
Lebohang is known for her creations in various dance pieces such as Mums Man- my father, Blues for Mama, Sea line woman, Ladylady, and Staircase one way up.
She is also the choreographer of shows that have toured internationally such as: Sing Africa Dance by Mbongeni Ngema and Jonas Gwangwa. She currently manages the Lebohang Dance Project (LDP), a foundation that she established to focus on issues relating to women, family life and the society in general.

Set designer Andrew Botha, a leading South African stage designer and director, marks 30 years of designing for various aspects of the entertainment industry. In his home country and increasingly abroad, Bothas work is renowned for its dazzling innovative edge, and the sense of fresh originality which is the signature of any project he engages in.
Specialising in large scale design, Botha’s work in the fields of Opera, Ballet, Musicals, Plays, Television Specials and Events continues to draw praise from the public and the mass media, both locally and internationally. Some of Andrews achievements include: two Miss World beauty pageants and the International Indian Film Awards. For Paris based Rios Productions he designed five consecutive shows at Hotel Lotte Busan which led to ten years of further commissions in the Asia Pacific region. Storm, a stage action adventure for Conrad Jupiters in Australia, was acclaimed for its ground-breaking stage effects and technical innovation. Being no stranger to Resorts World, his “wow factor” designs for Fantastica, Mysteria, Fly and Dreamz at Genting’s Pavilion Malaysia strongly established him as a major production asset in the region. In the light of the uniquely creative level on which he continues to operate, it is small wonder Andrew Bothas career has escalated far beyond the boundaries of his homeland, to take the international entertainment arena by storm.

March 18, 2012

22:42

8th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2012 Announces Nominees

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 18, 2012

The 8th annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has on March 17, 2012 released the line up of the audiovisual media works and screen practitioners worth of recognition, accolades and prizes in 2012. The work under consideration was made between December 2010 and December 2011.

As predicted, the battle for awards on the April 22, 2012 gala night in Lagos, Nigeria, is set to be between a resurgent Nigeria and the big boy of cinema in Africa, South Africa. Also in contention shall be a lackluster Ghana and a declining Kenya.

From the 328 films submitted to the AMAA 2012–up from 220 for AMAA 2011, Nigeria has bagged 52 nominations, South Africa 45, Ghana 17 and Kenya 14. Also appearing in the list are Uganda, Tanzania, Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

South African surfing film OTELO BURNING scooped the most nominations (13), followed closely by South African film noir HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION (11) and Nigeria’s Benin-set historical epic, ADESUWA (10). Ghana’s civil war film, SOMEWHERE IN AFRICA has seven nominations, as does the Nigerian-South African xenophobia-themed coproduction MAN ON THE GROUND; Kenya’s RUGGED PRIEST received six nods from the jury comprising Dr Asantewa Olantunji, June Givanni, Keith Shiri, Dorothee Wenner, Shaibu Husseini, Steve Ayorinde, Ayoko Babu, Dr Hyginus Ekwuazi, Berni Goldblat and John Akomfrah.

Here is the full list of nominees from which the winners shall be picked at a ceremony hosted by HEROES star, Jimmy Jean-Louis:

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Short Film
1.     Jamaa – Uganda
2.     Look Again – Kenya
3.     Maffe Tiga – Guinea
4.     Braids On Bald Head – Nigeria
5.     Hidden Life – South Africa
6.     Mwansa The Great – Zimbabwe
7.     Chumo – Tanzania
8.     The Young Smoker – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Documentary
1.     African Election – Nigeria/Germany
2.     Beyond The Deadly Pit – Rwanda
3.     Awa Ogbe: An African Adventure – Algeria
4.     Dear Mandela – South Africa
5.     White& Black; Crime And Colour – Tanzania
6.     The Niger Delta Struggle – Ghana
7.     There Is Nothing Wrong With My Uncle –Nigeria
8.     How Much Is Too Much – Kenya

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Diaspora Feature
1.     Toussanat Louverture -France
2.     Ghetta Life -Jamaica
3.     High Chicago – Canada
4.     Elza – Guadalupe
5.     Better Must Come – Jamaica
6.     Kinyanrwanda – USA

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Diaspora Documentary
1.     The Education Of Auma Obama – Germany
2.     White Wash – USA
3.     Almendron Mi Corazon – Guadalupe
4.     All Me: The Life And Times Of Winfred Hubert -USA

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Diaspora Short
1.     John Doe – USA
2.     White Sugar In A Black Pot -USA
3.     The Lost One -USA

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Animation
1.     The Legend on Ngog Hills – Kenya
2.     Oba – Nigeria
3.     Climate Change is Real – Kenya
4.     Egu – South Africa
5.     Chomoka – Kenya

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
1.     Mystery Of Birds – USA/Nigeria
2.     Housemates – UK/Nigeria
3.     Ben Kross – Italy/Nigeria
4.     Paparazzi Eye In The Dark – USA/Nigeria/Ghana

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Production Design
1.        Somewhere in Africa – Ghana
2.        Phone Swap – Nigeria
3.        Otelo Burning – South Africa
4.        Adesuwa – Nigeria
5.        How 2 Steal 2 Million – South Africa

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Costume Design
1.     The Captain Of Nakara – Kenya
2.     Adesuwa – Nigeria
3.     Rugged Priest -Kenya
4.     Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
5.     Queens Desire – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Make-Up
1.     Rugged Priest – Kenya
2.     State Research Bureau – Uganda
3.     Adesuwa – Nigeria
4.     Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
5.     Shattered – Kenya

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Soundtrack
1.     Otelo Burning – South Africa
2.     Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria
3.     Adesuwa – Nigeria
4.     How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
5.     Somewhere In Africa – Ghana

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Visual Effects
1.     Behind The Mask – Nigeria
2.     Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
3.     Adesuwa – Nigeria
4.     State Research Bureau – Uganda
5.     Otelo Burning – South Africa

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Sound
1.     State Of Violence – South Africa
2.     Otelo Burning – South Africa
3.     How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
4.     Man On Ground – South Africa
5.     Algiers Murder – South Africa

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Cinematography
1. How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
2. Otelo Burning – South Africa
3. Rugged Priest – Kenya
4. Masquerades – Ghana
5. Man On Ground –South Africa/Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Editing
1. Algiers Murder – South Africa
2. Man On Ground – South Africa/Nigeria
3. Unwanted Guest – Nigeria
4. How To Steal 2 Million- South Africa
5. Otelo Burning – South Africa
6. Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Screenplay
1. Ties That Bind – Ghana
2. Mr & Mrs – Nigeria
3. How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
4. Otelo Burning –South Africa
5. Unwanted Guest -Nigeria
6. Two Brides And A Baby – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Nigerian Film
1. Unwanted Guest -Nigeria
2. Family On Fire – Nigeria
3. Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria
4. Adesuwa – Nigeria
5. Phone Swap – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Film in an African Language
1. Chumo – Tanzania
2. State Of Violence – South Africa
3. Family On Fire – Nigeria
4. Otelo Burning – South Africa
5. Asoni – Cameroon

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Child Actor
1. Rahman Junior Bande (Behind The Mask) – Nigeria
2. Tsepang Mohlomi (Otelo Burning) – South Africa
3. Reginna Danies (Bank Job) – Nigeria
4. Benjamin Abemigisha (Jamaa) – Uganda
5. Racheal Nduhukire (Jamaa) – Uganda
6. Ayinla O. Abdulaheem (ZR-7) – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Young/Promising Actor
1. Neo Ntatleno (State Of Violence) – South Africa
2. Ivie Okujaye (Alero’s Symphony) – Nigeria
3. Iyobosa Olaye (Adesuwa) – Nigeria
4. Martha Ankomah (Somewhere In Africa) – Ghana
5. Thomas Gumede (Otelo Burning) – South Africa
6. Sihle Xaba (Otelo Burning) – South Africa

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Rapulana Seiphemo (How To Steal 2 Million) – South Africa
2. Fana Mokoena (Man On Ground) – South Africa
3. Hafiz Oyetoro (Phone Swap) – Nigeria
4. Okechukwu Uzoesi (Two Brides And A Baby) – Nigeria
5. Godfrey Theobejane (48) – Nigeria
6. Lwanda Jawar (Rugged Priest) – Kenya

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Terry Pheto (How 2 Steal 2 Million) – South Africa
2. Ebbe Bassey (Ties That Bind) – Ghana
3. Empress Njamah (Bank Job) – Nigeria
4. Ngozi Ezeonu (Adesuwa) – Nigeria
5. Thelma Okoduwa (Mr & Mrs) – Nigeria
6. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (Ties That Bind) -Ghana

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Menzi Ngubane (How 2 Steal 2 Million) – South Africa
2. Majid Micheal (Somewhere In Africa) – Ghana
3. Chet Anekwe (Unwanted Guest) – Nigeria
4. Jafta Mamabolo (Otelo Burning) – South Africa
5. Karabo Lance (48) – Nigeria
6. Wale Ojo (Phone Swap) – Nigeria
7. Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Man On Ground) –Nigeria/South Africa

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Nse Ikpe Etim (Mr & Mrs) – Nigeria
2. Yvonne Okoro (Single Six) – Ghana
3. Ama K. Abebrese (Ties That Bind) – Ghana
4. Rita Dominic (Shattered) – Kenya
5. Uche Jombo (Damage) – Nigeria
6. Millicent Makheido (48) – South Africa
7. Kudzai Sevenzo-Nyarai (Playing Warriors) – Zimbabwe

AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Director
1. Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun (Adesuwa) – Nigeria
2. Leila Djansi (Ties That Bind) – Ghana
3. Bob Nyanja (Rugged Priest) – Kenya
4. Charlie Vundla (How 2 Steal 2 Million) – South Africa
5. Khalo Matabane (State Of Violence) – South Africa
6. Akin Omotoso (Man On Ground) – South Africa/Nigeria
7. Sara Bletcher (Otelo Burning) – South Africa

AMAA 2011 Prize for Best Film
1. State Of Violence – South Africa
2. Adesuwa – Nigeria
3. Otelo Burning – South Africa
4. Rugged Priest – Kenya
5. How 2 Steal 2 Million – South Africa
6. Ties That Bind – Ghana
7. Man On Ground – South Africa/Nigeria

March 13, 2012

22:33

8th Africa Movie Academy Awards to Unveil Nominees

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 13, 2012

The annual Africa Movie Academy Awards is set to announce nominees for her eighth AMAA in Banjul, the Gambia, on March 17, 2012.
AMAA, that holds her gala night in Lagos on April 22, 2012, received 328 submissions from filmmakers across Africa through her regional offices in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Nairobi. They included 88 shorts, six animations, 57 documentaries, 134 features from Africa and 43 entries from the African Diaspora. Among the African countries with entries were Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Namibia, Guinnea, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroun, Uganda, Algeria, Egypt and Zimbabwe.

Giving the details of the entries to the Press in Lagos, Shaibu Husseini, chairman of AMAA’s College of Screeners, said the nominees would be unveiled in the Gambian capital “at a big ceremony that will be attended by celebrities, top government officials and captains of industry on March 17, 2012.”

Saying the number of entries had grown from 220 in 2011 to the current 328, Husseini noted that filmmakers and allied practitioners in Africa had “accepted the award as their own coupled with the fact that winning at AMAA has become a career-defining moment”.

“The growing awareness of AMAA and the fact that filmmakers are becoming aware of the need to put their works up for mention has given rise to more participation at AMA Awards. Winning at AMAA enhances reputation of any filmmaker in Africa and helps their marketing and financial drive among other benefits,” Husseini said.”AMAA is the only big thing now in Africa and so only a mention puts a filmmaker’s game running.”

Also speaking on the nomination event, Naomi Lucas, Head Business Development of AMAA said that the choice of Gambia this year is to offer a new experience for celebrities and motion picture practitioners to explore the beauty and splendour of the West African country that has become one of the most important tourist destinations in the world.

“Many of our people are used to going to Europe and America for events and they know little about this beautiful continent. One of the objectives of AMAA is to unite Africa and celebrate our diversity. Previous nomination events have been held in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Burkina Faso,” said Lucas.

March 08, 2012

17:08

Artists Bemoan Hostile Operating Environment at monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published March 8, 2012

Not that she is immature. In fact she is in her mid twenties and trying to curve a niche in the Kenyan film sector. But the astute and composed Grace Kinya says she is interested in the process of growing up and wants to explore this aspect of life in her films.

“It is not just about becoming a girl; I want to explore other topics such as becoming a man or perhaps a boy,” commented the slender budding filmmaker.

Grace was speaking at the 53rd monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum held on February 27, 2012 at the Goethe-Institut auditorium where her eight minute film: BECOMING A GIRL alongside James Gayo’s THE TRIP was screened.

While BECOMING A GIRL provided the audience with a chance to explore the conditions of filmmaking in Kenya, the mirthful and witty Gayo—Tanzanian cartoonist and filmmaker —gave the Kenyan audience a spellbinding piece that left many yearning for more. Amidst loud cheers and a sense of delight this 16-minute film that revolves around two brothers, Pembe and Kaniki who are on their way to a job interview and their bus breaks down along the way was highly applauded.

Kaniki’s womanizing ways leads them into trouble after they wander off and get to a home where a suitor is about to pay dowry. In a moment of distress—ants crawling up his trousers—Kaniki bursts and ambushes the soon to be bride in the bathroom.

According to customs of the community, the first man who sees the woman naked is to marry her; the suitor walks out on his soon-to-be wife because another man has seen her nakedness. Angry the bride’s father locks up Kaniki and his brother in one of the houses. In the end it appears all is lost for the two brothers. Not only has the bus left them but the two have nowhere to go.

Gayo’s characters might have been faced with a bleak future just as long as the film lasted, yet like the characters on the screen the audience comprising film practitioners, salesmen and business ladies, students and volunteers, the mood of dreariness seemed to be pronounced in the auditorium. Time and again the operating rules about shooting in Kenya kept popping up.

Though a sales representative and environment conservationist, Hassan Juma was a very disconcerted individual. He wondered why one had to acquire a series of shooting licenses instead of one that caters for the various needs of the shooting crew.

In response, Ogova Ondego who moderated the session observed that each county has its own by-laws and thus the need for the multiple licenses. He said it will be difficult especially with the coming of county administration kind of set up for Kenya. He noted that unless things are streamlined anyone thinking of shooting across the country would have to obtain a license to shoot in each of the 47 counties.

On his part he shared his own agony with the literature publishing and copyright requirements that calls for one to pay for Kenya International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and paid for registration purportedly to protect one’s work. Unlike in the past where the numbers were issued free of charge, one must now pay at least Sh500 (about US$6.25) per ISBN issued. Then one must pay at least Sh600 (about US$7.5) to the Kenya Copyright Board besides depositing a free copy of the book to the board. This he said left him wondering how artists—whose craft is not as rewarding as a commercial business— would survive with such unbecoming operating environment.

But an optimist he urged all and sundry to raise their concerns on wide platform by forwarding their ideas to a commission that is currently drafting a policy document that is being formulated by the Kenya Film Commission on the sector in Kenya. By contributing to the document, Ondego said was one way of ensuring the relevant authorities would address the grievances of filmmakers in the country.

Among other things the forum that for the first time saw a large number of actors and actresses attend the event, explored aspects of film production such as budgets and audience perception of film. Both BECOMING A GIRL and THE TRIP were shot and produced in the context of Maisha Film Lab—a mentorship programme for filmmakers.

Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum is a specialised film screening, discussion and networking forum for practitioners in the eastern Africa audiovisual media sector. It is aimed at critiquing, encouraging and exploring ways of integrating film production in Kenya and eastern Africa with other socio-cultural and economic sectors in order to come up with a vibrant film industry. One of the first places where new films can be seen and new talent spotted, the 54th edition of the monthly gathering will be held on March 26, 2012 at Goethe-Institut.

March 07, 2012

19:29

7th Lola Kenya Screen Film Submission Deadline Approaches

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Lola Kenya Screen Directorate
Published March 7, 2012

Filmmakers from Africa and the world over have until April 15, 2012 to submit their creative feature length or short films to the 7th edition of the annual Lola Kenya Screen film Festival.

The submission period that opened on December 1, 2011 has so far received inspiring films from England, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Rwanda. Filmmakers with productions that star children and youth are highly encouraged to submit their productions.

An annual showcase of emerging talent from all over the world this year’s theme focuses on renewed efforts in finding creative and sustainable ways of learning and building capacity among young film practitioners.
A highly interactive and informative festival, LKS will provide a platform for artists, researchers, journalists and anyone with a stake in the audiovisual media industry come together to network and exchange ideas as well as engage in dialogue.

The festival which seeks to be all-inclusive and accessible will hold performances and workshops at various venues in Nairobi, Kenya.

Filmmakers with films that have children (6-13 years) as the stars of the film will be eligible to compete in the Golden Mboni award competition that recognises creative products. This year winning films will be part of the fortnight community outreach mobile cinema component that seeks to introduce dwellers of informal settlements in Nairobi to good quality film while providing the filmmakers a chance to reach to new audiences.
Held since the inaugural Lola Kenya Screen the Golden Mboni award has been won by emerging talents as well as established filmmakers from Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Slated for August 6-11, 2012, the festival shall also include the skill development program targeting children 6-18 years and youth 19-25. Children and youth interested in developing their creative and cultural entrepreneurship skills and showcasing their films at Africa’s first audiovisual media event EXCLUSIVELY designed for children and youth to send in their applications before April 15, 2012.

Lola Kenya Screen is a global movement established in October 2005 to explore, identify and nurture talent among children and youth in journalism, filmmaking, arts appreciation, organisation &presentation of events and media literacy.

For more details contact:
Lola Kenya Screen Directorate,
director@lolakenyascreen.org
Cell 254 733 703374, 254 722 486531, 254 752 745423
P O Box 20775-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya (EA).
lolakenyascreen.org, twitter.com/LolaKenyaScreen, facebook.com/LolaKenyaScreen

March 06, 2012

18:26

A Billion Tourist Arrivals Predicted in 2012

» ‎ ArtMatters

March 04, 2012

2:57

Durban to Host the 15th Annual Time of the Writer Festival

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sharlene Versfeld
Published March 4, 2012

The written word will envelop Durban as eighteen writers from around South Africa, Africa and abroad, gather for a thought-provoking week of literary dialogue, exchange of ideas and stimulating discussion at the 15th Time of the Writer International Writers Festival, March 19-24, 2012. The festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal,pected to feature a diverse gathering of leading novelists, short story writers, poets and crime writers.

Following the opening night where all participating writers make brief presentations at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, pairings of writers will engage each evening, Tuesday to Saturday, in readings and discussions that provide insight into their opinions, experiences and the creative processes that inform their work.

Bookended by a powerful Arab-African and Caribbean presence the essential thread running through the festival is prominently African. Tuesday, March 20, will feature two giants of Arab- African literature. Egyptian Bahaa Taher, was one of the notable writers of Gallery 68, a movement which sought to challenge literature politics of the time. As a social commentator and storyteller, Taher lost his job in radio broadcasting and was prevented from publishing in the mid 1970s during Anuar Sadat’s rule in Egypt. Winner of numerous awards, Taher received the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008. The highly prolific author, Ibrahim Al-Koni, spent his childhood among the Tuareg people in the desert region of Libya. Astoundingly, Al-Koni has published more than 80 books, including more than 50 novels, and numerous essays, short stories and non-fiction. With his works translated into more than 40 languages, Al-Koni has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Arabic Novel Award in 2010.

March 20 also presents Durban-based Shubnum Khan, whose debut Onion Tears, which deals with the pertinent themes of life, love and loss, through the eyes of Indian Muslim women, was shortlisted for the Penguin Prize for African Writing in 2011. Joining her on the panel discussion Spaces and Places, is fellow first-time author, Nigerian-born Yewande Omotoso, whose Bom Boy beautifully zooms in on the nuances of a single human life. Music by Zulu sitar player Patrick Ngcobo is expected to commence the evening proceedings at 19h30. Book launches take place at the Sneddon’s Wellington Tavern deck prior to the evening shows, from 18h45. The first book launch of the festival is Africa Inside Out: Stories, Tales and Testimonies, edited by Michael Chapman, a collaborative venture with UKZN press featuring 20 innovative short stories by authors who were previous participants in the Time of the Writer.

March 21 is Human Rights Day in South Africa, and this evening’s line-up boasts authors whose works are profoundly infused with a political consciousness and resonant with the spirit of the good fight for freedom. Chris Abani is a Nigerian author and poet whose 2004 novel, GraceLand, enjoyed widespread acclaim and was followed by The Virgin of Flames in 2007. This popular TED speaker is recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Award in 2009. Written by former Deputy Minister of Defence, Minister of Water Affairs, and Minister of Intelligence Services, Ronnie Kasrils, and inspired by the extraordinarily courageous life of his late wife, The Unlikely Secret Agent was the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award winner in 2011. Kasils is also author of the best-selling autobiography, Armed and Dangerous (1993). Kasrils and Abani will feature in a panel entitled, Human Writes Day.

March 21 was in 1999 declared World Poetry Day as a day set aside each year to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. Accordingly, the evening’s second session features special poetry performances by festival participants, Chris Abani, Kwame Dawes and David wa Maahlamela, alongside the enigmatic Lebo Mashile. Saxophonist Mfana Mlambo is lined up for sparking up the ambience at the beginning of the evening. In keeping with the Human Rights theme three books published by Human Rights Media will be launched prior to the show: Looking inside five South African stories of people with albinism; Then Light Went Black: Six South African stories of people who went blind; and Lifelines: Six South African stories of people with congenital blindness.

Benjamin Kwakye is a notable contemporary Ghanaian literary voice whose books have received numerous awards. Kwakye is not only an award-winning novelist, but works as an in-house legal counsel. On Thursday, March 22, Kwakye is paired with Durban-based Thando Mgqolozana in a discussion titled Transforming old contexts into new.

Mgqolozana’s debut A Man Who is Not a Man, the controversial story about a botched circumcision, enjoyed critical success in this country. His equally well-acclaimed book of 2011, Hear Me Alone, narrates an alternative and locally-contextualised account of the birth of the Messiah.

The booming genre of South African crime fiction takes to the stage in the evening’s second panel discussion, featuring self-confessed thriller and mystery addict, Jassy Mackenzie, whose first novel, Random Violence, was shortlisted for Best First Book in the Commonwealth Writers Prize, Africa region in 2009. Mackenzie, who has since written two further crime thrillers, is joined in a panel titled Crime Scene, by advocate/author Chris Marnewick. Marnewick’s first attempt at creative writing culminated in Shepherds & Butchers, which earned him the K Sello Duiker Prize at the South African Literary Awards, and he has since produced three other works, and will launch his latest Clarence van Buuren: Die Man Agter die Donkerbril, the same night.

Publishing is one of the central elements in the development of a local literary culture and the Publishing Forum has become a significant part of the annual Time of the Writer international writers’ festival. Taking place on Thursday, March 22 between 10h00 and 15h15 at the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, discussion topics at this year’s forum will include the art of the autobiography and biography, publishing enterprises in print and online, translation and marketing, indigenous publishing and the location of the creative artist in South Africa’s ever-changing publishing industry.

Following pantsula dance by the Bhenga Boyz and the presentation of prizes to winners of the schools short story competition, the first session on Friday, March 23 will interrogate the topical issues around Writing in my own Tongue. Winner of the 2010/2011 PanSALB Multilingualism Award, poet and prose writer David wa Maahlamela, writes mainly in Sepedi and English. His first novel Sejamoledi, is a Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature finalist. Also writing predominantly in his vernacular of isiZulu, is Dumisani Sibiya. Sibiya has published numerous novels, collections of short stories and poetry collections. His third novel, Ngiyolibala Ngifile was awarded the gold prize during the Sanlam Youth Literature Awards in 2010 and the K. Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award in 2011.

The final session on Friday opens up the discussion Outside Looking In with two writers Sefi Atta and Leïla Marouane, both born in Africa, now living outside the continent, but whose writing continues to deals strongly with the African context. Nigerian author, short-story writer and playwright Sefi Atta’s debut novel Everything Good Will Come received the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa In 2008, and her collection of short stories, News From Home, received the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa in 2009. Leïla Marouane was born in Algeria and now lives in France. The author of several novels and a collection of short stories, Marouane’s works have strong feminist underpinnings, dealing with the oppression of women in her native country. Her latest novel is the provocatively titled The Sexual Life of an Islamist in Paris.

The Saturday evening book launch is Guitar Road, the third book by Rick Andrew, this one self published. Music and song by Rick and Gill Andrew will precede the discussion Inner City Stories featuring Cynthia Jele and Kgebetli Moele. Jele’s debut novel Happiness is a Four-Letter Word – centered on love and female friendships in suburban Johannesburg – earned her the Best First Book Commonwealth Writers Prize, and the 2011 M-Net Literary Award in the Film category, as the book that showed the greatest potential for translation onto screen. Centered on the lives of six young black South African men struggling to realise their dreams in South Africa’s ‘city of gold’ Room 207 is Kgebetli Moele’s debut novel which earned him the 2007 Herman Charles Award. Moele’s second book, The Book of the Dead, received the 2010 South African Literary Award.

With Jamaican writers, Kwame Dawes and Colin Channer, egged on by Chris Abani, in the final session Roots, Reggae and Writing, audiences can expect a rousing closing of the festival. A critically-acclaimed novelist, poet and playwright, Ghanian / Jamaican Dawes is the author of over thirty books, and widely recognized as one of the leading writers to have emerged out of the Caribbean. Channer is head honcho of the legendary Calabash International Literary Festival, co-founded alongside Dawes. Channer’s 1998 Waiting in Vain was described by the Washington Post as “a clear redefinition of the Carribean novel”.

In addition to the nightly showcases at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, a broad range of day activities in the form of seminars and workshops are formulated to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression. This includes the educators Forum with teachers on the implementation of literature in the classroom, visits to over 25 schools, and a prison writing programme. Another development component of the festival is the Schools Writing Competition which accepts entries in English, Zulu, and Afrikaans.

Tickets are ZAR25 for the evening sessions, ZAR10 for students, and can be purchased through Computicket or at the door one hour before the event. Workshops and seminars are free.

2:46

Sudan Shouldn’t Strip Citizenship Arbitrarily

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Human Rights Watch Press
Published March 4, 2012

Sudan should not strip Sudanese nationals of southern origin of their Sudanese citizenship if they are unable or unwilling to acquire South Sudanese citizenship, says Human Rights Watch.

“The government should not presume that all Sudanese of southern origin are citizens of South Sudan and should revise its nationality law accordingly. People who wish to retain their Sudanese citizenship, rather than obtain South Sudanese citizenship, should be allowed to do so. South Sudan should ensure that those who wish to become South Sudanese ahead of an April deadline have access to needed documentation,” Human Rights Watch says.

Earlier in 2012, Sudanese authorities announced that southerners should either return to South Sudan or that they would be treated as foreigners and should adjust their legal status by April 8, at the end of a nine-month transition period following South Sudan’s independence. On February 12,2012, Sudan and South Sudan re-affirmed the deadline in an agreement on modalities for returning people to South Sudan, but did not address the status of southerners wishing to remain citizens of Sudan.

“Several hundred thousand people could lose their Sudanese citizenship, including people who have no real ties to South Sudan,” says Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Sudan urgently needs to bring its nationality law in line with international standards so it respects the right of Sudanese citizens, regardless of ethnicity or origin, to retain their citizenship.”

Although large numbers of southerners returned to South Sudan before and after the country gained its independence on July 9, 2011, an estimated 500,000-700,000 people of southern origin still live in Sudan. Many

fled the long civil war in the south and have lived in Sudan for decades, or were born there and have few ties to South Sudan.

Under Sudanese law, which was amended following South Sudan’s independence, Sudanese people automatically lose citizenship when they acquire “de jure or de facto” the “nationality of South Sudan.” The law does not state how someone can acquire this nationality de facto or how authorities should determine whether they have acquired it.

South Sudan’s nationality law says people with “any parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents” born in South Sudan, or who belong to any southern ethnic group, are eligible for nationality. Statements and actions of Sudanese government officials indicate that they are reading these laws to mean that anyone living in Sudan with even one great-grandparent born in South Sudan will lose their Sudanese citizenship, irrespective of whether they have acquired – or want to acquire – South Sudanese citizenship.

“The fact that a person is eligible to be a citizen of South Sudan is not to say he or she has acquired South Sudanese citizenship,” Bekele said. “Sudan’s Nationality Act should be amended to remove any suggestion that a person can acquire de facto South Sudanese citizenship and no Sudanese official should refuse to recognize the Sudanese citizenship of any southerner unless they can show that the person has actually acquired South Sudanese citizenship.”

There are signs that Sudanese authorities have already begun to strip people of their citizenship, in violation of international law. In some cases they have refused to issue the new Sudanese national number to people because of their southern roots. The number is a required proof of identity for all Sudanese citizens.

In one example reported to Human Rights Watch, a woman of mixed heritage, whose Dinka grandparents emigrated to Omdurman, Sudan’s second-largest city, in the 19th century, was refused a Sudanese national identity card based on the nationality law. As she does not have South Sudanese citizenship, the decision effectively leaves her stateless. In another case reported by local media in December, authorities sentenced a man and his sister to a month in prison and a fine for attempting to obtain a Sudanese nationality card because although their father was Sudanese, their mother was from South Sudan.

At the same time, hostile rhetoric from Sudanese government officials toward southerners, which began in the period leading up to the referendum, has stoked fears that large numbers of southerners will be expelled after April 8. President Omar Al-Bashir, who began calling southerners “foreign” during the referendum, has repeatedly vowed that Sudan’s new constitution will not provide any protections for non-Muslims or diversity, a threat that is widely understood in Sudan as directed against southerners and other ethnic minorities, many of whom are Christians. The government also fired southern government employees ahead of the South’s independence and closed southern newspapers in September.

The two governments have consistently failed to guarantee southerners basic rights in the event of the South’s separation from Sudan. During the six-year transition period under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war, Sudan and its southern counterpart, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), rejected dual citizenship or any preferential status for each other’s minority populations. They failed to act despite repeated calls for such protections ahead of the January 2011 referendum on southern independence, and remain deadlocked on this issue.

Although under international law, states have a right to control granting of citizenship, and the entry to and residency of non-citizens in their territory, a state can do so only subject to its human rights obligations.

This prohibits a state from acting in a discriminatory or arbitrary manner that would result in leaving a person stateless and requires respect for the rights a person has acquired due to strong personal or family ties in the territory. International law also prohibits mass expulsions and forced evictions.

The United Nations Draft Articles on Nationality of Natural Persons in relation to the Succession of States, taking into account international law in respect of the prevention of statelessness, sets out the obligations of states to its citizens and residents in territories affected by succession. States should avoid making people who live in their territory stateless; they should not make arbitrary or discriminatory decisions on nationality and citizenship, and should take into consideration the will of the people. If an existing nationality is to be revoked upon acquisition of the nationality of the successor state, this can happen only after acquisition of the nationality, and it should not happen to those who are habitual residents in the predecessor state – in this case Sudan.

People who are eligible for South Sudanese citizenship but who have spent all or a substantial part of their lives in Sudan have interests based on family ties or other personal, social, cultural, and economic relations that need to be protected, Human Rights Watch said. Arbitrarily stripping them of their citizenship, especially in cases where this results in statelessness, violates human rights standards.

Sudan should amend its nationality law to prevent people from becoming stateless and to ensure that the nationality criteria conform to international standards such as not excluding people on the basis of ethnicity, Human Rights Watch said. Sudan is also a party to the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which guarantees equality between citizens and non-citizens in all core human rights. Therefore, anyone living in Sudan regardless of citizenship should be entitled to equal protection of basic civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, Human Rights Watch said.

South Sudan, which has yet to provide consular services in Sudan, should also take steps to make sure anyone who is eligible for South Sudanese citizenship, and who wants it, can obtain nationality documents, said Human Rights Watch.

“No one in Sudan should be uprooted just so the government can prove a political point,” Bekele says. “Sudan should treat all its people with dignity and respect their rights.”

February 29, 2012

22:06

African Film Project Awarded at Berlinale

» ‎ ArtMatters

By ScreenAfrica.Com
Published February 29, 2012

A film project that debuted in pitch form at Durban FilmMart in 2011 has received international acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival’s Talent Campus for its innovative and distinctive African storyline.

The Boda Boda Thieves, a collaboration between South African producer James Tayler and South Africa-based Kenyan producer Sarah Muhoho, won the Highlight Pitch Award courtesy of the VFF (the German licensing agency for film and television producers) during the festival’s Talent Project Market, a three-day summit for emerging filmmakers.

Taylor and Muhoho were Talents at the festival’s Talent Campus which offers young producers and director’s hands-on training and the opportunity to present their film projects to experienced co-producers and financiers through various programmes.

The Boda Boda Thieves was chosen as one of the 10 projects to participate in the Talent Project Market – the only African film project in this year’s selection – and was awarded first place by an international jury for a public pitch done by Muhoho. The film project also received a “special mention” for another coveted award, the International relations ARTE prize, which recognises excellence in script-writing of the film projects.

“The competition was tough and I feel very honoured and also deeply humbled by the support we have received in telling our uniquely African story on an international stage,” said Muhoho who accepted the €10,000 prize money.

The Boda Boda Thieves tells the East African tale about a poverty-stricken family from Kampala, Uganda, that supports themselves through meagre earnings driving a motorcycle taxi, also known as a “boda-boda”.

At Durban FilmMart, the film was awarded the CineMart Rotterdam Lab Award courtesy of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The award granted Tayler the opportunity to attend CineMart 2012, the world’s oldest and largest coproduction and finance film market which takes place during the festival. Muhoho came on board as a co-producer doing this period, bringing with her expertise as well as technical equipment.

The film project has since received funding from South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the World Cinema Fund, the Hubert Bals Fund and the Global Film Initiative, an acknowledgement of great potential said Durban Film Office head Toni Monty.

“This film is a prime example that African cinema is coming of age through recognition and admiration from an international audience,” said Monty.

The script for The Boda Boda Thieves was initially developed during a workshop hosted by the International Three Continents Documentary and Film Festival held in Nantes, France in November 2010. The film was also invited to the Tarifa African Film Festival in Spain to pitch at the “Africa Produce” forum in June 2011.

Production of the project will take place in the coming months with casting, location scouting as well as script development and refinement already underway. “We have had experiences that have presented the perfect opportunities to expand the network and reach of our film, now it’s up to us to make the best film we can,” said Tayler who divulged that he had made contacts and genuine friendships from around the world.

Both Tayler and Muhoho have both been “overwhelmed” at support and interest of the film, and have received favourable reviews at the film’s originality and authenticity of the story as well as the characters involved. Both producers and the film’s director Donald Mugisha of Uganda, are passionate about creating and developing content for African Cinema – which they believe expresses a “proud identity of humanity, heritage and culture”.

“We hope to bring to life a great African story and also be part of impacting the local industry by sharing our skills as a collective from different countries by sharing our vibrant and unique narrative voice,” said Muhoho.

Peter Rorvik, director of the Centre for Creative Arts and the Durban International Film Festival encourages local filmmakers to participate in film developmental initiatives, which “opens doors and provides a world of possibilities” for film projects. Said Rorvik; “We are very excited and proud when African stories succeed and make it to the big screen, it is evidence that Africa filmmakers are world-class competitors.”

The 3rd edition of Durban FilmMart takes place July 20-23, 2012 during the Durban International Film Festival and is open for documentary and fiction project submissions.

February 28, 2012

12:17

Explore Top African Festivals in 2012

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published February 28, 2012

Africa, the second largest continent, offers a lot of opportunities for travel, exploration, and learning. The vast diversity of cultures, music, and arts makes it one of the best getaway destinations for festival lovers.

Most often, travellers schedule their visits at the same time with a festival they want to attend. The festivals in Africa range from historical and traditional celebrations that will give visitors the insight to the local customs and traditions that have been in the given country for centuries to international music festivals featuring contemporary music from all over Africa and other continents. Here are a few of the popular African festivals:

Marrajeck Biennale (Marrakech, Morocco; February 29 – June 3, 2012)
The Marrajeck Biennale is an international festival for contemporary arts. It kicks off with five days of performances, debates, talks, and film screenings. For three months, the event will feature a visual arts exhibit based in the ruined El Badi Palace along with other events all throughout the city. There will also be an installation involving the nine African video artists famously called Medin-O-RAMA.

Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival (Century City, Cape Town, South Africa; March 2-4, 2012)
The Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival is an annual Dragon Boat competition. It is open for participation to corporate or private teams with categories for both women and men paddlers. This spectacular and exciting team sport though originally from China was introduced to South Africa in 1992. Two beautiful wooden dragon boats were given as gifts to Cape Town by their sister city I’lan County, Taiwan. As a celebration, local canoeists and lifesavers raced and won against the visiting Taiwanese Navy fleet. Nothing much happened until 1995 when the 1st Cape Town Dragon Boat International was held. Since then, the Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated annually.

Wellington Harvest Festival (Wellington, South Africa; March 2012)
The Wellington Harvest Festival offers live music, gourmet food, and a lot of wine tasting activities. It is a weekend full of laughter, fun, and taste for the entire family. Taking place at various wine estates and game reserves, all types of entertainment are made available. It includes biking for the more hyped up guests, and pony rides and ice cream for the children.

Harare International Festival of Arts (Harare, Zimbabwe; May 1-6, 2012)
The Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA) is one of Africa’s best cultural festivals. It is a 6-day annual festival and workshop program that showcases the best of local, regional, and international arts and culture by way of dances, plays, street performances, circus, visual arts, and musicals. HIFA 2012 will be the 13th edition of the festival since its inception in 1999. It is considered the largest cultural festivity in Zimbabwe. HIFA is also listed as one of the eight major annual celebrations in Africa.

Saint Louis Jazz Festival (Saint Louis, Senegal; May 24-28, 2012)
The Saint Louis Jazz Festival is a gathering of Jazz enthusiasts in Senegal. Renowned Jazz artists from basically everywhere gather in the country and perform to the international crowd in various venues throughout the town. The list of musicians who previously took part in the festivity includes Randy Weston, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zainul. It is not only the legendary artists who are given the opportunity to play for the international audience but new Jazz groups can also be seen and heard in this event. At least 30 new groups perform each year.

February 26, 2012

19:28

Increased Foreign Investment will be “Good for Africa”

» ‎ ArtMatters

By BBC World Service International Publicity
Published February 26, 2012

Nearly two-thirds of people surveyed in a 22-country poll for BBC World Service think that the recent increase in overseas investment in Africa will prove to be a good thing for the continent, with African citizens among the most upbeat.

The findings of the poll, conducted by GlobeScan among 21,558 people, show that most respondents are relaxed about foreign companies purchasing long-term rights to African natural resources and land, with a majority rating such investments as either “very good” (19%) or “somewhat good” (44%) for Africa. Africans are among the most positive about this development, with Nigerians the most likely to rate it as a good thing for Africa (85%), a view shared by three in four Kenyans (75%) and Ghanaians (72%).

China, the source of much of the current foreign investment in Africa, is also positive about it, with nearly two-thirds of Chinese rating it as a good thing (64%) and only 18 per cent rating it as a bad thing. A much smaller proportion of Indians rates the wave of foreign investment in Africa as a good thing, however (47%).

Germany is the most doubtful, with over half of Germans (56%) reporting that the increase in overseas investment in Africa is a bad thing for the continent. Nearly half of French respondents (44%) feel the same.

The poll also asked respondents to indicate how optimistic they were that Africa would experience “major economic growth” over the next 20 years. It reveals that large majorities in the four African nations polled are either “very” or “somewhat” optimistic that this growth will take place. Eighty-five per cent feel this way in Egypt, 80 per cent in Nigeria, 75 per cent in Kenya, and 74 per cent in Ghana—higher proportions than in all other countries polled.

Globally, almost six in ten citizens (58%) are optimistic about Africa’s economic prospects, compared to 33 percent who are pessimistic. Citizens of developing nations in Asia and Latin America are among the most optimistic about Africa’s prospects, but optimists also outnumber pessimists in India (55% vs 26%), the USA (55% vs 42%), and China (50% vs 36%).

However, the poll also reveals that some of the industrialised nations that have been major aid donors to Africa over the years are among the most pessimistic that Africa’s economy will see a sustained improvement. Germans are again the most downbeat, with seven in ten (70%) pessimistic, compared to just 29 per cent who are optimistic. Pessimists also outnumber optimists in the UK (58% vs 38%) and France (56% vs 41%).

GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller comments: “There is little evidence that the sovereignty concerns some policy experts have expressed over long-term Chinese investment in Africa have registered with average citizens. Most people around the world think recent foreign investment is good for Africa, and expect significant economic growth there over the next decade or two. Africans themselves are the most positive.”

February 25, 2012

11:40

Kenya-Born Designer Empowers Girls On The Catwalk

» ‎ ArtMatters

February 22, 2012

3:30

Give Me Room to Move My Feet

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bamuturaki Musinguzi

Published February 22, 2012

A poetry anthology from Uganda tackling issues such as cultural heritage in modern times, wars, poverty, love, pain, betrayal, shattered dreams, sex and death, has been published.

Written by Mildred Kiconco Barya and titled Give Me Room to Move My Feet, the book is a collection of 100 poems divided into seven sections: revolving lives, stormy heart, before the sun sinks, the pain of tenderness, shame has a place, the shape of dreams and until the last breath is drawn.

The theme of domestic violence is captured in the poem The Perfect Match. The wife threatens to divorce because he picks up the laundry, empties the bin and attends family planning sessions. The husband brings her the job pages so she may try her luck, but she prefers staying home watching television. He points fingers and picks up an axe, children take cover under the beds and she flees to the cattle shed.

The clash between modern and native diets is played out in the poem What’s Native Can’t Harm You. A ‘polished’ woman visits her mother upcountry with packed tinned foods and waffles plus alternative capsules for victims for her children. The grandmother won’t understand why her grandchildren cannot take the ripe mangoes, oranges and the tangerines that are in plenty. “They’ll catch a fever if they eat this and that,” she is told. The grandchildren eventually eat their packed junk food – and they ended up stunted like fishermen’s hooks.

The poem The Place Where you begin (The Third World), highlights the challenges of the least developed world. It is a disorganized place plagued with basic lacks and wants, regular electricity, flowing water and hygiene.

In the poem Skipping she writes that people believe that their creator blesses other generations and skips theirs. “…Our parents were the blessed lot. They loved whole, married well. We are the skipped. Our loves gone sour, nations betrayed at our hands, justice ripped from her seat…”

Barya observes that we fear to touch pain and are afraid how it exposes us, and if only we knew we own it. “You can always see the look of pain whichever spot you stand, in the empty eyes of children huddled on the streets, in the familiar heartache songs you hear, in the frenzied beats of the drums, in the wound that pound with a rhythmic echo, universal pain,” the poem “The Look of Pain,” goes in part.

The dreadful Monday mornings are depicted in the poem “Monday Mornings.” They come with a lot of indigestion, constipation, exhaustion, hang-ups and hangovers. We do not hesitate to rejoice when it turns out to be a public holiday – then we extend the weekend.

Love, pain, jealousy and anger are medical conditions to be assuaged with homeotherapy and grandma remedies, the poem Medical Conditions suggests.

In the poem Miracle Inside, she sits in the chapel trying to make sense of the white-washed walls, why the heart cannot be that clean, and why the spirit must keep seeking.

She compares the natural beauty of the Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa in Eastern Uganda to the Mississippi in the USA in the poem “Sipi.” “What have you in common with the ancient Mississippi/That your name should be hewn out of that river? /Perhaps it’s the beauty you share, immense/Long with endurance, swollen with stories/Formidable. Imposing.

To drink from your wellness/A traveler can never forget/Cool, refreshing you are/ You’re here forever…”

“I wish depression had a cure,” goes the shortest poem A Wish.

In Dream Carriers, she asks how it feels to watch your dreams slip from your reach. Is it like losing ground in a job interview breaking you in cold sweat?

Barya decries the senseless wars in Africa in the poem, Revolutionaries. The bosses got fat on the gold and slept under mosquito nets in the best hotels, while the foot soldiers shared the bush with snakes and spiders. One by one of their colleagues died – and all the government did was to deny the deaths. The soldiers eventually saw how cheap they were.

Barya’s first book of poetry, Men Love Chocolates But They Don’t Say (2002) won the National Poetry Award in Uganda. Her second collection, The Price of Memory After the Tsunami was published in 2006. Her short stories include Scars of Earth, Effigy Child, Those Days of Ebola, and Land of My Bones.

Barya was born in Uganda and studied at Uganda’s Makerere University, Kenya’s Moi University, and Germany’s International Women’s University.

February 20, 2012

0:21

The Status of Contemporary Art in Africa

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Raphael Chikukwa
Published February 20, 2012

Zimbabwean Raphael Chinovava Chikukwa, then an independent art curator and graduate student in the UK, interviewed Kenyan creative and cultural entrepreneur and arts critic Ogova Ondego on the status of contemporary art in Africa, the role of critics and who should represent the arts of Africa on the international platform. Excerpts from the interview that took place in March 2009 but whose facts nevertheless remain current.

When I arrived in Nairobi you just had just left for work in Nigeria and we missed each when I was flying out of Nairobi. Can you tell me a little bit more about your background before working as an art critic in Kenya?

I once worked as a secondary school teacher of English, Kiswahili and History before pursuing mass communications and journalism and then working as an investigative reporter. I have also been a ‘business writer’. I later settled for ‘cultural’ and ‘creative’ journalism later out of protest. I just could not stomach the flippancy with which the so-called mainstream media were giving to issues one can describe as ‘cultural’ ‘creative’ or ‘artistic’. On the other hand, ‘political’ and ‘business’ issues were receiving all the attention. After working as a cultural journalist for several years, I quit mainstream journalism to pursue my dreams online and in books, journals, magazines, etc.

What role does a critic play in the contemporary art scene in any community?

A critic is a flash light, mirror, historian, archivist, scribe, guide, prophet, watchman, and documentalist of society.

Who is behind ArtMatters.Info and where does visual arts fit in your publication?

ArtMatters.Info is published by ComMattersKenya. As the name suggests, the arts—in all their possible manifestations—are the centre-piece of ArtMatters.Info website, magazine and e-letter.
Founded in 2002 to publicise, promote and give creativity and lifestyle their rightful place in eastern Africa, ArtMatters.Info now flaunts creativity of all kinds in Africa, the African Diaspora and good practice globally.

You have a taken part in a number of forums in and around the continent especially in film festivals and the last time I met you it was during the Zimbabwe International Film Festival. What is your relationship with the visual art scene in Kenya and the whole of East Africa?

Having specialised in the journalistic coverage of fine art and sculpture, ArtMatters.Info was meant to focus on this area but this could not be done sustainably as these art forms are still in their infancy in my part of Africa. Hence I decided that ‘culture’, ‘heritage’, etc and other art forms—music, dance, fashion, film, literature—be incorporated in the vision. So, naturally, ArtMatters.Info covers the arts in their entirety in eastern Africa. But, I must hasten to add, I now specialise in media (especially film and cultural journalism) and their relationship with children and youth in Africa.

Is there an understanding of the role of an Art Critic in Kenya?

Sadly, no. But this ignorance is not confined to Kenya. It appears to be an African problem from my experience in Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa where I have been privileged to conduct workshops and mentorship programmes. Many Africans take art criticism (or is it critical appreciation?) to be synonymous with ‘praise-singing’.

What do you think should be done to bring about an understanding of critical discourse not only in Kenya but in Africa?

We need to conduct seminars, workshops and in-house training for practising journalists; festivals and other cultural events ought to incorporate seminars and workshops for the eyes and ears of society—journalists—in their programmes. Media schools would do society justice to come up with new curricula that offer courses in critical appreciation and evaluation of the arts.

What role did Ruth Shaffner and her Gallery Watatu play in the Kenyan Art Scene?

The late Ruth Schaffner promoted ‘fine art’ through her links with galleries in the West, particularly the USA; she ‘taught’ artists that they could earn a living from their work. But, unfortunately, she appears to have been more concerned with creating artists who were dependent on her instead of learning how to fend for themselves. The sage of Africa say that it is better to teach someone how to fish instead of giving them a piece of the delicacy every day. The reality of this sank in when Schaffner died and the artists who had dependent on her found themselves with nothing.

If Gallery Watatu owner was still alive, do you think there would be room for young artists at Gallery Watatu, if not why do you think so?

Of course there would be room, depending on her programme. She, not any one else, knew what she wanted and she went for it: she invited people who had not painted before to her gallery, gave them paint and brushes and set them working. This applied to both young and middle aged people.

Most Gallery Watatu artists arguably are no longer as prominent as they used to be; why is that? Can they come back into the limelight?

True, most of them ‘died’ when Ruth Schaffner died. They can come back in the limelight if selfless arts promoters and the government set up programmes to support art.

What are the main challenges facing those artists working and practising in Kenya? Do you think those working and practicing in the Western world have any advantage over those in Kenya?

The biggest challenge is lack of market for their works. Without a market, they cannot create. The only people who buy art in Africa are white expatriates and tourists. Without them there would be no art in Kenya. There is no arts council, policy on things cultural and creative and no financial institution can lend money to art ventures.

Is there any censorship in the arts in Kenya or artists have freedom of artistic expression?

‘Censorship’ as we knew it in the political sense does not exist in Kenya though it sometimes rears its ugly head covertly; sometimes there is also ‘self-censorship’ if one wishes to curry favours with the powers-that-be.

What are the challenges of critics in Africa today?

Many Africans cannot subject themselves to criticism and view critics as enemies hell-bent on destroying their ‘master-pieces’. I know of many critics who have had to be kicked out of theatres/cinemas/book launches by creatives who were unhappy with what they had said.
Criticism is not yet a recognised profession/career in most parts of Africa. This means that any one may moonlight as a critic and thus ends up giving the profession a bad name. Also, one cannot be gainfully employed as a critic, the art not being formally recognised. So how can one meet one’s basic needs, let alone travelling around the world to attend festivals, seminars, workshops, conferences without a decent salary from one’s career?

Do you think national Institutions in Africa are playing their role in promoting African art in and outside the continent?

No. Which national institutions? Kenya does not, for instance, have a national arts gallery while the National Museums of Kenya is more of a house of heritage than ‘art’ in the way we define art.

There has been a number trip by a number of Curators to Nairobi; Simon Njami, for instance, has been here more than three times. Okwui Enwezor has also been here. Do you think Kenyan artists have learnt much from these curators?

I do not think Kenyans are learning much from such professionals. Art is yet to gain its rightful place in Kenya while ‘critics’ and ‘curators’ are not just ‘elitist’ terms but are also not well understood, let alone accepted. Only a handful of people may learn from these professionals, sad as it may sound. However, I hasten to add that this heightened interest of curators into Nairobi will definitely result into something positive even if the result is not visible now. By the way, the ‘developed’ world—that usually sets the agenda for the rest of the world—is now starting to talk about ‘creative industries’, ‘creative entrepreneurs’, etc. The visits you have touched on could be taken to be in line with this ‘new’ discovery.

There has been a number of artists coming for residencies here in Nairobi; which one was your best experience among all of them and what are the advantages of these residencies to the local art scene?

Residencies are important in the sense that they enable locals and visiting artists to exchange experiences that enrich them. For me, I thoroughly enjoyed a Kuona Trust residency at which Namibian installation artist Shikongeni and Zimbabwean sculptor Gutza participated. I think it was in either 2000 or 2001.

Does Kenya have an association of art critics and if no, how do you foster any critical debate in the arts?

Kenya does not have a national association for arts critics. I think that would be like putting the proverbial cart before the horse. However, ArtMatters.Info came up with a professional body for arts critics in 2005. It is through this ArtMatters.Info Critics Guild/Mentorship Programme that I have been able to conduct internship/mentorship programmes for young writers in Kenya and seminars/workshops in arts criticism in eastern and southern Africa.
A group of journalists have also been trying to come up with a Nairobi Critics Guild but it is yet to take off.

What are the challenges in the arts scene in Kenya at the moment in terms of exhibition space and the contemporary Kenyan art scene?

Perhaps the art work to exhibit? Curators? Critics? Definition of ‘contemporary’?
Nairobi now has lots of space and venues exhibiting contemporary art: Nairobi National Museum, The Go-Down Arts Centre, RaMoMA, Sarakasi Dome, etc.

The issue of who should represent who in terms of African art seems to be a born of contention these days. Who should represent African art? Do you think Africa should redefine itself in terms of its contemporary arts instead of it being defined by the Western World?

I think Africa should define its own art but that can’t happen due to the power—economic, social—that western institutions wield. Africans themselves should represent themselves

Does Africa have modern art history, and if it does, can you explain more on your thoughts and who is best to talk about Modernism in Africa?

This is a contentious subject. Terms such as ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’ suggest that more than one thing are being compared If you talk about ‘contemporary’ and modern’ art in Africa then one is talking about western concepts.

What do you think should be done to get East African artists on the international map?

Promotion at festivals, trade fairs, tourism and travel fairs; development of robust culture policies, arts councils, national galleries, training of professionals to embark on the promotion, appreciation of African identity, new school curriculum that recognises art at primary, secondary and college level, etc.

February 19, 2012

15:54

The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF) Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published February 19, 2012

The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF) has appointed Zamantungwa Mkosi as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Mkosi, a lawyer with a long career in the media and entertainment industry, succeeds the long serving Eddie Mbalo at the helm of the government agency that handles audiovisual media matters in the Republic of South Africa.

A media release from the NFVF says its board of directors believes Mkosi’s ‘mixture of commercial, legal and media astuteness will carry the NFVF into a new era.’

The board chair, Mmabatho Ramagoshi, says,“We have followed Zama’s career closely and are pleased that such a well-rounded person with incredible intellectual and commercial rigour is our new CEO. We chose Zama based on proof of her effective leadership, excellent project management, sound interpersonal skills, prescient vision and strategic planning.”

During her five-year stint, as senior legal advisor to the media and motion pictures business unit at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Mkosi advised the IDC on the viability of its potential investments in the media and entertainment industries.

The IDC seconded her to Entertainment Law Group, a Los Angeles (USA)-based law firm where she conducted training; Entertainment Law Group specialises in the media and film industry in Hollywood and most of the United States. During this time she expanded her specialist knowledge working with various entertainment industry stakeholders, including studio executives, independent production houses, agents (literary and artist) as well as equity investors.

Mkosi also worked as the executive producer for Heartlines – a television series that addressed social issues in South Africa. She has had extensive training in Intellectual
Property Law, working in Geneva, The Hague, Stockholm and Harare at respective patent offices.

Mkosi has served on various media boards: the Film Resource Unit (an African film distribution organisation), AVEA (Audio Visual Training Institution), the Heartlines NGO and on the NFVF council (where she was the deputy chairperson).

Says Mkosi, whose appointment was announced on February 14, 2012, : “My legal experience coupled with my work as a producer in the film and television industry enables me to lead the NFVF into the future. I am keen to tackle the challenges facing the industry and harness the many opportunities present in the sector.”

February 11, 2012

23:10

Breath of Fresh Air for Kenyans as Imprints on Mexican Revolution and Independence Opens in Nairobi

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published February 11, 2012

Mexican soap operas are almost a permanent feature on Kenyan television. The overly romanticised stories that usually revolve around love, greed and family disputes. Now, critics of these soaps have something refreshing from Mexico as an art exhibition on the Mexican revolution opens in Nairobi, Kenya.

On an evening when millions were tuned to Citizen TV watching ‘Triumph of Love’, a sizeable crowd of men and women were witnessing a different artistic presentation of Mexican arts as the month long art exhibition—Mexico: Imprints, Independence and Revolution—opened at the Creative Gallery of the Nairobi National Museums. Men and women feasted their eyes on a sombre collection of 52 black and white imprints that celebrate and commemorate the political protest against the Porfirian regime.

These images is a realisation of 52 artists who want to build relations and encourage reflections among people on the Revolution and Independence, the two events regarded as the most defining of the Mexican history.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the exhibition on February 9, 2012, Luis Javier Campuzano, Ambassador of Mexico to Kenya, stated that the exhibition was created as a commemoration of the centenary of the Revolution and bicentenary of Independence and provided an occasion to undertake a mature appraisal of what Mexicans have forged in two centuries as an independent nation.

Hazy paintings where humanity seeks refuge under the wings of eagles, forlorn faces that sometimes express fear or uncertainty, domineering images of eagles that are constantly swallowing snakes constantly recur in the collection. It’s an exhibition that covers a broad range of subjects.

Some talk of distorted dreams, others inaudibly tell of the fallen heroes of the revolution in faint strokes of the brush that requires keen observation. Adapting a monotone of black and white, these compositions are dreamlike, half here and also nowhere. They do not render concrete scenarios, but capture a psychologically charged undercurrent.

A quest to understand why eagles that are ever eating snakes offer a different and intriguing building of the nation that is Mexico. The explanation offered by Ingrid Berlanga Vasile, the Cultural, Political and Commercial Attache at the Embassy of Mexico who also organised the event, is interesting. According to her architects who were about to start a construction in the land witnessed an eagle that was swallowing a snake; the architects took this insignificant as a divine vision to go ahead and build on the land.

“The beauty of this art is only seen by someone who has a great understanding of the craft. You can’t simply view art once, you need to continuously attend exhibitions like this frequently to develop your understanding,” commented an ecstatic Alawy Abzein, a Public Relations Officer at the National Museums of Kenya who described the collection as enlivening and fantastic. His understanding of the various imprints reveals an enthusiast who is keen and looks at each imprint with a critical eye to unravel what lies underneath.

Just like Alawy, Tess Kinyanjui, a Nairobi fine artist, the allure of exhibitions like this one is only recognisable among those who understand abstract art.

“For a mind that is not artistic, this form of art is very complicated and means nothing,” the petite artist noted. She however loved the variety of themes addressed by the artist.

“I could easily identify with Dream 168,” she observed. It captures the nature of dreams. Just like in real life our dreams are distorted and very mystical and the artist greatly captured this aspect.”

Lydia Gatundu-Galavu, the Art Curator at the Nairobi National Museum who describes herself as a teacher first, the Mexican exhibition is a fantastic exhibition that she has witnessed at the museum: “It offers an individual with a multiple of stories about the Mexican Revolution. There is a lot that a keen observe can gain from looking at the pictures.”

As to whether Kenyans appreciate this form of art, Gatundu-Galavu notes that though the National Museums of Kenya has 42 sections that have to generate funds to run the institution, art is one of the big earners for the organisation. However, she is not able to clear state how much the sale of art at the organisation generates in a month.

Though the exhibition’s main objective is to address freedom as perceived by the artists, for a keen observer the art is also about environmental advocacy is seen hovering in the backgrounds. In one picture a man pulling a cart full of garbage is seen and from to time imprints on flowers keep popping up.

Mexico: Imprints, Independence and Revolution is a breath of fresh air for a public that is enshrined in the simplistic and sometimes escapist soap operas that rule Kenyan TV. The general public has until February 29, 2012 to view and learn about the Mexican cultures.

In case you are left wondering why the images are black and white, the explanation is that this is a tribute to the collective, photographic and cinematographic memory of the historic moments the art refers to. The 52 images shall remain in Kenya at the end of the show on February 29 as they have been donated to the National Museums of Kenya ‘as a sign of the close friendship relation’ between Mexico and Kenya.

February 08, 2012

9:17

How Not To Attract And Keep Customers

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Published February 8, 2012

Has your flight ever been delayed at one of the airports in Africa and no explanation or apology was offered? Or have you ever walked into a shop and the attendant continued with her manicure that you found her attending to?

Well these and other forms of real-life experiences contributing to poor service delivery and customer care make up Keeping Customers: And Getting Their Friends Too!”, a new book by Ugandan author, Dorothy M Tuma.

The book is based on a compilation of Tuma’s weekly articles on customer services, published by the Daily Monitor newspaper as “Dora’s Diary” every Tuesday. The articles, which allowed Tuma to reconnect with her marketing roots and the principle that customers reign supreme; were born out of her frustration with Uganda not having a place for consumers to compliment excellent service or complain about the opposite.

Most of the times Tuma has used Entebbe Airport’s frequent flyer lounge, she has noticed that beyond the initial warm greeting everyone receives from the gentleman at the door, there emerge two distinct categories of service: service reserved for people who are either known to be or look like VIPs and service (or lack of it) for the rest.

“From my observations, as soon as a celebrity, highly visible public figure or distinguished looking foreigner sits down, a smiling waiter or waitress bearing a heated, damp wash cloth for the VIP materializes, takes the VIP’s order and delivers refreshments to the seated VIP. The other level of service reserved for non-VIPs like me, includes the individual something down for several minutes and finally realizing that if they are to have refreshments, they will need to walk to the counter, place their order, wait while it is assembled and then walk back to their seat with the ordered items,” she writes.

“I find it odd that there are clearly two levels of distinctly different service in a lounge that should treat all guests equally. The attentive service enjoyed by one group of customers should be available to every customer eligible to use that lounge. Unfortunately for travelers, there is only one frequent flyer lounge at this particular East African airport so a frequent flyer can either choose to do without lounge services or settle for the discriminately services offered,” she adds.

Tuma asks: “Does your business offer two levels of service – one for those who appear not to have much money and another for those who appear to be financially endowed? Potential customers who receive cold treatment have absolutely no incentive to spend their money with you. If they have a choice, they will simply go elsewhere in search of a place where they feel welcome and appreciated.”

In addition to the articles, which are all real-life case studies, the book provides the theory behind key customer service principles and a number of practical tools in a style that everyone from the most junior employee to the CEO will both appreciate and find useful. It is an indispensable handbook and reference tool for anyone who interfaces with customers. The illustrations are by Kenyan cartoonist Stanislaus Olonde (aka Stano).

Divided into 15 chapters, the book, a critique of general business practices and conduct, tackles the subjects of courtesy, honesty, communication, valuing customer feedback, compensation of errors by businesses, equipping and rewarding staff and appreciation of customer loyalty, among subjects.

The articles, meticulously retold, are born out of the author’s personal experiences and those of her family and friends with several service providers ranging from utility companies, airlines, hair salons, tailors, car mechanics, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and taxis, among others. Some names have been changed to protect the individual’s privacy and company names have been omitted in the majority of the case studies.

Are customers driven to extremes just to gain access to your services? Well, Tuma’s friend Susan had to throw a tantrum to get her internet wireless connection activated by a local mobile phone company. “Should that be what it takes? Why should a company drive a customer into making a scene before she can access the services she has already paid for? …” she asks.

According to Tuma, if you are running a legitimate business, without customers you will soon either have to close your doors for good or sell your business to someone who believes they will be better at attracting and retaining customers. It follows therefore, that every existing business remains operational because it has customers who believe the business in question provides a product or service that fulfils one or more of their wants, needs or both. That puts customers in an incredibly strong position.

Tuma adds that in the countries where businesses face strong competition, customers reign supreme, businesses do everything they can to attract and retain customers. Sophisticated business enterprises spend the equivalent of millions of dollars every year on attempting to establish relationships with customers and getting to understand their preferences in order to tailor products and services to exceed customer expectations.

“In our part of the world however, it would appear that the power in the provident/customer relationship still lies primarily in the hands of the provider. In other words, instead of courting customers and making them feel special at every turn, most providers make their customers feel like they are doing them a favour they do not deserve,” she observes.

Common courtesy is not that common after all, or so the saying goes. This is quite surprising since courtesy and decorum are traditional values across Africa. For some reason however, the values our parents took great pains to impart to us disappeared somewhere along the way, she laments.

According to Tuma, “It is common for service providers to treat paying customers as though they are being given a free and underserved service, at the service provider’s expense. Grumpy faces, rude retorts, corner cutting and incredibly slow service are commonplace and well accepted. Beyond a smiling welcome, discerning customers expect to be treated with courtesy.”

“Why then do customers who have options choose to continue supporting businesses that treat them as though they are doing them a favour? Thankfully, regionalisation, globalisation and increasing competition will eventually put a stop to this. Is your business ready for the shift of power from service providers to customers?”

Tuma emphasises that every employee must be trained on how to handle customers courteously. Rude employees will ruin your company’s reputation, costing you both customers and the revenue they bring. Beyond training, employees must subsequently be monitored, rewarded for meeting the required standards and pointed in the right direction when they fall short.

She also notes that false promises, painfully slow service and the absence of any kind of apology thereafter, only lower customer opinions of your establishment. A simple verbal recognition of the inconvenience can transform a negative experience into a positive one.

Tuma argues that customers do not know and in most cases actually do not want to know what you have to do in order to render them the services they pay you for.

“All we want is the finished product or service we are looking for. Service providers are responsible for seeing to it that the delivery process is seamless and without hitch. Create system checks to ensure that your systems are working to deliver the quality your customers expect and always have a back-up plan in case your system fails, for whatever reason. Internal break-downs should be invisible to your customers.”

Tuma is a business development and international trade consultant. She is a founder of the Women’s Centre for Job Creation (an organization that turns around rural women’s income generating projects) and vice chairperson of Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL). Prior to her development work, she was a brand manager with Avery Dennison Corporation, USA for ten years.

February 04, 2012

12:37

The 7th Annual Lola Kenya Children’s Screen Festival Beckons

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published February 4, 2012

The 7th annual Lola Kenya Children’s Screen film festival shall take place in Nairobi, Kenya, August 6-11, 2012.

Lined up alongside the daily film shows are Lola Kenya Screen’s hugely popular skill-development programmes for children and youth in filmmaking, cultural journalism, creative writing, critical appreciation of creativity, programme planning and presentation, media literacy seminars and workshops, live performances and art exhibitions. Emphasis shall also be put on issues of film business as festivalliers engage their favourite filmmakers in discussions at the end of each film show.

Year after year since 2006, the festival has attracted the participation of people from all walks of life.
Building a self-sustaining, indigenous film industry in Kenya is an arduous task. The non-existent film-going culture implies that at times festival organisers like Lola Kenya Screen not only have to ferry individuals to and from the screening venue but have to feed these people besides paying for the venues, security and extra staff to ensure the success of their events.

“A charity expected to raise its own funds in order to remain in business, it is always a Herculean task preparing and presenting Lola Kenya Screen whose programmes have expanded exponentially to include weekly school outreach, fortnightly community mobile cinema, monthly film forum, quarterly internship and mentorship for mass media students and annual film festival,” says managing trustee and creative director Ogova Ondego.

In 2011 more than 20 young talents were mentored with three short films being made.

“Films shown in the festival are completely relevant for the target audience. Children, youth and family relate well to the films and the themes they address. This enables the aspiring filmmaker to open up to different styles and discover something hidden in them,” observed Joseph Simiyu during the 6th edition of the event in 2011 where he participated in the film jury programme.

In 2012, the mass media literacy programme will take on a whole new level of interaction. In addition to discussing how messages are conveyed in films and other moving images, the session held every morning will also provide a framework for questioning our relationship with the mass media.

In the meantime Lola Kenya Screen is receiving films and any interested filmmakers who want to be part of this year’s programme can find out more about the submission process can access the information and the film entry form and regulations from the lolakenyascreen.org website. The submission period opened on December 1, 2011 and ends on April 15, 2012.

February 03, 2012

23:18

Here Are Top 10 Business Travel Tips

» ‎ ArtMatters

By CarolRoth.Com
Published February 3, 2012

Business trips are often very important, sometimes exciting, mostly tiring. Here are useful tips of real business travellers that will make your life easier:

1. Be Nice!
This is universal, but it applies particularly to travellers. Many harried travelers are such jerks to staff that when you show appreciation, you get “extras” that you didn’t even know to ask for. I’m a musician, so my hours are out of sync, but I’ve been treated to late checkouts, after-hours private pool time, help with publicity on return trips, and forgotten stuff mailed to my home. I’ve also heard some stories of how some of those jerks get treated; NOT a category you ever want to be in! (Tony Barker of Tony Barker Music.com)

2. Stay with REAL People
When possible, even on business trips, I try to avoid hotels and stay with a member of one of my homestay networks. I find the genuine contact and family atmosphere a welcome change from conference hotels. Yes, there’s some transportation logistics, but generally, I find it worth the schlep across town to make new friends and get my batteries recharged. (Shel Horowitz of Green And Profitable)

3. Pack Once…Forever
Keep a travel bag ready to go at all times. You may not be able to pack all of your clothes in advance, but you can definitely keep a second set of toiletries, shoes, and work accessories (chargers, paper, flash drive, etc) ready for a last minute trip. When it’s time to go, grab fresh clothes, a laptop and everything else should be ready. This can easily shave off 15 minutes of packing and help reduce a little pre-trip stress. (Geoff C. of Don’t Do It Yourself).

4. Avoid Visiting Costly Cities
If you visit costly cities frequently, set up an office there. Become a member of several airlines and hotel chains to get discounts. Buy a business class ticket. Use coupons while travelling. Carry some ingredients with you and cook your meals at hotels. Stay in corporate housing. Do online research to find the cheap hotels. Select garments which are versatile and can be rolled quickly. Become friends with the hotel staff to get perks. Involve them in celebrations to get a free bottle of wine. (Shawn Ambrose of Debt Consolidation Care).

5. Research the Area
When I am going on business trips, I research the area I am travelling to. I look for business conferences, lectures and seminars around the same time that I will be in that city. I make it a point to go to as many events as time will allow. This is a great way to meet other business owners and entrepreneurs in other cities or countries. (Eula M. Young, COO of Griot’s Roll Film Production).

6. Know the Language!
When travelling abroad, know the four key words that open doors for you in that country’s language: Hello, thank you, please, and goodbye. I’ve used those key words in German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian and have gotten big smiles, lots of friendliness, and superior service. If you can say, “I’m sorry I don’t speak French or German or…” in that language and sound like you really mean it, that’s the icing on the cake. (David R Yale of David R. Yale, Direct Marketer).

7. Traveling With Your Boss?!
Never do these nine things: a). NEVER forget that your boss is evaluating you at all times. b). If you are on a business trip, it’s because you’re supposed to be part of the solution—not part of the problem. c). Don’t be late. d). Never be rude to staff—any staff, ever. e). NEVER drink too much. f). Don’t be difficult or ask for special favors. g). Don’t let your boss lull you into behaving unprofessionally. h). Keep your cell phone out of sight. i). Never cry or lose your cool, no matter what happens! (Carolyn Paddock of In-Flight Insider).

8. Meet People from Social Media
Grow your list of potential clients and connected friends by reaching out to people that you are socially connected with and offer to buy them coffee. This is a great way to grow your network and spread the message about what you do. To connect with a larger group, host a meetup and invite your social friends that are in the area or will be in the area! (Alicia Rittenhouse of Ali Rittenhouse, International).

9. Less is More (No Sinks Needed)
Often, us gals pack everything but the kitchen sink. I’m always one to advocate packing only what can be used in multiple ways and dressing things up with accessories like colorful scarves, a funky belt or some textured tights. These are all small, lightweight and add wardrobe interest while taking up minimal space. I suggest never taking more than 3 pairs of shoes, even for the longest trip and NEVER take high heels of any kind, lest you want a TRIP in more ways than one. Bon voyage! (Kendra Kroll of PortaPocket by Undercover Solutions).

10. Manage Travel Phone Costs
For international travellers, one of the most costly items when travelling is phone calls. One of the best ways to save money is to use a spare, unlocked GSM phone. When you arrive, simply purchase a local SIM card. You can now use the phone for local calls and you can receive calls and texts free (outside the US, incoming calls and texts are free). You can also forward your work phone to your SIM number and receive calls on the road. Tell folks to send texts. It will save you money. (Warren Heaps of Birches Group LLC).

February 01, 2012

22:21

Cash in on the Luxury Travel Market, the Fastest-growing Segment of the Travel Industry

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Dr Peter E Tarlow
Published February 1, 2012

Despite the worldwide economic recession, the upscale or luxury market is expanding rapidly. While Asian airlines have not only increased their first class capacity but continue to offer a wide variety of new luxury travel products, for instance, luxury travel produces almost a trillion dollars in annual sales in North America.

Luxury travel and tourism however is not restricted merely to the travel component of the tourism industry. New opportunities abound throughout this portion of the industry. Many hotels have now opened a “hotel within their hotel”. These are special areas that afford extra comfort and service to hotel guests.

In a like manner, upscale restaurants are offering a greater and more personal fare that take into account not only caloric intake, but a host of diets that cater to every form of dietary need.

In order to take advantage of some of this growing trend in tourism consider some of the following:

There is no one definition of upscale travel. Upscale or luxury travel is determined by a range of products, from offering the unusual in the way of scenery and cuisines to breathing taking decors, to an integrated travel experience that combines everything from gourmet foods to spa experiences. While there is no one common definition for luxury travel there are a few basic traits that are common to those seeking luxury travel among these are:

-They often seek a full range of travel experiences from the active to the passive
-Luxury travellers are often health conscious travellers
-Luxury travellers understand that time is money and are willing to pay extra in order to save time
-Luxury travellers seek to guard their privacy
-Luxury travellers often seek unique educational experiences or experiences that enrich them both spiritually and psychologically
-Luxury travel is now often multi-generational, with clients seeking both personal and family experiences on the same trip

Upscale travellers tend to be both sophisticated and knowledgeable about their products. Do not try to fool these people. Although most travellers who want a luxury experience are willing to pay the price, they still want value for their money.

Many of these people are social media savvy, they know how to investigate your offering and are not afraid to praise your successes and criticise your failures. These clients know what they want and how to make the world know when you fail to provide what you have promised them.

Do not charge for every item that you offer. It is all too common for upscale hotels to charge for everything from internet usage to extra towels at the swimming pool. A guest who is paying hundreds or thousands of dollars per night can easily come to resent paying for services that are part of hotels of a lesser category. If you are going to charge top dollar, then offer top of the line services.

Not every business should cater to the upscale market. Know what you have, do not claim to be an upscale travel experience if you do not have the facilities and accommodations to make upscale tourism work in your locale.

Remember that the travel experience takes in the entire community, so an excellent hotel in an area that is not desirable becomes a “palace located in the heart of a slum”. When deciding if you can offer and charge for an upscale experience, consider the total tourism environment in your locale.

Train your staff to anticipate needs before your guest makes the request. Do not provide good service; provide excellent service! All too often tourism entities such as airlines place their most senior personnel in the first class section, even though these people are often jaded and tired of serving the public.

Good service means having personnel who care about the welfare of their guests, are enthusiastic, and find each tourist or guest experience to be a unique challenge that inspires them.

Test the room or location before the guest arrives. Luxury travellers do not expect mistakes. Go over each room or visitor location with a fine toothcomb. There is no excuse for a toilet over-flowing, the audio not working or the television set not being plugged in.

It would behoove airlines catering to this market to ask passengers which choice of meal(s) they desire at the time of purchase rather than when the traveler is already on the airplane. All too often first class passengers are told that their choice of meal is not available. Such errors are not acceptable in the luxury travel world.

Meet with your staff regularly and encourage them to come up with out of the box ideas. The luxury traveler expects to be on the cutting edge, which means that no matter in which part of the tourism industry you are located your luxury travelers will expect high levels of innovation coupled with consistent high-quality services, excellent security and safety and no errors.

Develop seamless experiences. Luxury travel should begin from the moment the traveler leaves his/her home until the moment that s/he arrives back at his/her destination. That means that the luxury travel experience should begin by being picked-up at the traveler’s home, passing through airport control with a minimum of hassle, checking into a hotel without having to wait on line and having food in the room that meets the guest’s needs and tastes.

To accomplish this form of seamless travel, the wise luxury travel provider develops a personal relationship with his/her client from the moment that that person has booked the travel experience.

Learn what others are doing in the luxury travel market. There are a number of periodicals that cater to the luxury tourism market. If interested in pursuing this market, then take the time to see what other people are offering. Many of these magazines have on-line editions or can be downloaded very inexpensively.

Provide the unusual and the chic. What differentiates luxury travel from mass travel is the level of perfection combined with elegant simplicity. Luxury travelers often seek to separate themselves from the pack. These are people who want individual attention, desire privacy, and look for the unique.

For example, a villa providing a personalized staff, meals cooked to order, and high levels of both security and safety should be part of the offerings of those working in the luxury travel field. Luxury travel then is all about individual service and a sense of being treated not a part of a herd but rather as a unique individual.

Remember that the upscale market covers multiple age ranges. Often upscale tourism businesses forget that the luxury market is composed of more than the business traveler. Both older and retired people often seek out this market along with families or grandparents who are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience for younger children. Develop innovative ideas for both of these age groups.

Source: Tourism & More’s ‘Tourism Tidbits’

January 22, 2012

21:37

Violent Elections, Official Manipulation, Weak Institutions Undermine Democracy in Africa

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Human Rights Watch Press
Published January 22, 2012

Elections held throughout sub-Saharan Africa in 2011 signaled a growing formal commitment to democratic rule, but Africa’s leaders deployed violence and curtailed rights during election period and beyond to hold on to power, Human Rights Watch says in its World Report 2012 released in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 22, 2012.

During 2011, presidential elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, among other sub-Saharan African countries. State security forces in the DRC and Uganda used excessive force against opposition party supporters, and targeted journalists, opposition party candidates, and civil society activists, as well as ordinary citizens. At least 42 people were killed in the DRC in the days before and soon after the voting, in some cases as a result of soldiers shooting at groups of alleged opposition supporters. In some countries, the difficult aftermath of 2010 elections resounded throughout 2011.

“This past year demonstrated the desire of so many Africans to choose their own leaders peacefully and fairly,” says Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Sadly, the votes were often marred by government intimidation, army and police abuses, and conflict incited by politicians. Unless these grave problems are remedied, Africans are likely to see more of the same in future elections.”

In its 676-page report, Human Rights Watch assesses progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries, including popular uprising in the Arab world that few would have imagined. Given the violent forces resisting the “Arab Spring,” the international community has an important role to play in assisting the birth of rights-respecting democracies in the region, Human Rights Watch says in the report.

In Africa, after Côte d’Ivoire held a presidential run-off in November 2010, former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down following his electoral loss to Alassane Ouattara. That sparked six months of violence in which at least 3,000 people were killed. Gbagbo is now awaiting trial in The Hague by the International Criminal Court (ICC), reflecting the extended reach of international justice. However, no effort has been made to punish serious crimes by forces loyal to President Ouattara either in Côte d’Ivoire or at the ICC.

Nigeria’s elections in April 2011 were heralded by many as the fairest in the nation’s history. Still, at least 165 people were killed in campaign violence, and the presidential election set off rioting and sectarian killings in northern Nigeria that left more than 800 dead. Nigeria has not brought to justice those responsible for these crimes.

Guinea and Burundi held elections in 2010, but developments in 2011 showed the need to strengthen their justice systems, rein in chronically abusive members of the security services, and resist the tendency to evolve into one-party states. In Rwanda, intolerance of political opposition was unchanged since the 2010 elections. Kenya, while formally cooperating with the ICC, undertook a series of legal and political maneuvers to prevent prosecutions of six political and opinion leaders accused of fomenting violence around its 2007 elections.

Sudan held a referendum for southern independence in January 2011, when southerners voted overwhelmingly to secede from the north after two decades of war under the terms of a 2005 peace agreement. South Sudan formally gained independence in July, making it Africa’s 54th country, one that faces enormous political and economic challenges. Although South Sudan seceded relatively peacefully, Sudanese government forces attacked civilians in the disputed border area of Abyei and in two volatile states – Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan – that lie north of the border with the South. Sudan’s government also carried out new attacks on civilians in Darfur. President Omar al-Bashir faces an outstanding arrest warrant from the ICC for atrocities in Darfur.

Throughout the year, armed conflict and humanitarian crises battered Somalia, northern and eastern DRC, and parts of Sudan, intensifying economic hardship and necessitating international peacekeeping by the United Nations and African Union. In South Sudan alone, more than 2,600 people were killed in the fighting. In Somalia, the media reported some 2,500 casualties; undoubtedly, there were more. Human Rights Watch called on these governments, international forces, and opposition armed groups to end abuses by their forces. Governments should investigate and hold accountable those responsible for war crimes. International forces in particular need to devote more energy to protecting civilians from violence and assisting the internally displaced, Human Rights Watch said.

The United States in 2011 sent 100 military advisers to assist regional forces engaged in military operations against the Lord’s Resistance Army, a highly abusive Ugandan rebel group now operating in northeastern DRC, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Kenya and Ethiopia sent troops into Somalia to quell al-Shabaab, an Islamist armed group that has imposed harsh rule on large swathes of the country.

“Africa’s armed conflicts are being fought by all sides with little regard for the civilian population,” Bekele said. “Inter-governmental bodies and influential countries should be devoting greater efforts to protecting civilians from the full range of wartime harms.”

The fulfillment of economic and social rights in sub-Saharan Africa remained a great challenge, Human Rights Watch said. Despite stated government commitments to maternal and child health, high rates of childbirth-related deaths and injuries persisted without remedy in countries like South Africa and Kenya, which have the resources to provide better care. Access to children’s health care services is insufficient across the continent, including in Kenya.

Other resource-rich countries like Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Nigeria, and Guinea invested little of their revenue in social welfare or to tackle corruption, at the expense of their residents’ social and economic rights. Rwanda and Ethiopia appeared to make progress on some development indicators. But in both countries, repressive governments cracked down on domestic human rights workers and jailed journalists, opposition party members, and other perceived critics.

A growing number of countries, particularly China and India, deepened their involvement on the continent. While these countries’ rising investment offered economic opportunities for African governments and people, it also raised concerns for particularly disadvantaged populations. In South Sudan and Ethiopia, for instance, land used by local farmers was being forcibly reallocated to investors for commercial agriculture, which could undermine food security.

The mistreatment of workers in Chinese-owned copper mines in Zambia and the exposure of child laborers to mercury in Malian gold mines highlighted the need for more robust protection of workers from dire occupational hazards. African governments, notably, played a leading role in creating an international convention to regulate the treatment of domestic workers. The mistreatment of child domestic workers is an endemic problem on the continent.

The “Arab Spring” reverberated quietly in sub-Saharan Africa as people tried to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression. Without a great deal of international fanfare, protests against authoritarian rule, political injustice, and economic concerns were held in Angola, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Sudan, Swaziland, and Uganda. All but the protests in Kenya were violently suppressed.

In Zimbabwe, where elections are slated for 2012, the authorities jailed activists for watching a film about the events in the Middle East; many Zimbabweans suffered harassment and arbitrary detention. In Senegal, also gearing up for an election in 2012, there were protests against proposed constitutional changes that would strengthen the president’s hold on power. The government cracked down on civil society leaders, a worrying sign in a country often held up as a model of stable democracy in Africa. In South Africa, another beacon on the continent, the parliament voted to enact the Protection of Information Bill, which threatens to curtail freedom of expression and public access to information if the measure enters into force.

“The Arab Spring showed the world how much the people of the Middle East and North Africa want to be treated with dignity and respect,” Bekele said. “Sub-Saharan Africans have the same aspirations. Governments there and elsewhere need to heed their concerns.”

January 18, 2012

19:19

Forced Relocation in Ethiopia Bring Hunger and Hardship to Indigenous People

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Human Rights Watch Press
Published January 18, 2012

The Ethiopian government under its “villagization” program is forcibly relocating approximately 70,000 indigenous people from the western Gambella region to new villages that lack adequate food, farmland, healthcare, and educational facilities, Human Rights Watch said in a report released in London, United Kingdom, on January 17, 2012. State security forces have repeatedly threatened, assaulted, and arbitrarily arrested villagers who resist the transfers.

The report, Waiting Here for Death: Forced Displacement and ‘Villagization’ in Ethiopia’s Gambella Region, examines the first year of Gambella’s villagisation programme. It details the involuntary nature of the transfers, the loss of livelihoods, the deteriorating food situation, and ongoing abuses by the armed forces against the affected people. Many of the areas from which people are being moved are slated for leasing by the government for commercial agricultural development.

“The Ethiopian government’s villagization program is not improving access to services for Gambella’s indigenous people, but is instead undermining their livelihoods and food security,” says Jan Egeland, Europe director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should suspend the program until it can ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place and that people have been properly consulted and compensated for the loss of their land.”

The government says the “villagisation” programme is designed to provide “access to basic socioeconomic infrastructures” to the people it relocates and to bring “socioeconomic & cultural transformation of the people.” But despite pledges to provide suitable compensation, the government has provided insufficient resources to sustain people in the new villages, Human Rights Watch says.

The residents of Gambella, mainly indigenous Anuak and Nuer, have never had formal title to the land they have lived on and used. The government often claims that the areas are “uninhabited” or “under-utilized.” That claim enables the government to bypass constitutional provisions and laws that would protect these populations from being relocated.

The report is based on more than 100 interviews in Ethiopia in May and June 2011, and at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab and Nairobi, Kenya, where many Gambellans have fled.

“My father was beaten for refusing to go along [to the new village] with some other elders,” a former villager told Human Rights Watch. “He said, ‘I was born here – my children were born here – I am too old to move so I will stay.’ He was beaten by the army with sticks and the butt of a gun. He had to be taken to hospital. He died because of the beating – he just became weaker and weaker.”

The Ethiopian government is planning to resettle 1.5 million people by 2013 in four regions: Gambella, Afar, Somali, and Benishangul-Gumuz. Relocations started in 2010 in Gambella, and approximately 70,000 people there were scheduled to be moved by the end of 2011. Under the Gambella Peoples’ National Regional State Government Plan, 45,000 households are to be moved during the three-year program. The plan pledges to provide infrastructure for the new villages and assistance to ensure alternative livelihoods. The plan also states that the movements are to be voluntary.

Instead of improved access to government services, however, new villages often go without them altogether. The first round of forced relocations occurred at the worst possible time of year – the beginning of the harvest – and many of the areas to which people were moved are dry with poor-quality soil. The nearby land needs to be cleared, and agricultural assistance – seeds and fertilizers – has not been provided. The government failure to provide food assistance for relocated people has caused endemic hunger and cases of starvation.

Human Rights Watch’s research shows that the forced relocation policy is disrupting a delicate balance of survival for many in the region. Livelihoods and food security in Gambella are precarious. Pastoralists are being forced to abandon their cattle-based livelihoods in favor of settled cultivation. Shifting cultivators – farmers who move from one location to another over the years – are being required to grow crops in a single location, which risks depleting their soil of vital nutrients. In the absence of meaningful infrastructural support and regular supplies of food aid, the changes for both populations may have life-threatening consequences, Human Rights Watch said.

The resident of one new village told Human Rights Watch: “We expect major starvation next year because they did not clear in time. If they [the government] cleared [the land] we would have food next year but now we have no means for food.”

The villagization program is taking place in areas where significant land investment is planned or occurring. The Ethiopian government has consistently denied that the resettlement of people in Gambella is connected to the leasing of large areas of land for commercial agriculture, but villagers have been told by government officials that this is an underlying reason for their displacement. Former local government officials confirmed these allegations to Human Rights Watch.

One farmer told Human Rights Watch that during the government’s initial meeting with his village, government officials told them: “We will invite investors who will grow cash crops. You do not use the land well. It is lying idle.”

“We want you to be clear that the government brought us here… to die… right here,” one elder told Human Rights Watch. “We want the world to hear that government brought the Anuak people here to die. They brought us no food, they gave away our land to the foreigners so we can’t even move back. On all sides the land is given away, so we will die here in one place.”

Mass displacement to make way for commercial agriculture in the absence of a proper legal process contravenes Ethiopia’s constitution and violates the rights of indigenous peoples under international law.

From 2008 through January 2011, Ethiopia leased out at least 3.6 million hectares of land, an area the size of the Netherlands. An additional 2.1 million hectares of land is available through the federal government’s land bank for agricultural investment. In Gambella, 42 percent of the total land area is either being marketed for lease to investors or has already been awarded to investors, according to government figures. Many of the areas that have been moved for villagization are within areas slated for commercial agricultural investment.

“The villagization program is being undertaken in the exact same areas of Ethiopia that the government is leasing to foreign investors for large-scale commercial agricultural operations,” Egeland said. “This raises suspicions about the underlying motives of the villagization program.”

Role of Foreign Donors
Foreign donors to Ethiopia, including the United Kingdom, United States, World Bank, and European Union, assert that they have no direct involvement in the villagization programs. However, the multi-donor Protection of Basic Services (PBS) program subsidizes basic services – health, education, agriculture, roads, and water – and local government salaries in all districts in the country, including areas where new villages are being constructed and where the main activity of local governments is moving people.

As a result of their potential responsibilities and liabilities, donors have undertaken assessments of the villagization program in Gambella and in Benishangul-Gumuz and determined that the relocations were voluntary. Human Rights Watch’s field-based research and interviews with residents, however, indicates that the moves have been coerced.

International donors should ensure that they are not providing support for forced displacement or facilitating rights violations in the name of development, Human Rights Watch said. They should press Ethiopia to live up to its responsibilities under Ethiopian and international law, namely to provide communities with genuine consultation on the villagization process, ensure that the relocation of indigenous people is voluntary, compensate them appropriately, prevent human rights violations during and after any relocation, and prosecute those implicated in abuses. Donors should also seek to ensure that the government meets its obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the economic and social rights of the people in new villages.

“It seems that the donor money is being used, at least indirectly, to fund the villagization program,” Egeland said. “Donors have a responsibility to ensure that their assistance does not facilitate forced displacement and associated violations.”

“‘Waiting Here for Death’: Forced Displacement and ‘Villagization’ in Ethiopia’s Gambella Region” is available at:

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2012/01/17/waiting-here-death-0

January 12, 2012

9:54

Children ‘switching from TV to mobile internet’

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sean Coughlan, BBC News education correspondent
Published January 12, 2012

Television is being pushed aside by mobile internet gadgets, a UK survey of young people’s technology suggests.

The number of children with televisions in their bedroom is falling – almost matched now by those with their own personal internet access, says the annual Childwise monitoring survey.

Among seven to 16 year olds, 61% have a mobile phone with internet access.

Children use their mobiles for an average of 1.6 hours a day, the survey of 2,770 five to 16 year olds says.

The biggest trend in children’s use of gadgets, according to the report from the market research company, is the growth in internet use through mobile phones.

The survey was based on interviews carried out in autumn 2011.
Push-button culture

The report presents a picture of a typical young person’s home life which increasingly revolves around the mobile phone.

Talking, texting and accessing the internet are now reached through the mobile – with more than three-quarters of secondary-age pupils now using mobiles to get online.

The way children use media through the day is also changing, says the research, suggesting a push-button, on-demand culture, which is moving away from scheduled television programmes.

Before school, children are now more likely to play with their mobiles than watch television.

When children get home from school, instead of rushing to switch on the television, they are more likely to reach for the internet.

When children are reading at home, it is more likely to be through a screen rather than a book or a magazine.

Even in bed at night, the mobile phone is being used by 32% of children across the five to 16 age range.

It also seems to be approaching game over for old-style PCs in children’s bedrooms – which have been replaced by laptops and tablet-style computers.

Land-line telephones are also looking like yesterday’s world for many of these youngsters – with the research claiming that more children know how to send a text message than find a telephone number.

Facebook remains the most popular website – used by 51% of children in the week before the survey – but the researchers suggest that it is showing signs of having “fallen back”.
End of the portable?

Research director Rosemary Duff says that the growth of mobile internet is the most significant change in how children use technology.

The decline in television use is continuing – and she says it appears that the portables once bought for children’s bedrooms are not being replaced.

But she says that television should not be written off prematurely – as it still plays a very important role in the media lives of children.

Even though children might be using the internet more than ever, she says, the content can be often be related to television programmes.

Mobile phones and the internet each occupy about an hour and a half on average per day – but television viewing on average still accounts for two and half hours.

And the “multi-tasking” talents of teenagers mean that many youngsters using the internet, or playing on a games console, are also watching television.

January 09, 2012

12:09

Arab Spring “Revolution” Batters Tunisian and Egyptian Economy

» ‎ ArtMatters

By thenational.ae
Published January 9, 2012

The toppling in January 2011 of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak plunged Tunisia’s and Egypt’s future into uncertainty, triggering blows to the economy.

Pain has been felt most keenly in the large tourism sector, which saw a 40% drop in revenues as holidaymakers shied away from perceived instability in Tunisia and Egypt. Other economic sectors have slowed in the absence of clarity on future government budgets and finance law.

Meanwhile, workers emboldened by the fall of Ben Ali’s police state have staged strikes, putting factories and companies temporarily out of commission. Growth in 2011 is predicted at 0%.

However, flatline – as opposed to negative growth – is good given the circumstances, says Emanuele Santi, the chief economist on Tunisia for the African Development Bank (ADB), which is headquartered in the Tunisian capital. This year’s uprising spared most infrastructure and the government has largely covered the costs of damages, Mr Santi said.

“The situation now is delicate, but far from being catastrophic,” says Moez Labidi, an economics professor at Mahdia University and an independent adviser to Tunisia’s central bank.

Crisis in the euro zone, Tunisia’s largest trading partner, could lower demand for Tunisian exports, albeit with the potential trade-off of increasing demand for low-cost Tunisian labour. “We haven’t had an exchange rate crisis and we’ve maintained a B- credit rating, which is investment grade,” Mr Labidi said. “But if growth remains anaemic, it poses a problem for 2012.”

Unemployment has risen, compounded by the return from war-wracked Libya of tens of thousands of Tunisian workers. Overall, Libya’s war dented Tunisia’s economy by -0.4% of GDP in 2011, according to the ADB.

Ultimately, Tunisia needs structural reforms to narrow wealth gaps, improve education and target government subsidies, economists say. But some short-term progress may also be possible.

Post-war Libya could provide Tunisia jobs as the country rebuilds, Santi says.” A pro-active labour migration policy with Libya could have huge payoffs.”

Meanwhile, Tunisia could benefit from restructuring its banking sector to improve entrepreneurs’ access to loans, says Labidi.

“We have many small banks that are very strict about granting credit,” he said. “Normally banks should be willing to take risks for their clients.”

Most fundamentally, leaders must reassure the public that economic reform is coming, economists say.

Meanwhile, almasryalyoum.com reports that Egyptian tourism plunged 32% in 2011.
The number of tourists who visited the country in 2011 was one-third less than in 2010, Egypt’s Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour says. There were about 10 million tourists in 2011, around 32% fewer than in 2010.The tourist sector brought in US$9 billion, 30% less than 2010.

He said the government estimates that about 13.5% of the national income comes from the tourism sector. He added that tourism is the primary source of foreign exchange and that about 4 million people work in the sector.

The Egyptian government says that the state of uncertainty that has prevailed following the January 25, 2011 revolution, as well as periodic outbreaks of violence over the past year, have discouraged tourists from visiting the country.

January 05, 2012

22:52

Thirty-One Groups to Perform at Zanzibar’s 9th Sauti za Busara Music Festival

» ‎ ArtMatters

December 06, 2011

19:45

Al Jazeera English Exposes Who is Behind the Murder of Albinos in Tanzania

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published December 6, 2011

Al Jazeera English, that broadcasts across Africa from its base in Doha, exposes the murder of albinos in Tanzania in its Africa Investigates series starting from December 7, 2011.

Albinos are still being murdered for their body parts despite pledges by the government to stamp out the practice over several years. Albino body parts command high prices due to belief that they bring good luck in business.

Although a handful of people have been convicted for the murders themselves, the paying customers who are fuelling this practice have so far remained anonymous. Africa Investigates reveals who is behind this dodgy phenomenon in the series that runs daily December 7-14, 2011. The series–titled ‘Spell of the Albino’–airs at the following GMT times: 22:30 (December 7); 09:30 (December 8); 03:30 (December 9); 16:30 (December 10); 22:30 (December 11); 09:30 (December 12); 03:30 (December 13); 16:30 (December 14).

Al Jazeera English broadcasts live to an estimated 250 million households in more than 130 countries. Launched in 2006, Al Jazeera English has been recognised for its distinguished reporting and programming, being named “Best 24 Hour News Programme” at the annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival and Best News Channel three years running at the UK’s Freesat Awards. The channel has also received awards from The Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube and has received nominations for international Emmy awards in both the News and Current Affairs categories. In the past two years Al Jazeera English has received the Royal Television Society Awards as the 2009 and 2010 News Channel of the Year.

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December 02, 2011

20:59

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Requests Arrest Warrant for Sudan’s Defense Minister

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Human Rights Watch
Published November 2, 2011

Human Rights Watch has described the request by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor for an arrest warrant for Sudan’s defense minister as ‘an important step toward justice for serious crimes committed in Darfur’.

The prosecutor’s request on December 2, 2011 is based on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region of Sudan from August 2003 to March 2004. The defense minister, Abduraheem Hussein, was appointed to the post in 2005 and previously was interior minister. He was appointed the president’s representative for Darfur in 2004, during the height of the conflict in the region.

“Defense Minister Hussein is implicated as a key figure in heinous abuses committed in Darfur, including attacks against civilians,” said Elise Keppler, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “The warrant request is an important step to advance justice for the many victims of crimes in Darfur.”

Based on Human Rights Watch research, Hussein appears to have played a central role in the Sudanese government’s strategy of “ethnic cleansing” in Darfur. He is believed to have been involved in coordinating military attacks on civilians and “Janjaweed” militia attacks against specific ethnic groups.

Hussein is the seventh suspect sought by the ICC for alleged crimes committed in Darfur by Sudanese government forces, government-backed militias, and rebel forces. The suspects include President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and Ahmed Haroun, then the country’s minister for humanitarian affairs, who is currently the governor of South Kordofan state, where fighting between the government and armed opposition forces broke out in June. Both men are fugitives from the ICC.

The ICC prosecutor formally opened an investigation into crimes committed in Sudan in June 2005 following a referral by the United Nations Security Council.

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December 01, 2011

12:41

Addis Ababa to Host Eastern Africa Stage Directors’ workshop in April 2012

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published December 1, 2011

A workshop for stage directors in eastern Africa is scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in April 2012.

The organisers of the event, New York (USA)-based Sundance Institute East Africa, say their goal is to “offer an independent-minded community for artists to engage with their work and with each other, asking questions and taking risks.”

This week-long (April 15-22, 2012) “developmental workshop providing a protected creative environment for East African Stage Directors only to work closely with a mentor to acquire tools to hone their craft” will be their first Stage Directors Workshop in the eastern Africa.

Targeted for application are artists who live and work in East Africa and consider themselves Stage Directors.

Sundance Institute East Africa say they that ‘through an open submission process’, they look for ‘originality, innovation, and a collaborative spirit in its artists – traits that reflect well-rounded and generous individuals’.

Each full-time participating artist will receive a US$400 expense reimbursement. Sundance Institute will provide for round-trip travel expenses between all selected participants’ homes and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including air and ground transportation if available. Participants will also be provided with accommodations (except for those who live in Addis Ababa) and all meals while at the workshop.

Interested applicants may Send their materials via email to theatreeastafrica@sundance.org or via airmail to Sundance Institute East Africa, 180 Varick St, Suite 1330, New York, NY 10014, USA.

The deadline for all submissions is January 10, 2012.

Further information on the programme may be sought from Deborah Asiimwe, Sundance Institute East Africa-Specialist, via phone +1-646-822-9567 or email theatreeastafrica@sundance.org

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November 27, 2011

9:47

Kenya’s First Tango Festival is Launched in Nairobi

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Shalini Gidoomal
Published November 27, 2011

November 26, 2011 saw the launch of Kenya’s first ever tango festival. Dubbed WatamuLonga Tango Safari and Festival, this is a fusion celebration of an Argentinian dance form taken to a variety of picturesque Kenyan landscapes. Held at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, some 200 dance enthusiasts watched a film, dance demonstration and, of course, danced.

WatamuLonga, consisting of city, safari, beach and tango teaching and dancing, runs as follows:
November 26, 2011 (Tribe Hotel, Nairobi)
November 27-29, 2011 (Tsavo Tango safari)
November 30-December 4, 2011 (Watamu – workshops and dancing).

Ukrainian dance couple Alex and Natalia Lipsky and Dubai’s Mac Ismail, excellent examples of tango’s new international flavour, are jetting into Kenya to share their dance experience by holding workshops in a series of beautiful locations in Kenyan parks and along the coast during the WatamuLonga safari and festival.

“Dance is embodied speech,” says Mario Ruggier, founder of Patamango, the Argentinian tango association credited with bringing tango to Nairobi. “At its best it is a method of conscious evolution for the practioner.”

Tango, a sensual couples dance performed widely in Argentina and Uruguay, is thought to have its roots on the African continent. It is believed to have come via Kongo culture imported from Central Africa and Cuba. Tango, “the fabulous dance of the past hundred years,” started life as a creole: “the Kongo grind, caught in a waltz-like embrace.”

Dances from the candombe ceremonies of former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe.

Inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as an Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity, tango has now spread around the world. Go to London, Istanbul and even Bali and you will find a milonga – and a festival.

Patamango regularly hold workshops to introduce tango in Nairobi, “We like to be as inclusive as possible,” adds Ruggier, “We offer subsidsied and free classes and have sponsored a number of participants to take part.” Ruggier estimates that some 400 individuals have taken the tango initiation in the last year, and a community of skilled dancers is slowly coming together.

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November 23, 2011

14:17

Judy Kibinge’s Headlines in History Docu Sets the Ball Rolling for the ‘Know Kenya More Through Films’ Series

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published November 23, 2011

Starting from December 6, 2011, the Kenya Museum Society (KMS) shall be running a local film every Wednesday evening at the Nairobi National Museum in a programme dubbed ‘Know Kenya More through Films’.

Yuriko Uehara, Evening Programmes’ Coordinator at KMS, says this is in line with their objective of supporting ‘the film sector and film professionals in Kenya by screening those films which are rarely shown at commercial theatres’.

First to screen is HEADLINES IN HISTORY, a documentary by Judy Kibinge that is said to be presenting ‘a chronicle of an African newspaper intertwined in the historic events during the pre- and post-independence era of Kenya, with a number of precious footage as well as the interviews of the contemporaries.’

Other films to screen in the series in the Louis Leakey Auditorium are Jennifer Arnold’s A SMALL ACT (a story of a poor boy from Githunguri, with his education sponsored by a Swedish stranger, to become a human rights advocate at United Nations. Later he founds his own scholarship programme to replicate the generosity he had received; January 25, 2012); Hawa Essuman’s SOUL BOY (Abila, a 14 year old boy who lives in Kibera, sets out on an adventurous journey trying to save his father’s soul; February 29, 2012);Willie Owusu’s KIMYA (The story evolving around two people in a room delves into the dark history of Kenya dealing with the issue of torture; March 28, 2012); Willie Owusu’s THE ROADSIDE (About an odd couple trying to find each other. They decide to go for a picnic to mend their relationship when the story unfolds; March 28, 2012); Bob Nyanja’s THE CAPTAIN OF NAKARA (Afraid of losing the woman of his dreams, a young man with a criminal record pretends to own a profitable market stall. Wearing a stolen military uniform, he manages to succeed in defending his rights and his happiness; April 25, 2012); and Jane Murago-Munene’s MONICA WANGU WAMWERE: THE UNBROKEN SPIRIT (Indefatigable efforts of Mama Koigi, mother of human rights activist and politician Koigi wa Wamwere, who was detained as a political prisoner; May 30, 2012).

The ‘Know Kenya More through Films’ appears to be a noble initiative as it complements others like the monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum that is aimed at critiquing, encouraging and exploring ways of integrating film production in Kenya and Eastern Africa with other socio-cultural and economic sectors in order to come up with a vibrant film industry. LKSFF, that meets every last Monday of the month at Goethe-Institut, Nairobi, Kenya, is often one of the first places where new films can be seen and young talent spotted. Since December 2005, more than 100 films have been shown. LKSFF is part of the annual Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa.

The 51st LKSFF runs on November 28, 2011 and shall show TORN, a student film by Henry Mutisya of Daystar University. The gathering is also likely to watch and discuss THE LEGENDS OF NGONG HILLS, a short animation by Kwame Nyong’o.

LKSFF is the initiative of ComMattersKenya/ArtMatters.Info in collaboration with Goethe-Institut in Kenya.

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November 22, 2011

11:03

Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize Final call for Entries

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Commonwealth Writers
Published November 22, 2011

Only a few days remain for writers to enter the new Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The prizes are part of a new initiative, Commonwealth Writers, an online hub to inspire, inform and create a community of writers from all over the world. Together with the prizes, Commonwealth Writers unearths, develops and promotes the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Short Story Prize: Wednesday 30 November 2011 (5pm GMT)
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English (2000-5000 words). Regional winners receive £1,000 and the overall winner receives £5,000.

Commonwealth Book Prize: Friday 9 December 2011 (5pm GMT)
Awarded for best first book, the Commonwealth Book Prize is open to writers who have had their first novel (full length work of fiction in English) published between 1 January and 31 December 2011. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £10,000.

The winners for both prizes will be announced in June 2012.

As one of the Commonwealth Foundation’s culture programmes, Commonwealth Writers works in partnership with international literary organisations, the wider cultural industries and civil society to help writers develop their craft. Commonwealth Writers is a forum where members can debate the future of publishing, get advice from established authors and ask questions of our writer in residence.

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10:43

BBC African Footballer of the Year 2011 Award Opens for Vote

» ‎ ArtMatters

By BBC World Service International Publicity
Published November 22, 2011

BBC World Service has announced the shortlist for the 2011 BBC African Footballer of the Year award. Revealed on the programme, Sport Today, the list of five contenders selected by football experts around Africa includes:

1. Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew – Ghana and Marseille
2. Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon and Anzhi Makhachkala
3. Gervinho – Ivory Coast and Arsenal
4. Seydou Keita – Mali and Barcelona
5. Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast and Manchester City

Fans can vote online at bbc.com/africanfootball and by SMS to +44 77 86 20 20 08, by texting 1 for Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew; 2 for Samuel Eto’o; 3 for Gervinho; 4 for Seydou Keita; and 5 for Yaya Touré.

The BBC’s African Football blogger Piers Edwards says: “This shortlist reinforces the importance of African footballers to Europe’s top clubs. It will be intriguing to see who triumphs in the end.”

Starting at 16.30 GMT on Friday, November 18, 2011, the voting will run until Friday, December 9, 2011. BBC African Footballer of the Year 2011 will be announced in Sport Today live on Friday, December 16, 2011.

Broadcast at 16:30 Monday to Friday, Sport Today brings stories behind top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world. Sports coverage on BBC World Service includes the global weekly sports show, Sports News, and World Football. BBC Afrique (French for Africa), BBC Hausa, BBC Somali and BBC Swahili bring audiences commentary on English Premier League weekend matches.

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November 20, 2011

18:33

Zanzibar Cultural Practitioners Explore Collaboration with Government and Business Community

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published November 20, 2011

Cultural festival organisers and representatives of government and business community in Zanzibar met on November 17, 2011 to discuss ways of promoting Zanzibar and boosting cultural tourism through music and other creative and cultural initiatives.

Opening the single day consultative meeting that brought together 70 participants to the Zanzibar Beach Resort, Seif Sharif Hamad, First Vice President of Zanzibar, stressed the importance of culture as a tool for socio-economic development.

Hamad expressed commitment from the government of Zanzibar to work together and support festival organisers to find innovative ways of securing funds for festivals in Zanzibar.

Yusuf Mahmoud, Director of Busara Promotions, said that when Sauti za Busara started in 2004, February was a ‘low’ tourism season in Zanzibar. “Now it is peak season because of the festival. Statistics from the Commission for Tourism show the numbers of visitors to the islands during February has increased by more than 400% since the festival started.”

Despite the contribution of Busara to the Indian Ocean island, Mahmoud said it receives little support from the governments of Zanzibar and Tanzania.

The meeting was hosted by Busara Promotions whose 9th annual Sauti za Busara Music Festival is scheduled for February 8–12, 2012. Other local festivals represented at the meeting were Jahazi Literary & Jazz Festival and Zanzibar International Film Festival.

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November 17, 2011

8:02

Nairobi Hosts African Creative Economy Conference

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published November 17, 2011

The Creative Economy Report of 2008 by theUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicates that Africa’s contribution to world trade in cultural goods and services is less than 1% of such trade; what impact, then, does the creative sector currently have in Africa’s economic growth? This is a question that the African Creative conference scheduled for December 4-6, 2011 in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, seeks to address.

Bringing together creative practitioners and stakeholders in the arts sector, the conference is expected to assess and share some of the research done to date on the African creative economy in order to inform strategies of advocacy in the support of the African creative sector. Participants shall also examine the available research and the relationship between the African creative economy and development, cultural diversity and other contemporary cultural themes.

Among the areas to be explored include the creative economy and Africa, a session that will look at the recent history of the creative industries, the major global players, the economic impact of the creative industries in various regions in terms of job creation, foreign exchange earnings and the extent to which the global economic meltdown has affected the creative sectors.

Time and again artists on the African continent have often mourned the lack of political vision and will to support the arts and creative industries in their countries. National governments in Africa do not recognise the value of art and cultural industry to the economy yet the European Union-Africa, Asia, Pacific (ACP) Symposium on “Culture as a Vector of Development” and the African Union’s Plan of Action on Cultural Industries as views the same as potentially key drivers of development.

What, then, are the relationships between the economy and development, between democracy and development, between culture and development and between development and human rights on the African continent? Are there lessons for Africa to be learned from the global creative economy and from the declining support for the creative industries in the global North?

With the working environment for many cultural and creative practitioners proving difficult, this ARTerial Network-organised meeting is in no doubt timely for the creative industries. Will it provide a solution to the many disgruntled and frustrated practitioners or will it, like many other conferences before it, remain a talk show with no tangible results to show at the end?

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November 16, 2011

12:51

The World Votes on the New7Wonders of Nature

» ‎ ArtMatters

By new7wonders.com
Published November 16, 2011

Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River, Table Mountain are likely to be declared the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012, having been shortlisted.

Announcing the results at the headquarters of the New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland, Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, said, “I would like to thank the many champions, citizens, voluntary organizations, public bodies and governments that have helped promote the New7Wonders of Nature campaign over the past four years, starting with over 440 locations from over 220 countries and all the way to the 28 Finalist candidates from whom the New7Wonders of Nature have been chosen.”

The results, announced on November 11, 2011, are provisional and based on the first count of votes completed since voting ended at 11:11 GMT. The results will now be checked, validated and independently verified. Once the voting validation process is completed, in early 2012, New7Wonders will then work with the confirmed winners to organise the Official Inauguration events.

“We congratulate each of these participants on achieving their provisional New7Wonders of Nature status, and look forward to completing the confirmation process to celebrate each one in their own Official Inauguration ceremony early in 2012,” said Bernard Weber, adding, “When the New7Wonders of Nature are confirmed they will join the man-made New 7 Wonders of the World in becoming part of Global Memory for humankind for ever.”

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November 11, 2011

10:46

Global Financial Conditions Downgrade Travel and Tourism Growth Estimates for 2011 and 2012

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Forimmediaterelease.net
Published November 11, 2011

The global travel and tourism industry will grow more slowly in 2011 and 2012 than previously indicated, according to the World Travel&Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC’s annual research, published in March 2011, forecast growth of 4.5 percent and 5.1 percent in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Following the deterioration in global financial conditions in the second half of 2011, the continuing euro zone debt crisis, and the threat of a return to recession in the United States, the growth forecasts for 2011 and 2012 have been downgraded to 3.2% and 3.3%, respectively. The numbers measure direct contribution to GDP.

Long-term prospects remain strong, as WTTC predicts 10-year growth holding steady at around 4% per year between 2011 and 2021. This is down marginally from the annual growth of 4.3% forecast in March 2011, with the reduction due almost entirely to the downward revisions to growth in 2011 and 2012.

The latest economic data points to a slowdown in economic activity in the spring and summer of 2011. GDP growth in the USA is down from over 3% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to around 1.5% in the second quarter of 2011, with similar levels in the euro zone and growth as low as 0.5% in the UK in Q2 2011. Nevertheless, latest travel and tourism indicators show that people are still traveling – with international air travel and hotel occupancy rates up.

However, while travel and tourism data for the first half of 2011 has been largely positive, continued concerns around the state of the economy – particularly in the USA and Europe – mean that confidence levels are low. As the global economic recovery loses momentum and impacts industry performance, the outlook for travel and tourism will be weaker in the second half of the 2011 than it was in the first six months.

Travel and tourism is predicted to account for 69 million more jobs by 2021 – almost 80% of which will be in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

David Scowsill, WTTC President and CEO, says, “Travel and tourism is one of the world’s great industries, providing 9 percent of global GDP and 260 million jobs; it drives economic growth, business relationships, and social mobility. The industry is still growing strongly – but growth is lower than we had previously expected for both 2011 and 2012 due to the prevailing economic conditions and the disruption to travel patterns caused by natural disasters and social upheaval during 2011″.

“That said”, he adds, “growth of 3.2 percent during 2011 would still be a laudable achievement and would rank the travel and tourism industry ahead of world GDP growth, expected to be 2.8 percent, and most developed countries.The two big themes of 2012 are likely to be the rebound in tourism in the Middle East following the social upheaval of 2011 and the recovery of Japan, the world’s third largest travel and tourism economy, following the earthquake and tsunami. Our latest report on Japan indicates that the recovery is occurring in line with our most optimistic scenario, which states that the number of international tourist arrivals will recover by early 2012, along with a faster recovery in Japan’s own travel and tourism demand. It is fitting that our 12th Global Summit will bring the world’s travel and tourism leaders to Tokyo and Sendai in April next year”.

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November 09, 2011

18:15

Tourism Grows in 2011 Despite uncertainty

» ‎ ArtMatters

By UNWTO
Published November 9, 2011

Despite socio-economic uncertainty, the first eight months of 2011 have witnessed positive growth of the tourism sector. International tourist arrivals grew by 4.5% in the first eight months to a total of 671 million (29 million more than in the same period of 2010).

The Northern Hemisphere summer peak season months of July and August showed encouraging results with growth at close to 4% over 2010, corresponding to an extra 8 million arrivals. At 118 million, July saw the highest number of international tourist arrivals ever recorded in one month (August: 112 million).

Contrary to the trend in recent years, growth in arrivals during the first eight months of 2011 was higher in advanced economies (+4.9%) than in emerging ones (+4%), due largely to the particularly strong results of Europe (+6%). In northern Europe (+7%) and Central and Eastern Europe (+8%), recovery from the 2009 decline, which began in 2010, gained momentum this year. The same is true for some southern European destinations (+8%), which in 2011 also benefited from the shift of travel away from the Middle East (-9%) and North Africa (-15%).

Contrasting with growing economic uncertainty, European Union destinations (+6%) benefited strongly from this growth, bringing some relief for those destinations facing major economic challenges such as Greece (+14%), Ireland (+13%), Portugal (+11%), or Spain (+8%).

“Despite current volatility, international tourism is proving to be an important economic driver for many European economies, bringing much needed foreign exchange and helping to ease the pressure on their balance of payments,” said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai. “UNWTO encourages European governments to support tourism and consider the sector as one that can back economic recovery given its capacity to distribute wealth and create jobs across the region.”

In Asia (+6%), destinations in Southeast (+12%) and South Asia (+13%) remained the rising stars, with double-digit growth rates, while arrivals slowed in Northeast Asia – partly due to the decline in Japanese outbound tourism – and in Oceania.

South America (+13%) continues to lead growth in the Americas (+5%) benefiting from positive economic trends in the region and increased regional integration. Results in the other sub-regions – North America (+3%) Central America (+4%), and the Caribbean (+4%) – were slightly below average.

In Africa, arrivals were down by 4% as a result of the downturn in North Africa. Sub-Saharan African destinations grew by +4%.

In spite of the current situation in the Middle East, some destinations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to grow steadily. Results of July and August also show an improvement in arrivals to Egypt.

Data on receipts from and expenditure on international tourism for the first eight months of 2011 confirm the positive trend in arrivals.

Among the top ten destinations in international tourism receipts, the two main earners – the USA (+11%) and Spain (+10%) – show exports from tourism growing above the rate of arrivals, while growth in Italy (+6%), Germany (+6%), and the UK (+7%) was also significant.

In terms of source markets, expenditure on travel abroad continued to be very strong from the emerging economies of China (+30%), Russia (+21%), Brazil (+44%), and India (+33%). Major mature markets such as Germany (+4%), the USA (+5%), Canada (+6%), and Italy (+4%) also performed positively, while growth in expenditure on travel abroad from the Scandinavian markets, the Republic of Korea, and Australia was particularly strong.

Growth is expected to soften in the remainder of 2011, and international tourist arrivals are projected to end the year at between +4% and +4.5%, in line with UNWTO’s forecast at the beginning of the year. For 2012, growth is forecast to be in the range of +3% and +4%, slightly lower than in 2011 but sustaining the positive results of 2010 (+7%) and 2011.

“A stalled economic recovery and increased financial and fiscal challenges have brought growing uncertainty to the tourism market. Nevertheless, the trends of recent months make us confident that though at a slower pace, international tourism will continue to grow in 2012, creating much needed exports and jobs in many economies around the world,” said Rifai.

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November 08, 2011

21:19

Top Seven Over-Rated Tourism Attractions

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published November 8, 2011

Have you ever travelled for hours to a destination only to wait another hour in line fighting the crowds and then experiencing enormous disappointment? Some attractions are simply overrated. Here, travel portal Gadling.com presents a list of hot candidates for destinations not worth travelling to.

1. The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
The Eiffel Tower or La dame de fer (The Iron Lady) is definitely a global icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. Built in 1889, it is the tallest building in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; almost seven million ascend it every year, 75% of whom are foreigners. However, as to the view your photos of the city will look much better with the Tower in them. Notre Dame on the other hand is the place to be for a nice view and pictures of Paris’ skyline.

2. Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
Running from late September to the first weekend in October, Oktoberfest is one of the most famous events in Germany. Held since 1810, it is an important part of Bavarian culture and the world’s largest fair, with more than five million people attending every year. Many visitors, however, are disappointed with high prices of beer as well as food. Besides, the fair is basically for those enjoying getting drunk with a bunch of foreign tourists.

3. The Blarney Stone, Ireland
The Blarney Castle and its Blarney Stone are a popular tourist attraction. The Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of the Castle and a legend says that kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of great eloquence or skill at flattery. No wonder that the stone has been attracting visitors from all over the world. However, what luck can come of kissing a nasty, germ-infested piece of rock?

4. Cancun, Mexico
Cancun in southern Mexico underwent a remarkable transformation over the course of a few years. Originally a fisherman’s island surrounded by virgin forest and unknown shores, it is now, along with Acapulco, the most renowned Mexican resort in the world. It is also the gateway to the Riviera Maya and the Yucatán interior, which has numerous archaeological sites, as Chichen Itza, Cobá and Tulum. No wonder Cancun is crammed with tourists and according to many no different from, let’s say, any other beach city in the USA.

5. Stonehenge, Britain
One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge, is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire. It is at the centre of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. Visitors however cannot get close to the monoliths anymore and many are disappointed by the view of a major highway running right by the monument.

6. The Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
Originally built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, the Atomium is a steel monument in the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. The tubes enclose escalators connecting the spheres containing exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. However, many visitors deem the whole construction “boring”. There is no real reason to visit it other than to take a couple of pictures and say you have been there.

7. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
The Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa. After the restoration works performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees (in contrast to 5.5 degrees before that). This means that the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 3.9 metres from where it would be if the structure were perfectly vertical. The tower now is cabled up so it won’t lean any further. Get ready for crowds of tourists posing for photos where they pretend to hold it up.

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November 05, 2011

11:12

South African Metaphysical Drama Wins First Prize at Africa in Motion (AiM) Short Film Competition

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Gillian Cook
Published November 5, 2011

UMKHUNGO (The Gift), a gripping 29-minute film by Matthew Jankes of South Africa has beaten six other films to the first prize in the Africa in Motion (AiM) Edinburg African Film Festival’s annual short film competition. This beautifully photographed metaphysical drama in isiZulu tells the story of a disillusioned street thug in Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa, who rescues an orphaned child with uncontrollable supernatural powers. It was produced as part of the Focus Features Africa First programme, which has been mentoring up-and-coming African filmmakers to produce quality short films. The cash prize is sponsored by The Africa Channel.

Seven stunning films from across the continent competed in the fourth Africa in Motion short film competition. They included LEZARE (For Today) by Zelalem Woldemariam (Ethiopia, 2010); THE TAILORED SUIT by Kitso Lelliott(South Africa, 2011); DINA by Mickey Fonseca (Mozambique, 2010); GARAGOUZ by Abdenour Zahzah (Algeria, 2011); KHOUYA (My Brother) by Kuossim Yanis (Algeria, 2010); and TINYE SO by Daouda Coulibaly (Mali, 2011).

The competition receives dozens of entries from all over Africa each year, from which a shortlist is made. The shortlisted films in 2011 were screened at the Africa in Motion Film Festival on November 4,2011 with the winning film announced immediately after the screenings. The films deal with themes ranging from myths and folktales, families and relationships, to mysterious powers and the magic of storytelling. In these short films we see how African filmmakers continue to address serious and relevant social issues (such as religious fundamentalism, environmental protection and domestic abuse) and how the scope of the genre is expanding through more films experimenting with style and narrative.

The Africa in Motion short film competition is geared towards young and emerging African filmmakers who have not yet produced feature-length films. The winning film is selected by a high-profile jury, consisting of international film practitioners. Filmmaker Zina Saro-Wiwa, member of the jury, described UMKHUNGO as “a deeply serious film with powerful performances. Well cast. An original and utterly unique take on black disaffection in South Africa. A sublime little movie that packs a major, major punch.”

Commenting on the short-list, Noe Mendelle, Director of Scottish Documentary Institute and one of the short film competition judges said, “The short-list was extremely strong making it quite a challenge to select a winner. The technical standard of production is getting higher and higher. It was also lovely to see countries such as Algeria and Ethiopia represented in the competition.”

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November 03, 2011

20:28

Nigeria Has the Highest Level of Consumer Optimism

» ‎ ArtMatters

By BBC World Service International Publicity
Published November 3, 2011

Nigeria has the highest consumer optimism according to a 25-country poll by BBC World Service Global Poll.

Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria represented Africa in the poll of 25,438 people conducted by GlobeScan between July and September 2011 in which respondents were asked to say whether they expect good or bad economic times in 2012, and also over the next five years. Globally, consumers in many of the world’s major industrialised economies are pessimistic about economic prospects in their country, while those in emerging economies are much more upbeat.

On average, 59% of African respondents predict that economic conditions during the next 12 months will be “good” or “mostly good,” while only 14% say they expect bad economic times. This optimistic sentiment is found consistently in each of the four African countries surveyed.

Nigeria is the country with by far the highest proportion of optimists among all countries surveyed (72%), and the percentage has increased by 11 points since 2010. Respondents from the three other African countries surveyed also have majorities who think their country will experience “good” or “mostly good” times in the year ahead, above the proportions in any other surveyed country: 57% in Egypt, 55% in Kenya, and 53% in Ghana. Like Nigerians, Kenyans and Ghanaians are much more upbeat about economic prospects in their country compared to 2010 (24% more optimists in Kenya, 13% more in Ghana).

The longer-term picture also shows buoyant sentiment among Africans, especially in Egypt and Nigeria. Egyptians are the most positive of all the countries surveyed about business conditions over the next five years, with almost three in four (74%) saying they anticipate “continuous” or “mostly” good economic conditions. They are closely followed by Nigerians (73%, up 10 points since 2010). Ghana follows with 60% (up 14 points since 2010). Kenyans are less upbeat, although 48% of them predict good business conditions. This percentage has increased by 12 points since 2010.

“Much of Africa has missed out on the economic growth of recent decades that has lifted many countries in Asia and Latin America out of poverty. But with steady and sustained growth in Nigeria in recent years, and encouraging signs elsewhere on the continent, this suggests that Africans may now feel that better times are ahead – in sharp contrast to the situation in many of the world’s major economies,” says Sam Mountford, Research Director, GlobeScan Incorporated, of the survey findings.

This is the third year the poll has measured economic confidence around the world. Focusing just on the change in consumer confidence since 2010, most of the countries seeing the biggest increases are in the developing world, with the biggest rises in Kenya (up 24 points since 2010), Mexico (up 23 points), Turkey (up 16), and Indonesia and Germany (each up 14). The proportions expecting good times have dropped in two countries—India (down 11 points since 2010) and Australia (down 9 points). Economic confidence has been largely static over the same period in the UK and other G7 economies like France, Canada, the USA and Japan.

GlobeScan Chairman, Doug Miller, says, “The poll suggests citizens in many industrialised economies—most notably the UK and US—see their immediate and longer-term economic prospects as bleak, and the continuing eurozone crisis will only be making matters worse. It also reveals continuing strong consumer confidence in emerging giants such as Brazil, India, and China.”

International polling firm GlobeScan conducted this poll for BBC World Service between July 3, 2011 and September 16, 2011. The margin of error per country ranges from +/- 2.0 to 4.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

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November 01, 2011

14:27

4th African Fashion Fair and 4th Swahili Fashion Week Celebrate ‘Africa’

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Daisy Nandeche Okoti
Published November 1, 2011

The fourth edition of the annual African Fashion Fair was held in Nairobi, Kenya, October 27-30, 2011.

The first day opened with a lot of energy and it marked the finals of the student designers’ competition. The students from various universities and colleges in Kenya appeared to have put lots of effort in their work and all their end products were African attires worth writing home about.
Many members of the audience at the show that was held at Alliance Francaise were wowed throughout the show that was punctuated with generous claps and cheers from time to time.
The second day could not be compared to the first day because things were done differently. The attention of the audience was caught mainly because of the Africanness in the designs and the fabrics used.

One of the main reasons the African Fashion Fair is held is to celebrate the best of African fashion; true to the aim of the event, African fashion was not only celebrated but also honoured during the three-day event. It was such a fulfilling feeling to note that there are still Africans out there who are still in touch with Africa, and especially in this age when most people are struggling to ape everything ‘Western’. The main challenge for designers at the moment is to be creative and imaginative in order to survive in the ever changing field of fashion and beauty pageantry. But we are not worried because if the strength they demonstrated during the African Fashion Fair is anything to go by, then there is no cause for alarm.

Meanwhile, OGOVA ONDEGO reports, the 4th Swahili Fashion Week—a platform for fashion and accessory designers from Kiswahili-speaking countries to showcase their talent, market their creativity and network with clientele and the international fashion industry—shall take place in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, November 10-12, 2011.Founder and director of the event, fashion designer Mustafa Hassanali, says the 2011 edition shall bring together 50 designers to mark 50 years of Tanzania’s 50 years of political independence.

Releasing the calendar of events in Dar, Hassanali says the 4th Swahili Fashion Week shall feature a ‘shopping festival’—The Swahili Fashion Week Shopping Festival—at The National Museum between 11:00 am and 11:00 pm daily.

“The aim of the Swahili Fashion Week Shopping Festival is to bring the works of the fashion industry closer to the public in a relaxed environment,” Hassanali says.

Among the areas to be emphasised in the Swahili Fashion Week Shopping Festival, Hassanali says, will be Swahili cuisine, Swahili beauty and adornment, Swahili music and performance, Swahili fashion, Swahili textiles and weaving, and Swahili arts and crafts.

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11:41

African Air Traffic To Soar Over the Next 20 Years

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego and Tourism-Review.Com
Published November 1, 2011

Air traffic in Africa is set to grow beyond the general rate of global growth in the next two decades.

Though the growth of the airline industry on a global scale is expected to be around 5.4% between now and 2020, Africa expects a higher rate of 6.5% per annum according to aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

The growth of a number of African economies along with increasing stability and a growing interest in what the continent can offer for tourists are some of the factors contributing to this optimism.

Already, many international airlines–Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air, KLM, British Airways,–are in a break-neck competition with African operators–Kenya Airways, Ethiopian, South African–over the growing African market.Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the return of Gulf Air (December 5, 2011) and Qatar Airways (November 2, 2011) to Uganda’s Entebbe airport that is set on growing into an alternative eastern Africa hub to Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.At least a million passengers are reported to have passed through Entebbe in 2010.

Qatar launches a daily service between Kampala and Doha on November 2, 2011. Gulf Air launches four-times-a-week service between Bahrain and Kampala a month later, on December 5, 2011.

Whereas many countries have numerous Aviation Megacities, the whole of Africa currently has just one: Johannesburg, South Africa. An Aviation Megacity is a place, which serves 10,000 or more passengers per day. By 2020, if the Mother Continent is to cope with incoming, and in some cases outgoing, demand, then six such places will be necessary. South Africa, according to estimates, is going to need at least 180 more aircraft at huge costs.

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October 30, 2011

2:12

2nd Africa International Film Festival Announces Jury Members

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 30, 2011

Nigeria-based Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has announced members of juries at its second edition scheduled for November 30-December 4, 2011.

The six members include Eriq Ebouaney, Oladipo Agboluaje, and Heidi Lobato (Feature/Animation); and Femi Odugbemi, Mahen Bonetti and Mbye Cham (Documentary).

While Ebouaney is a professional actor who has appeared in productions such as FEMME FATALE by Brian de Palma and LUMUMBA by Raoul Peck, Agboluaje is a playwright whose works include Early Morning, God is a DJ, The Estate, The Christ of Coldharbour Lane, For One Night Only, The Hounding of David Oluwale, Iya Ile, and Say Goodbye. Lobato founded and directed Amnesty International Filmfestival in Amsterdam between 1995 and 2000. She was also closely involved in the founding of One World Human Rights Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic in 1997, Watch Dogs Human Rights Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland in 2000 and Basic Trust human rights film festival in Israel and the Palestine territories in 2000.
Odugbemi, on the other hand, is an award-winning writer, producer, director and photographer.

Bonetti is the founder and Executive Director of African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF), a non-profit arts organisation founded in 1990 to showcase works of African filmmakers and develop ways to share the vision and culture of African film with American and international audiences.

Mbye, who specialises in literature, film, culture and development, is currently Chair of the Department of African Studies at Howard University in Washington, DC, USA.

Launched in December 2010 as annual festival, AFRIFF projects itself as ‘a platform for the world to zoom in on the talent and beauty of Africa through film’.

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October 28, 2011

19:42

BBC World Service Expands its FM Presence in Madagascar

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 28, 2011

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has expanded its outreach across Madagascar with the launch of two FM relay stations. BBC 89.8 FM in Fianarantsoa and Toamasina add to the existing BBC 89.2 FM in the capital, Antananarivo. A week of special programming exploring the country’s realities from an international perspective has been airing from the Indian island state since October 24, 2011. All three stations carry the BBC Afrique schedule as well as BBC World Service’s English-language programming. The weekly broadcasts culminates in a special edition of Afrique en direct on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

BBC Afrique is said to broadcast about eight hours a day. Its three main news and current affairs programmes–BBC Matin (06.00 – 07.30 GMT), BBC Midi (12.00 – 12.30GMT) and BBC Soir (18.00 -18.30GMT)–focus on news in French-speaking Africa and across the continent and the world. The programmes are produced in London and in the bureaux in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bujumbura (Burundi), Dakar (Senegal), Kigali (Rwanda) and Kinshasa (Congo-Kinshasa).

In additi on to its daily programmes, BBC Afrique takes a look at news and current affairs in its weekly feature programmes: L’Interview, Africana, Britannia, L’Autre Actualité, Sport Week-end and Afrique Hebdo. On the weekly programmes, Le Club BBC and Star Club, listeners can exchange views, find friends or dedicate songs to friends and family. The weekly programme, L’Afrique en Direct, gives listeners an opportunity to take part in debates with specially invited guests. The Saturday programme, Samedi Foot, at 13.45-16.00 GMT brings live commentary of England’s Premier League matches, including previews, half-time and full-time analysis. Interactivity makes up a big part of the BBC Afrique output as audiences are invited to share their views by SMS, Facebook and Twitter and via bbcafrique.com.

“As Africa’s second most populous francophone country,” says Joachim Harris, Head of Business Development – Africa, BBC World Service, “Madagascar is an important market for BBC World Service’s French for Africa service, BBC Afrique. We are delighted that with the launch of these two BBC FM stations in Fianarantsoa and Toamasina we can further expand our listener base, giving them the opportunity to enjoy our programming on FM. We are looking forward to forging closer connections with our listeners in Madagascar through the new BBC FM stations.”

Editor, BBC Afrique – London, Venuste Nshimiyimana, says, “Our series of reports from across the island bring the realities of Madagascar closer to listeners across francophone Africa, putting the issues that matter to them in the wider regional and global context.”

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October 26, 2011

0:51

Tracking Kenyan Cultures Through Dance

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 26, 2011

A dance show tracking various Kenyan cultures through the art of movement shall be staged in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 2, 2011.

Directed and choreographed by the France-based Kenyan Fernando Anuang’a, the dance show–dubbed Identity–is expected to bring together diverse traditions into a 60-minute choreographic spectacle, blending and fusing various dance styles into one show. From this, Anuang’a says he intends to create a platform from which dancers can continue to create and share professional choreographic work with local audiences.

“The show will present the different facets of Kenyan culture, both original and contemporary, and take a diverse audience on a voyage where they will experience distinct and different dance styles that reflect the scope of Kenyan culture,” Anuang’a says of the dance that shall bring together more than 13 professional and amateur artists in different disciplines of dance–contemporary, urban, hip-hop, break dance, Indian and chakacha–to the Alliance française Gardens at 7:30 pm.

Anuang’a has been on the dance stage since the early 1990s when he performed as a as a Maasai dancer with the Rare Watts group. He has since toured and performed in many countries, including but not limited to Seychelles, Venezuela, Pakistan and Namibia. His previous productions include Fusion Indo-Maasai, Feelings and Voices and, most recently, Traditional Future produced by Pierre Cardin.

The Identity Dance Show is also expected to feature guest singers Iddi Achieng and Nina Ogot, Indian classical dancers from Kamini School of Dance, a Maasai vocals group, and dancers Kanda King and Rare Watts. Entry is Sh300 per head.

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October 24, 2011

0:19

Winners at the 25th Cinekid International Film, Television and New Media Festival for the Youth Announced

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 24, 2011

Cinekid, the International Film, Television and New Media Festival for the Youth based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, announced the winners of the 25th annual Cinekid Awards on October 20, 2011.

Also receiving an award from the Centre International du Film pour L’Enfance et la Jeunesse (CIFEJ) at the event that ran October 12-21, 2011 was Cinekid director, Sannette Naeyé.

Best International Film:
Bernard van Leer Foundation Best International Film (Cinekid-lion, Audience Award): Will by Ellen Perry
Best International Film (Cinekid-lion, Jury Award): Entre Lobos (Among Wolves) by Gerardo Olivares
MovieSquad Best International Picture (Children’s Jury): Lost in Africa by Vibeke Muasya

Best Dutch Film:
UPC Best Dutch Film (Jury Award): Patatje Oorlog (Taking Chances) by Nicole van Kilsdonk.
Best Dutch Film (Audience Award): Penny’s Shadow by Steven de Jong

Best Dutch Television Program:
Best Overall Television Program (Jury Award): Ik heb een droom (I have a dream) by van Jan-Willem Wit & Joost Gulien
Best Non-fiction Television Program (Jury Award): Ik ben echt niet bang! van Willem Baptist
Best Non-fiction Television Program (Audience Award): Checkpoint by Jan Pool
Best Fiction Television Program (Jury Award): De avonturen van Pim & Pom (The adventures of Pim & Pom) by Gioia Smid
Best Fiction Television Program (Audience Award): Raveleijn by Anne van der Linden

Best New Media Production:
Best New Media Production (Jury Award): Room Racers by Lieven van Velthoven
Best New Media Production (Audience Award): Wip’n’Kip (Chick’n’Run) by Fourcelabs

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October 20, 2011

11:05

Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize Call for Entries

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 20, 2011

Writers in the Commonwealth have till november 30, 2011 and December 9, 2011 to enter their short story and first fiction book, respectively, for the for Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize competition.

The Commonwealth Foundation, an intergovernmental organisation established in 1965, made the call for entries for the new Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize on October 19, 2011. The Foundation, that is supported by the Commonwealth governments, says the “prizes are part of a new initiative, Commonwealth Writers, an online hub to inspire, inform and create a community of writers from all over the world. Together with the prizes, Commonwealth Writers unearths, develops and promotes the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth.”

Commonwealth Foundation Director, Danny Sriskandarajah, says, “As one of the Commonwealth Foundation’s flagship projects, I’m delighted that we’re putting the prizes firmly on the contemporary map of new writing and launching a dedicated Commonwealth Writers website to extend our global reach.”

Awarded for best first book, the Commonwealth Book Prize is open to writers who have had their first novel (full length work of fiction) published between January 1 and December 31, 2011. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £10,000. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2000-5000 words). Regional winners receive £1,000 and the overall winner receives £5,000. The winners will be announced in June 2012.

“The significance of a prize such as this”, says Commonwealth Book Prize Chair, Margaret Busby, “becomes greater with each year. It is vital to encourage and celebrate the talent of newly emerging novelists whose words have the potential to inspire and enrich the entire literary world. Searching out and promoting the best first books of fiction internationally is a serious task, a great honour and a wonderful challenge.”

Bernardine Evaristo, Chair of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, says, “This wonderful prize will turn the spotlight on the increasingly popular short story form and aims to support and encourage short story writers worldwide.”

The Commonwealth Foundation says its “Commonwealth Writers works in partnership with international literary organisations, the wider cultural industries and civil society to help writers develop their craft. Commonwealth Writers is a forum where members can debate the future of publishing, get advice from established authors and ask questions of our writer in residence.”

Full rules and entry and eligibility information on the prizes is available on the commonwealthwriters.org website.

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October 18, 2011

20:19

Filmmaking with Social Impact Training Initiative Invites Participants in Africa, India and Europe

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published October 18, 2011

A unique initiative of filmmaking with social impact shall be introduced to Africa, India and Europe via online conference on October 24, 2011.The organisers, ZeLIG School for Documentary, Television and New Media (Italy) in collaboration with Formedia (India) and Africa Medical Research Foundation (Italy/Kenya), request interested parties to register via international.esodoc.org for them to participate in the online conference.

A second online conference will follow on November 7, 2011 as a prelude to a major residential workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, in January 2012. The workshop is planned to feature lectures and case studies through an innovative didactic approach in various story-telling techniques and multi-platforms such as Participatory Video, New Media and Mobile Phones and in pitching skills.

The training initiative, known as EsoDoc International, targets African, Asian and European filmmakers, new media professionals and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) representatives interested in developing social documentary projects suitable for the international market.

Any one interested in attending the residential training in Nairobi (January 28-February 4, 2012) must apply for the opportunity on international.esodoc.org by November 16, 2011. The training will be supervised by international experts whose expertise is to plan, create and distribute documentary films and cross-media projects with a social impact.

While the October 24, 2011 internet Conference is expected to tackle visual language in Africa, India and Europe through Participatory video and Cross-media, the subsequent November 7, 2011 one will look at financing and distribution for factual in Africa, India and Europe.

The residential workshop–that offers frontal lectures and seminars on topics around the use of new media in the creation and distribution of documentaries and on the collaboration between media-makers and NGO/NPO collaborators as well as case-studies, project-related training and tutorial assistance–is scheduled to take place in the Nairobi suburb of Dagoretti, at the AMREF Child Development Centre, where participants and trainers will meet personally and finalise projects.
The workshop is open to 15 participants, five from each target-region: Africa, India, Europe.

So who may apply to EsoDoc?

The prospectus says that “ESoDoc is intended for professionals who are committed to the goal of social change, who are responsive to the new ways that film is achieving it and who want to develop their own documentary film projects across a 360 degree spectrum. We are looking for documentary filmmakers and producers, NGO and NPO sector professionals who are willing to propose or implement communication projects and New Media Professionals who want to realize www projects according to the spirit of ESoDoc or collaborate with others.”

“With documentary being the most common genre in Kenya,” Ogova Ondego of Lola Kenya Screen says, “the EsoDoc training is a great way to help improve the nature of documentary filmmaking in the country in particular and Africa at large. Independent producers and young filmmakers are certainly going to find the workshop beneficial”.

The Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development and market for children and youth in eastern Africa that also hosts the IPO-Eastern Africa network for independent audiovisual media content producers, creative and cultural entrepreneurs, social transformers, media literacy educators, broadcasters and festival organisers is an associate partner of EsoDoc that was established as European Social Documentary in 2004.

EsoDoc has since trained 200 filmmakers. The trained filmmakers like Lucian Muntean and Natasa Stankovic (Lunam Docs) whose films like JOURNEY OF A RED FRIDGE and MBAMBU AND THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON have won awards at various film festivals, including Lola Kenya Screen.

Similar training workshops to the one planned for Nairobi in 2012 have been conducted in Urlati (Romania) and Oostende (Belgium) in May and July 2011, respectively.

EsoDoc International—that gives importance to strategies and methodologies that support a different perspective and a “view from inside” on Africa, India or Europe, a change of position in the narration of a specific story—is conducted with the support of MEDIA Mundus programme of the European Union.

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October 16, 2011

13:57

Independent Audiovisual Media Producers Hone Their Production, Entrepreneurship and Marketing Skills at UNESCO Meeting

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa with Ogova Ondego
Published October 16, 2011

A three-day meeting to endorse high quality audiovisual media content thais public service-oriented, innovative and challenging beyond the conventional forms of television language has just ended in Barcelona, Spain. Organised by UNESCO and the Association of Igualada and bringing together audiovisual media practitioners from 26 countries, the UNESCO-Igualada International Training Workshop for Independent Producers brought together broadcasters, producers and film festival organisers who were not only mentored in entrepreneurship, broadcasting and distribution of content, but also treated to a variety of films from the various countries.

In his opening remarks, Alton Grizzle, the programme specialist at UNESCO observed that in times when the world is witnessing an overproduction of audiovisual media material, whoever wants to convey development-related content should possess the right set of skills, tools, and know-how in order to ensure the quality of one’s creation and hence make one’s message stand out.

The training, also referred to as International Meeting of Independent Producer was held October 5-7, 2011 with the objectives of helping improve the skills of participants on content and audiovisual media language innovation, application of new technologies to audiovisual content production, effective marketing and entrepreneurship. Emphasis was put on producing high quality material that convey development-oriented messages.
Expert trainers were drawn from UNESCO-partner Organisations: Lola Kenya Screen, European Broadcasting Union, Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM), Central Africa Bank of Images, Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking and International Public Television Conference (INPUT). The trainers included Melanie ChaitMichel-F Gelinas, Daniel Mejia, Katalin Barsony, Feten Fradi, Paula Callus, Remi Atangana Abega, Pierre Duret, Karzan Kardozis and Ogova Ondego.

The meeting—designed to facilitate networking and sharing of inspiring insights–took place in the context of UNESCO’s Audiovisual E-Platform, a multi-cultural, online tool for independent producers and broadcasters that aims at promoting the international distribution of television content through North-South and South-South cooperation.

The 10 trainers tackled their subjects in line with the themes of the conference that included creative content, audiovisual productions and new technologies, high quality filming, filming and the web, audiovisual productions as a public service, partnership between independent producers and broadcasters, making development-related content attractive for advertisers, and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other development goals.

In her address titled, ‘You are an artist. Bringing out the creativity in you. From Traditional to creative audiovisual content and language ‘, Dr Chait of South Africa-based Big Fish film asked participants to question who is teaching when it comes to film.

Canadian Michel-F Ghelinas guided the participants on how to produce high quality audiovisual content using high quality filming. Ghelinas who works as a director and producer noted that quality is a result of 50% of work and 50% of luck and purpose.

In tackling ‘Engendering Entrepreneurship and Positioning AV Work to Target Market’, Kenyan Ogova Ondego emphasised the importance of informed and thorough planning of initiatives in line with the opportunities and risks found in the environment in which one wishes to work. Vision, mission and branding, Ondego said, are crucial in the often treacherous terrain of entrepreneurship. He screened some of the films made by children and youth for children and youth during the Lola Kenya Screen film mentorship programmes since 2006 and drew many examples to illustrate the presentation from the Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media initiative for children and youth in eastern and southern Africa region that he manages from Nairobi, Kenya.

Katalin Barsony of Budapest, Hungary–in her presentation ‘Innovative audiovisual narratives for the representation of dehumanised minority groups in the media’–observed that while mass media could be one of the most useful tools for the promotion of understanding between majority and minority and information based debate in society, it seems that they are still reproducing prejudices via a static conception of culture, the content of reporting and the roles distributed to minority speaking people.

Cameroonian director and producer Remi Atangana Abega highlighted the state of networks among independent audiovisual media practitioners. While defining a network as a professional organisation with technicians working in the same sector in order to exercise actions of general interests, Abega—who said he is opposed to networks that do nothing but simply talk—insisted that members of a network should have the same goals for any network to succeed.

While Daniel Mejia a Colombian film student in Italy talked about the production of short films, Tunisian Feten Fradi on Insights on Co-Production and Karzan Kardozi on cinematographic styles of feature films, Paula Callus of the National Centre of Computer Animation of Bournemouth University tackled production of African animation.

Pierre Duret of the European Broadcasting Union talked about independent production from the perspective of the broadcaster.

At the end of the three-day conference independent producers were encouraged to ensure the free circulation of ideas through the word and through images as well as taking care of cultural diversity. Freedom of expression, media pluralism, multilingualism, equal access to art and to scientific and technological knowledge, including in digital form, and the possibility for all cultures to have access to the means of expression and dissemination were therefore singled out as the ultimate guarantees of cultural diversity.

Audiovisual productions are therefore a prerequisite for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Similarly, audiovisual material, if properly packaged and circulated, can be a very useful support when addressing issues and policies related to good governance, empowerment of marginalised groups, and gender equity.

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1:18

Africa First Programme Announces 2011 Winners

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 16, 2011

Ethiopian Zelalem Woldemariam, Namibian Oshosheni Hiveluah, South African Mark Middlewick, Ghanaian Akosua Adoma Owusu and Burkinabe Cedric Ido are the winners of Africa First Programme for Short Films. Besides receiving US$10,000 each from Focus Features for pre-production, production, and/or post-production on their narrative short film made in continental Africa, the winners are expected to visit New York City in November 2011 for a weekend of one-on-one workshop discussions covering topics like international distribution and the economics of studio financing.

The films the five winners are to direct are ADAMET (Listen), the story of a talented drummer who encounters a deaf woman by Woldemariam; 100 BUCKS, an immersion into

Windhoek, the Namibian capital through the progress of a piece of currency by Hiveluah; LATE NIGHT SECURITY, in which the night guard at a shopping center finds solace and friendship from an unlikely source by Middlewick; KWAKU ANASE, adapting into live action and animation a traditional West African story about a student’s family secret by Owusu; and TWAAGA (Invincible), blending live action and animation in the tale of a boy’s quest to be a superhero by Ido.

Films from Africa First have been showcased at festivals like Sundance, Toronto, and Berlin; the Film Society of Lincoln Centre; and the Museum of the Moving Image.

Africa First, Volume I, a two-hour compilation of short films made by previous filmmakers in the programme, is available on DVD and across VOD and EST platforms.

“I’m continually impressed by the range of great young artists we meet through Africa First; each filmmaker has a distinctive vision and voice, and I look forward to learning from them at our summit,” James Schamus, the Chief Executive Officer of Focus Features says.

Producer Kisha Cameron-Dingle, who serves as programme director of Africa First, adds, “We are particularly proud of the diversity and ambition in this year’s solid group, with new storytellers coming from several countries contributing to the program for the first time.”

While the winning filmmakers retain the copyrights and the distribution rights to their completed shorts, Focus Features holds the rights to North America, as well as the right of first negotiation to feature-length expansion productions derived from the shorts.

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October 14, 2011

10:12

Royal Air Morocco Restructures with Millions of Euros from Government

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published October 14, 2011

The government of Morocco is to invest 145 million Euros in the national airline to help the company’s restructuring.

The Moroccan government announced its support of Royal Air Morocco (RAM) in its investment and restructuring programme with overall cost of 800 million Euros. Between 2011 and 2016, the government will invest 145 million Euros in the national airline. The agreement between RAM and the Ministers of Economy and Finance, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Prime Minister, was signed at the end of September 2011, according to Econostrum.info.

Driss Benhima, CEO of RAM, highlighted the difficulties Royal Air Morocco faces in the current highly competitive environment. Despite that RAM is the second African airline by turnover and the third by the number of passengers.

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Salaheddine Mezouar, stressed the importance of the agreement that reflexes the national aspirations for the air transport and strategic goals designed to make Casablanca a strategic air hub for Africa and further.

The contract sets out the commitments of the government and RAM in order to re-establish the national carrier and liberalize the Moroccan sky. The agreement also allows the company to meet its financial commitments, to optimize the network, service quality and reduce costs by about 89 million Euros, making the airport infrastructure in Casablanca more efficient.

RAM is going to invest in new aircrafts to lower the expenditures for repairs. Four Airbuses A321s will be ordered as well as five Boeings B737-500 and one B767. In addition, RAM will also receive two B737-800 by the end of March 2012. By reducing the fleet age the operating and maintenance costs per seat will be down by 20%.

The airline also plans to close ticket selling shops since most of the tickets are sold online. In France for example, only two offices will remain – one in Paris and one in Marseille. Moreover, according to the employee reduction plan 1560 staff members should leave the company within two years.

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October 12, 2011

19:51

Africa Arts Campus Explores Creative Trends, Icons and Innovation

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 12, 2011

For six full days, lovers of the arts shall have the opportunity to explore trends, icons and innovation in African music, literature, cinema, dance, theatre, visual art and cultural tourism. They shall also engage in a series of illustrated short courses, discussions and screenings facilitated by a diverse range of experts at an event dubbed Africa 101: An African Arts Campus to be held at Artscape, Cape Town, South Africa. The event–scheduled for October 24-29, 2011–is the initiative of African Arts Institute in partnership with Goethe-Institut in South Africa and Artscape.
Among the subjects to be covered are African destinations by Ian Harris, Contemporary African literature with Prof Harry Garuba, Contemporary African art with Andrew Lamprecht, Contemporary African music with Kolade Arogundade and African cinema with Bridget Thompson and Mike Dearham.
Also lined up are free-of-charge lunch-time discussions on the Arab Spring and what it could mean for the arts in North Africa by Aadel Essaadani, African artists’ perspectives on South Africa by Maggie Otieno, African values, worldviews and spirituality and how they can contribute to change in african and the world by Mmatshilo Motsei, and Culture and its relevance to development, democracy and human rights in Africa by Mike van Graan.

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October 11, 2011

11:22

5th World Summit on Arts and Culture Wraps Up as Chile Takes the Baton for 2014

» ‎ ArtMatters

By IFACCA
Published October 11, 2011

The 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture concluded in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday, October 6, 2011 generating a range of international initiatives to support arts practice and policy-making in Australia and internationally.

Thursday also marked the official handover to the Chilean National Council for Culture and the Arts, the host of the 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture, January 13-16, 2014.

The 5th World Summit, co-hosted by the Australia Council for the Arts and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), was held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Australia, October on 3-6, 2011 and attracted 501 delegates from 72 countries.

The theme of the Summit, Creative Intersections, was explored by more than 80 speakers who provoked wide-ranging debate around the role of innovative government policy in facilitating intersections between the arts and other sectors for the benefit of the broader community, including health and well-being, education, environmental action, business, international aid, social inclusion and digital technologies.

“The Australian arts and culture sector has gained enormously from our hosting of the Summit both in terms of information sharing and the creation of international networks,” said Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. “With the generous support of the Australian Federal Government, and our partners, Arts Victoria, the ABC, the University of Melbourne, the Asia-Europe Foundation, City of Melbourne, the Commonwealth Foundation, Creative New Zealand, and Tourism Victoria, as well as a range of other partners, we have created a unique and truly global event of which Australia can be proud”.

“The Summit has strongly reinforced the value of international networking between leaders in arts and cultural policy making,” said Alan Davey, Chair of IFACCA and CEO of Arts Council England. “It has also provided delegates and members of IFACCA with a myriad ideas for ways to better support partnerships and networking between artists, arts organisations and other sectors of society in Australia, the Pacific, Asia and the rest of the world”.

Publication of a final research report: Creative Partnerships: Intersections between the arts, culture and other sectors will be available in late 2011 as well as a compilation of the best practice case studies and papers presented at the Summit.

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2:34

Here Are The World’s Top Five Deepest Lakes

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published October 11, 2011

Many lakes around the world are popular among tourists offering fabulous places for perfect holidays. Discover five of the world’s deepest fresh water lakes that are also favourite destinations among nature lovers as well as leisure tourists.

1. Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia
With its average depth of 744.4 meters Baikal, or the Pearl of Siberia, is the deepest lake in the world. Its greatest depth is 1642 m. What more, it is also the oldest fresh water lake and second most voluminous lake in the world. It contains 20% of world’s fresh water. The lake is also home to 1700 species of plants and animals and 1100 out of them are not found anywhere else in the world. Travelers coming to admire the beauty of the lake also enjoy cruising, kayaking, motor-biking, rafting and skating as well as exploring the local ancient ethnic cultures.

2. Lake Tanganyika, East African Great Rift Valley
The maximum depth of Lake Tanganyika is 1470 meters while the average depth is 570 m. It is second deepest, second largest by volume, and the longest fresh water lake in the world (max. length: 673 km, max. width: 72 km). It is divided among four countries – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. Thanks to the mountainous surroundings the lake offers stunning views as well as opportunities for sport fishing, swimming or wildlife watching.

3. Lake Malawi, East African Great Rift Valley
Lake Malawi with the average depth of 292 m and maximum depth of 706 m is the third deepest fresh water lake of the world. Also known as Lake Nyassa, this beautiful and spellbinding lake lies between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Its tropical waters are the habitat of more species of fish than those of any other body of freshwater on Earth. In June 2011 the lake was officially declared a natural reserve by the Government of Mozambique. The lake is a paradise for those who enjoy swimming, snorkeling, diving, and of course sunbathing. The waters are mostly calm, clear as crystal and there are no big tourist resorts anywhere along the coastline.

4. Great Slave Lake, Canada
Great Slave Lake is the second largest lake of Canada and one of the most attractive lakes of North America. It is also the fourth deepest lake in the world (avg. depth: 41 m, max. depth: 614 m). The beauty of the lake lies mainly in the ice floating on the surface of the water. The lake is popular among travelers thanks to numerous opportunities for fishing, wildlife watching (foxes, wolves, coyotes), and canoeing.

5. Lake Matano, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Popular among tourists thanks to its crystal clear water, Lake Matano is the fifth deepest lake in the world and the deepest lake in Indonesia. Its greatest depth is 590 m. It is home to many species of endemic fish and other animals as well as many plants. Visitors enjoy rafting, water skiing, canoeing and diving. Another popular option is exploring the forests surrounding the lake as well as several unique tribal villages.

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October 07, 2011

3:16

Spain Hosts International Training Workshop for Independent Audiovisual Media Producers

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published October 7, 2011

A three day international meeting for independent film and television producers opened in Igualada, Spain, on October 5, 2011.

Organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the UNESCO Association of Igualada in the context of the UNESCO Audiovisual E-Platform and our related work in this area, the meeting brought together participants from 26 countries. Other partners involved in the training workshop included Lola Kenya Screen/IPO-Eastern Africa, the European Broadcasting Union, COPEAM (Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators), Central Africa Bank of Images, Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, and INPUT (International Public Television Conference).

Below is the speech delivered by Alton Grizzle, Programme Specialist, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO, on October 5, 2011 :

Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to bring you brief remarks from UNESCO and to welcome you to participate in this International Training Workshop for Independent Producers jointly organised by UNESCO and the UNESCO Association of Igualada. The workshop is organised in the context of the UNESCO Audiovisual E-Platform and our related work in this area.

Before proceeding, UNESCO would like say a special thank you to the Association of Igualada for their invaluable contribution from the very inception to implementation of this workshop. I am sure most of you are visiting Igualada for the first time, like me. Truly we are off the beaten track being privileged with the opportunity to be in this historic and beautiful city with heritage dating back to the 10th century. A workshop as this focusing on independent audiovisual content calls us to be inspired by this city, wanting to learn more about it and perhaps one of you will decide to do a documentary about Igualada and its surrounding communities.

It was Jim Rohn that observed that “everything you need for a better future and success has already been written…. All you have to do is to go to the library.” While this observation holds much truth, independent producers should ask the question – Have all the stories that need to be told – have been told? And if these stories have been told, from whose perspective were they captured and disseminated? Do they exist in forms that whoever wants to access them can do so?

We all know the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Perhaps more important is the fact that pictures or images often times transcend and bridge cultures and languages. UNESCO hopes that over the next three days you will explore the power of the image – in its most comprehensive meaning.

Image, the moving image, whether it is captured on film or recreated in animation, is endowed with very strong evocative and emotional forces; forces that reach their audiences – whether intentionally or unintentionally – via a multitude of vectors; cinema, TV, Internet, mobile phones etc; forces that can effectively exert leverage on the perception of audiences and possibly on their behaviour.

The entertainment potential of the moving image is a billion dollar industry. And nothing is wrong with that. However, there is also an undeniable potential underlying audiovisual production to favour understanding and awareness, to stir positive actions and to address social, political, cultural and economic issues.

Given their immediacy, audiovisual productions are particularly fit to convey development-related content to a large variety of audiences (including illiterate persons) and to catalyze, for instance, curiosity and openness towards ‘the Other,’ – a prerequisite for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Similarly, audiovisual material, if properly packaged and circulated, can be a very useful support when addressing issues and policies related to good governance, empowerment of marginalized groups, and gender equality.

If mishandled or misinterpreted, images could trigger violence and conflict: rather than serving specific purposes, videos could end up playing a disruptive role in the society.

Mastering the vectors is therefore equally important as creating and expressing one’s message via images, especially in times when we see an overproduction of audiovisual material sprawling in and beyond the web. This workshop is intended not only to reaffirm the value of audiovisual production as a motor of social change, but also to sharpen all the relevant and interrelated skills with a wholistic approach.

The production of audiovisual content has not escaped the inevitable need to use new information and communication technologies,: the shift towards the use of digital filming devices and other modern techniques mirrors the desire to gain access to new possibilities for self-expression and to rapidly circulate one’s production via a multitude of outlets.

The result is a proliferation of short videos on the Web – no doubt indicative of the positive trend towards greater access to citizens. This UNESCO encourages. Yet, it is of utmost importance that whoever wants to convey development-related content to a specific or generic audience should possess the right set of skills, tools, and know-how in order to ensure the quality of one’s creation and hence make one’s message stand out and distinct.

The Audiovisual E-Platform is conceived as a support dedicated to the collection, exchange and distribution of quality television content from South-North and from South- South. The E-Platform facilitates the collection, storage and showcasing of audio visual material created by independent filmmakers and producers, thus serving as an effective promotional and marketing tool. It also enables broadcasters, festival organizers and other interested institutions to access a rich basin of programmes in different high quality formats (short film, documentary, animation, TV magazines), selected based on criteria including orientation towards public service, creativity, innovation, and original representativeness of different cultures. With the newly developed functionalities of the E-Platform, members can now open and manage their own audiovisual catalogue through the Internet.

UNESCO prides itself as being an organisation committed to promoting human development and peace. Indeed, in this age, there is no real development without the people, citizens, at its centre. The UNESCO Communication and Information Sector thus focuses on enhancing the impact of communication and information for development by supporting freedom of expression and broad-based participation in media operations on one hand, and developing free independent and pluralistic media on the other.

The CI sector’s commitment to spur a more equitable and inclusive use of mass media and development communication, can be perceived throughout the wide scope of actions and initiatives undertaken. Ensuring cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding and promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, are among the key interdisciplinary priorities of UNESCO.

We see this reflected even in this small workshop where over 26 countries are represented, covering all regions of the world and with a noticeable gender balance. In a sense a melting pot of the world has come to Igualada. UNESCO and our partner the Association of Igualada hope that you the participants will pour yourselves into, while at the same time, eat from this melting pot of knowledge and experience that has been afforded through this workshop.

It leaves for me to thank all our other partners who are involved in this workshop – The European Broadcasting Union, COPEAM (Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators), Central Africa Bank of Images, Big Fish – School of Digital Film Making, INPUT (International Public Television Conference) and Lola Kenya Screen.

I leave you with a quote from Winston Churchill, “true genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous and conflicting information.” This truth should be an inspiration to all independent producers. I wish you a productive three days of learning and sharing.
I thank you and God bless you all.

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October 05, 2011

0:44

Host for 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture Announced

» ‎ ArtMatters

By International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
Published October 5, 2011

The Chairman of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), Alan Davey (Chief Executive of Arts Council England), on October 4, 2011 announced that Chile would host the 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture in its capital, Santiago, on January 13-16, 2014.

Receiving the honour in Melbourne on the eve of the 5th World Summit was the Minister of Culture and President of the Chilean National Council of Culture and the Arts, Luciano Cruz-Coke. Minister Cruz-Coke will address delegates of the Melbourne Summit at its conclusion on Thursday, October 6, 2011 and present a video invitation to Santiago and the next Summit.

This will be the first time that the World Summit has been staged in Latin America.

The Summit will be presented in Santiago’s award-winning Estación Mapocho Cultural Centre. The Centre’s director, Arturo Navarro, was also in Melbourne for the announcement.

‘It is great to announce the first World Summit to be held in Latin America,’ said Alan Davey. ‘Chile is a nation of rich artistic and cultural heritage, and the setting, the Estación Mapocho Cultural Centre, is truly inspiring. We know that Australia has set the bar very high with the 5th World Summit, but that Chile will more than meet the challenge.”

One of IFACCA’s most significant initiatives, the World Summit on Arts and Culture, provides national arts councils, ministries of culture and other agencies with an opportunity to discuss key issues affecting public support for the arts and creativity. Previous World Summits on Arts and Culture have been held in Canada (2000), Singapore (2003), England (2006), South Africa (2009) and Australia (2011).

Provisionally entitled Creative citizens: technology and culture for diversity, the theme for the 6th World Summit will address the current context of globalisation and the challenges in the cultural arena, specifically in relation to safeguarding and protecting cultural diversity and cultural identities. New technologies in culture represent an opportunity to impact positively on the visibility and legitimatisation of cultural identities, to foster increased cultural diversity, and to enhance access, production and exchange of cultural goods.

IFACCA is the worldwide network of national arts funding agencies dedicated to improving good practice in arts and cultural policy development, arts funding, audience development and public access to the arts. The announcement of the host of the next Summit was made at IFACCA’s fourth General Assembly of members, in conjunction with the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Melbourne, Australia.

At the General Assembly, IFACCA members also elected four new board members: Vasudevan Venu, (Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture), Pius Knüsel (Director of Pro Helvetia/Swiss Arts Council), Gonzalo Martin de Marco (Deputy National Director of the Chilean National Council for Culture and the Arts) and Elise Huffer (Human Development Program Adviser, Culture, at the Secretariat for the Pacific Community, Fiji). Other board members are listed on the IFACCA website and include Kathy Keele, Chief Executive of the Australia Council.

At the General Assembly, IFACCA also launched WorldCP, an international database of cultural policies.

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September 29, 2011

1:18

Daystar University to Introduce Degree Course in Filmmaking

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published September 29, 2011

Daystar University of Kenya plans to introduce a full-fledged under graduate degree course in filmmaking. This could also see it offer specialised training in sound production.

The announcement was made by Beverly Gatimu, a communication lecturer and executive producer of student productions at the private Christian institution during the 49th monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum (LKSFF) at Goethe-Institut in Nairobi on September 26, 2011 at which a film by students of Daystar University was screened .

Directed by Portia Opondo, a final year electronic media student, the 42-minute drama on greed for power, status and wealth set the pace for the evening of film, debate and networking among players in the audiovisual media sector of eastern Africa. The film—that is aptly titled AT ALL COSTS—brings to light the shady business that goes on in the university when the best suited candidate is to be promoted to the post of Vice-Chancellor.

AT ALL COSTS may not be a masterpiece but the 49th LKSFF lauded the efforts that Opondo and her classmates put in to come up with the piece. The gathering, comprising students from University of Nairobi, Kenya Polytechnic University College, Kenyatta University as well as practitioners in the Kenya audiovisual media spectrum, equally appreciated as well as faulted the film on its shortcomings.

A kidnapping scene featuring a daughter of one of the contenders for the VC’s post sets the pace for the film.

While commending Opondo for her attempt in coming up with this piece of work, Ogova Ondego, the Lola Kenya Screen director, opined that the film—though embracing social particularism—lacked universal appeal and could not connect well with viewers from beyond Kenya. He also observed that many of the cast members did not deliver in their performance for the production.

Yuriko Uehara of Kenya Museum Society questioned the aim of the film, arguing that it lacked a strong motive to drive the plot forward.

Acknowledging that her film lacked universal appeal and that it appeared that the motive of the crimes committed in the film appeared not to have been brought forth strongly, Opondo put this to the limiting circumstances she said her team and she worked under. She however noted that her primary audience was university students in Kenya.

Executive producer Gatimu came to Opondo’s defence arguing that students work under difficult circumstances in realizing their films. A class of 30 students specialising in Electronic media, she said, is split into two groups to form the crew and the cast; the class develops its own screen play and selects key crew and cast members based on their perceived strengths and abilities. Though short on time and other resources like money, the students—who are still expected to handle a full course load—must make a film of acceptable quality.

Samuel Maithya a Journalism student at Kenya Polytechnic University College wondered what happens to such productions after production. Gatimu said Daystar uses these projects to source for funds in order to make the productions better.

Reiterating Ondego’s sentiments about poor casting, Njiru Wang’ombe—a post-graduate student at Kenyatta University—also commented on the continuity of the story, observing that it was important if the director wanted to win the audience’s confidence in the story.

Opondo, who is currently working as an intern on the Rising Stars project of South Africa’s M-Net TV network, said that she is saddened with the statistics on HIV/AIDs in Kenya and that she is planning to do a documentary film based on it to sensitise society on the problem. However, she said, she is out to learn more before she fully plunges into the deep end of big project productions.

LKSFF, that runs every last Monday of the month at Goethe-Institut in Nairobi, provides up-and-coming filmmakers and producers a platform on which to showcase their work to the public and an opportunity to network with experts in the various fields of filmmaking. It has since 2005 been presented by ComMattersKenya/ArtMatters.Info in collaboration with Goethe-Institut in Kenya.

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September 26, 2011

10:56

It’s Booming Business for Emirates Airline

» ‎ ArtMatters

September 26, 2011
By Asiaone.com

While airlines like Lufthansa warn stuttering economies are affecting sales and are therefore considering offering fewer seats on their planes this winter than previously expected, Emirates Airline is not yet seeing a downturn in business and bookings for the next few months are at high levels.

“As yet, fingers crossed, we have not seen any diminution of demand,” President Tim Clark told Reuters in an interview at Hamburg airport.

Clark said booking levels were in the high 70% range for November 2011, which he described as strong for the time of year.

Clark, who flew into Hamburg on an Airbus A380 superjumbo as part of the airport’s 100th anniversary celebrations, said the UK and Germany were doing well, while its Athens operations were seeing good load factors and yields.

“Our biggest single problem is fuel, but that’s coming off now, he said.

“You’ve got the euro and sterling going through the floor, and that gives us sleepless nights because so much of our income comes out of the euro zone and the UK but on the other hand, the non euro zone currencies are stronger.”

Clark said fast-growing Emirates, which is the biggest A380 customer with 90 orders placed, was not interested in taking off any planes from Air Berlin , which is scaling back its fleet as it strives to return to profitability.

“It’s important that they sort themselves out because Air Berlin’s a very good partner for us,” he added.

Clark also said the carrier was no further with trying to get slots at Berlin’s new airport, due to be opened next summer.

There have been reports that flag carrier Lufthansa has asked the government not to award slots to Emirates.

Lufthansa has been openly critical of Emirates, accusing it and other Gulf carriers of having an unfair advantage and distorting the market because they are backed by rich states.

“If we were flying in empty and charging silly prices and wrecking markets etc, then the case of our friends in the various airlines that seem to be opposed to us would rest, but it doesn’t,” Clark said.

“There are lots of places Lufthansa doesn’t fly to,” he said, citing places such as many cities in Africa, Australia and Indonesia. “We do, and the Germans want to go there.”

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September 24, 2011

21:17

Conceptual Art Exhibition Opens at Nairobi National Museum

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published September 24, 2011

An exhibition of works by 12 artists opens at the Nairobi National Museum on September 30, 2011 at 6.00 PM.The exhibition, a collection of installation and performances specifically designed for this occasion, “is the result of an innovative research on contemporary art, museums, collective memory and national identity, among other ideas,” says a media release from the organisers.Titled ‘The Proud, The Shy and the Angry: Many (Hi)Stories, One Museum’, this is the product of a two-week workshop on conceptual art facilitated by Irene Izquierdo of Spain.

The work on show is by Gilbert Ouma, Susan Ngure, Abdilatif Hussein, Noor Jefwa, Zihan Kassam, Paul Mutuku, Anne Mwiti, William S. Ndwiga, Esther Mukuhi, Aggrey Agwata, Alacoque Ntome and Dennis Ruigu Kabucho.

The event is organised by the Embassy of Spain in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya. Entry is free.

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September 23, 2011

15:28

Eastern Africa Independent Producers to Strategise on Audiovisual Media Entrepreneurship

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published September 23, 2011

Independent audiovisual media practitioners creating works on children, gender, climate change and other developmental issues in eastern Africa are set to deliberate on their work in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 24, 2011.

Meeting under the umbrella of Independent Producers Organisation (IPO-Eastern Africa)—a specialised platform for film/TV/video producers that came into being in Nairobi in August 2009—the practitioners will be out to strategise how best to navigate the ever changing world of audiovisual media. They shall explore the capacity of IP members to collaborate with one another and to establish partnerships with broadcasters that will strengthen the region’s audiovisual media markets. The meeting shall also look at other areas of significance to practitioners such as telecommunications and media convergence in the 21st Century, the digital broadcast migration in Africa, and the implications of the fast changing landscape to independent producers.

Organised by the Nairobi-based Lola Kenya Screen film festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth, the platform is a joint effort between Lola Kenya Screen and UNESCO.

“IPO-Eastern Africa is aimed at bringing together indies in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Congo-Kinshasa, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia to articulate, lobby and press for issues that concern culturally relevant and appropriate television content generation in eastern Africa,” says Ogova Ondego, the Lola Kenya Screen director and IPO-Eastern Africa convener.

The first summit from which the platform was formed in August 2009 brought together producers from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Uganda.

To date the platform has compiled a comprehensive database of producers from all over the region and has published The Eastern Africa Independent Television and Audiovisual Media Practitioners Plan of Action (The Nairobi Declaration). The platform hopes to advance the careers of independent producers through networking, training and promoting ‘ local’ content at international level. One tool of achieving the objective is the UNESCO’s Audiovisual E-Platform, a multicultural, online platform for independent producers and broadcasters whose aim is to promote international distribution of television content through North-South and South-South cooperation. Its main objective is to endorse high quality audiovisual media content that is public service-oriented, innovative and challenging beyond the conventional forms of television language.

The comprehensive database that includes profiles of producers, their filmography and contacts will be available in both print and online formats for communication and networking among practitioners besides assisting in co-production among producers in various eastern African countries in order to create more ‘local’ productions in the region and open up the region’s audiovisual media sector.

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September 20, 2011

11:58

Tourists Abandon North Africa for Northern Mediterrranean

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published September 20m 2011

The so called “Arab Spring” has altered the plans of many European tourists. Tunisia and Egypt that were extremely popular among the tourists were abandoned in favor of France, Spain or Greece.

According to a recent survey by Travelzoo, while 70% of respondents were planning a trip to the Middle East and North Africa before the Arab spring, 72% of them stated they are less willing to take their holidays in these countries.

It is the northern Mediterranean that is taking advantage of the situation. Especially France and Spain have become suitable substitutes for European travelers seeking sun and beach holidays as well as heritage tours.

In the first months of this year the tourism numbers jumped by 20% in Spain, mainly in Canary and Valencia province. Greece, Cyprus or Turkey also became very popular destinations. On the other hand, the findings of the Travelzoo survey show that travelers are less likely to spend their holidays in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Oman and Dubai.

According to the German institute GfK, reservations in Tunisia and Egypt declined dramatically in the summer. Tunisia recorded a decrease of 85% of bookings by German travelers. Interest in Egypt, previously the third most popular destination for Germans, also declined. Spain and Turkey are the holiday hotspots now, with the amount of booked holiday increasing by 35% – 45% at the beginning of 2011. Italy, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Croatia also recorded increases in bookings.

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September 15, 2011

16:59

New Al Jazeera Series Show How 27 Million Humans are Held, Sold and Trafficked as Slaves Worldwide in the 21st Century

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published September 15, 2011

There are more slaves than ever before, according to Slavery: A 21st Century Evil, a shocking new documentary series premiering on Al Jazeera English on October 10, 2011.

The seven 30-minute and one 60-minute episodes that air across sub-Saharan Africa and are presented by Rageh Omaar, a Somali-born journalist, expose food chain slaves in America and the largest slave labour case in living memory, where a Californian company is charged with enslaving more than 900 Thai child labourers on farms across America; sex slaves in Europe; bonded labour slaves in Pakistan;child slaves in Haiti; and bridal slaves in India, according to Kevin Kriedemann, the South African publicist of the series.

“Today 27 million men, women and children are held, sold and trafficked as slaves throughout the world,” says Omaar. “That’s more than double the 12.5 million Africans who were taken into slavery during the several centuries of the Atlantic slave trade. This is a trade worth US$32 billion a year – a trade that refuses to die and remains the most prolific evil in the world today.”

Tim Tate, the producer of the series, says, “Slavery: A 21st Century Evil reveals uncomfortable truths about the role of slave labour in modern life, like the way some of the food on the shelves of supermarkets has been harvested by slaves, or the use of slave labour to produce many of the goods consumers throughout the world take for granted.”

Saying this is a challenge to governments throughout the world, Tate says “there has never been an easier time to rid the world of slavery but we live in a world where a top lawyer charges £3,000 per hour and a slave can be bought for £55 or less. Yet the American government, despite its self-appointed role as the world’s anti-slavery police, devotes precious few resources to its own part in the 21st century slave trade.”

The final episode will be an open public debate, which will discuss how the modern slave trade can be targeted and assess the efforts of the USA and the United Nations – the two major agencies involved.

Al Jazeera English, that broadcasts live from Doha, Qatar, is said to be reaching more than 250 million households in more than 130 countries, including sub-Saharan Africa’s Angola,,Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Since its launch in 2006, Al Jazeera English has been recognised for its distinguished reporting and programming, being named “Best 24 Hour News Programme” at the annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival and Best News Channel three years running at the UK’s Freesat Awards. The channel has also received awards from The Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube and has received nominations for international Emmy awards in both the News and Current Affairs categories. In the past two years Al Jazeera English has received the Royal Television Society Awards as the 2009 and 2010 News Channel of the Year.

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September 13, 2011

6:24

“Arab Spring” Chaos Killing Middle East and North Africa Tourism

» ‎ ArtMatters

By eTurboNews.Com
Published September 13, 2011

Tourism to the Middle East and North Africa declined sharply in the first half of 2011, going against an international trend of growth in arrivals to record levels. But there are some signs of recovery in parts of the region, the UN World Tourism Organisation said in its latest report. Political instability in popular tourists spots including Egypt, Tunisia, and Syria prompted a 13% drop in arrivals to North Africa and an 11% fall in the Middle East, the report revealed.

International tourism grew 4.5% in the first half of 2011 from a year earlier to reach a record of 440 million arrivals, the UN agency said. “Results from recent months show that destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia or Japan are seeing declines in demand clearly reverting,” according to the report.

Hoteliers in the UAE have reported strong growth in occupancy levels, as travellers have avoided other destinations in the region. Similarly, southern and Mediterranean destinations in Europe, such as Turkey, have also benefited from unrest elsewhere, the report noted.

Tourism globally fell sharply following the economic downturn. But the sector rebounded strongly in 2010, with 6.6% growth in arrivals to 940 million, while international tourism receipts grew 4.7% to US$919 billion (Dh3.37 trillion). “We must remain cautious as the global economy is showing signs of increased volatility,” said Taleb Rifai, the agency’s secretary general. “Many advanced economies still face risks posed by weak growth, fiscal problems and persistently high unemployment. Simultaneously, signs of overheating have become apparent in some emerging economies.”

The organisation is much less optimistic about prospects for the second half of this year. “Following an encouraging first half of 2011, growth in the remainder of the year is expected to soften somewhat as recent months have brought increased uncertainty, hampering business and consumer confidence.”

There was growth of 6% for tourism arrivals to the Americas in the first half, the figures showed. Asia and the Pacific was up 5 percent, Europe 6% and arrivals to sub-Saharan Africa 9 percent. “Growth in advanced economies has maintained strength and is closing the gap with emerging economies, which have been driving international tourism growth in recent years,” the organisation said. “This trend reflects the decreases registered in the Middle East and North Africa.”

In 2010, the Middle East was the fastest-growing region for arrivals, up 14 percent, following a decline of 4% in 2009. China grew in popularity as a tourism destination in 2010, moving up the rankings in terms of arrivals and receipts to third and fourth place respectively.

China also overtook the UK in 2010 to become the third-biggest international tourism spender, with the Asian country quadrupling its expenditure on tourism since 2000. France, with 77 million tourists, was top in 2010 in terms of arrivals. The US was first for tourism receipts with US$104bn and in second place for arrivals.

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September 11, 2011

14:22

Governments Urged to Adopt Smarter Visa and Border Security Policies to Promote Travel and Tourism

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Forimmediaterelease.net
Published September 11, 2011

Although tourism accounts for 258 million jobs and 9% of the world’s GDP, visa restrictions and stringent border security measures are working against this driver of global economic engine. It is vital that countries take the necessary steps to protect their borders, says World Travel&Tourism Council (WTTC), calling upon governments to ‘adopt smarter visa and border security policies to promote travel and tourism as a driver of jobs and economic growth’.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,the security of air transport for both passengers and freight has been transformed and visa regulations heightened. As a result, the aggravation factor for travellers has increased immensely. High costs and lengthy procedures for obtaining visas, bans on liquids in hand baggage, and intrusive body scanners are just some of the obstacles travelers have to overcome.

David Scowsill, President and CEO of WTTC says, “Ten years after 9/11, the sympathy of the world is rightly focused on the families who were impacted by this terrible tragedy. The enhanced security processes put in place post 9/11 were entirely appropriate as a short-term response to a very dramatic situation. Over the last ten years, however, the barriers to travel have become even greater, rather than diminishing through better use of technology and passenger profiling.”

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September 09, 2011

12:36

Ethiopia and Kenya Take Their Rivalry to the Skies of Seychelles Islands

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published September 9, 2011

Addis Ababa’s Ethiopian Airlines becomes the second African carrier after Nairobi’s Kenya Airways to include Seychelles into its network. Kenya Airways already offers three weekly flights to Seychelles from Nairobi in Kenya. The national carrier of Ethiopia will start the service to the Indian Ocean island from Addis Ababa on October 30, 2011 with one flight per week on Sundays, landing in Seychelles at 3:00 pm in the afternoon and departing at 4:00 pm.

As if displaying the perennial rivalry of the East African Rift Valley distance runners, Ethiopian and KQ are the only carriers covering most of Africa besides their European and Asian flights. KQ and ET are two of about four leading African carriers. The two command a big share of the pan Africa network.

Ethiopian Airlines is now flying daily to Mombasa and three times a week to Monrovia; the Monrovia flight also covers Conakry in Guinea. The airline has also added four weekly flights to Dar es Salaam, another Kenya airways popular city and two weekly flights added to Accra, Bamako, Dakar, Juba and Lubumbashi. As a result Ethiopian Airlines is now flying 68 times a week to East African destinations.

The two airlines—KQ and ET—seem not content battling for East African skies and are extending into West Africa competing for passengers in Accra, Abidjan, Dakar, Douala, Kinshasa and Lagos.

On her part KQ, that operates a smaller fleet of 26 aircraft against ET’s 38, plans to open new routes to traditional Ethiopian destinations of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Luanda in Angola in addition to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Juba in Southern Sudan.

KQ, with fewer planes than ET, currently flies more than two million passengers to 50 destinations in 39 countries in Africa and beyond every year. ‘The Pride of Africa’as KQ is popularly known, projects that they will fly more than three million passengers around the world every year.

Come November 2011, Etihad Airline of the United Arab Emirates will also seek to share a piece of the pie with Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. Etihad will operate four weekly flights to Seychelles.

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September 08, 2011

9:40

The impact of September 11, 2001 Terror Attack on aviation

» ‎ ArtMatters

By eTurboNews.Com
Published September 8, 2011

On September 11, 2001 anyone associated with aviation knew that the industry would never be the same again. What we did not know was how resilient the industry would be in the aftermath of the tragedy or the direction in which it would change.

A decade after the event, there can be no doubt about aviation’s resilience. By 2004 revenues and traffic surpassed 2000 levels. And by 2006 aviation had returned to profitability—albeit with a weak 1.1% margin. In the interim airlines dealt with SARS, additional terrorist attempts, wars, and rising oil prices.

It took three years to recover the US$22 billion revenue drop (6%) between 2000 and 2001. When the global financial crisis struck in 2008, 2009 revenues fell by 14% (US$82 billion) to US$482 billion. This was largely recovered in the following year when industry revenues rose to US$554 billion and airlines posted an US$18 billion profit. Clearly the restructuring of the decade has left airlines leaner and more resilient in the face of crisis.

Over the decade, the dimensions of global aviation have also changed. IATA expects 2011 airline revenues of US$598 billion—nearly twice the US$307 billion of 2001. Airlines are also expected to carry 2.8 billion passengers and 48 million tonnes of cargo. That’s a billion more people flying and 16 million more tonnes of cargo than in 2001.

While it is difficult to isolate the impact of the events of 2001, we can say that they were a part of a chain of events that cost the industry three years of growth. The 2008 global financial crisis cost another two years of growth.
The legacy of 9.11 is felt most in airport security. Aviation is more secure today than in 2001. But this has come at a great price in terms of passenger convenience and industry costs. As we move forward, there are five major lessons in security over the last decade:

• Governments must coordinate the development and deployment of security measures to ensure harmonized global standards and eliminate overlapping and redundant requirements among nations.

• Governments are obliged to foot the bill for security threats which are national challenges in the same manner as they would do in any other sector. Airlines and their passengers currently pay a security bill that had ballooned to $7.4 billion by 2010.

• Passengers should and do play an important role in helping keep air travel safe. Vigilance and cooperation with authorities are crucial.

• Governments need to embrace a risk-based approach to security screening.

• We must accept that there is no such thing as 100% risk-free security.
Governments must focus on the probable and not all that is possible and avoid policies driven by knee-jerk reactions.

A good place to start is by removing the hassle that comes between check-in and boarding at many airports. The building blocks to do a better job exist. The vision for IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future is for passengers to be able to get from curb to gate in a seamless and convenient process. For this, we need a risk-based approach to security powered by the enormous amount of data that we can and do collect on travelers. Combined with this will be technology that will allow most passengers to simply stroll through a checkpoint that can detect metal and harmful substances without stopping, stripping or unpacking.

Parts of this vision could be realized with technology that exists today. Others are in development with a three to seven year horizon. The important thing is to keep focused on evolving the 40-year-old concept of today’s airport checkpoint into one that is more convenient, more effective and that can handle the ever increasing volume of people who want and need to fly.

Finally, as we commemorate the tragedy of 9.11, the thoughts and prayers of the industry are with the families of the victims—passengers, crew and bystanders. Our best tribute to their memories is a resilient aviation industry. Aviation is a force for good and an instrument of peace that promotes trade, spreads wealth and facilitates understanding among the peoples and cultures of our world.

9.11 was the beginning of the most challenging decade in aviation history. But it is important to note that the industry was already in a weak financial position. World trade had slowed and the ‘dot.com bubble’ had burst the year earlier. Global airline profits had fallen from $8.5 billion in 1999 to $3.7 billion in 2000.

US Impact

• Air Space Closed: On September 10, 2001, US airports handled 38,047 flights. On September 12, they handled 252 commercial flights. One week later (September 18) there were 34,743 flights.1

• Passenger Traffic: US passenger traffic, measured by revenue passenger kilometers (number of travelers multiplied by the distance traveled) declined 5.9% in 20012 (compared to 2000) and a further 1.4% in 2002. Airlines struggled to match this decline by cutting capacity (available seat kilometers or number of seats multiplied by distance traveled) by 2.8% in 2001 and a further 3.9% in 2002. This was the first time since World War II that industry capacity declined for two consecutive years. After stabilizing in 2003, capacity growth resumed in 2004 and continued until 2008, when it declined again owing to soaring oil prices and the global financial crisis. Capacity fell further in 2009, returning virtually to 2000 levels. Between 2000 and 2009, the US commercial aircraft fleet shrank by around 700 units.

• Domestic Market: “The events of 9.11…marked a permanent decline in [US] domestic airline demand”—Barclays Capital, February 2009. Total domestic operating revenue per $100 of nominal US GDP declined from around US$0.823 in 2000 to US$0.687 in 2010, representing a shortfall of $18 billion for 2010 and $142 billion for the 2001-2010 period.3 Passengers found alternatives to short-haul travel to avoid the security hassles at airports. Network carriers shed their domestic operations to regional airline codeshare partners. The regional airline share of domestic departures grew from 40% in 2000 to more than 50% by 2010.4 Total US domestic capacity in 2010 was 4% below the level in 2000.

• Financial Performance: US airline revenues fell from $130.2 billion in 2000 to $107.1 billion in 2002. Losses of $19.6 billion were reported in 2001-2002. Losses for 2001-2005 totaled $57.7 billion. US carriers returned to profit in 2006-2007 ($25.9 billion), but soaring oil prices and the global financial crisis pushed them into losses of $26.4 billion in 2008-09. US airlines earned $3.6 billion in 2010, only their third year of profit since 2000. Between December 2002 and October 2005 United, Delta, Northwest and US Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

• Employment: In 2000, US passenger airlines employed 520,600 workers. By 2003, this had fallen 14.6% to 444,700. Employment levels continued to decline each year through 2010 (378,100) before climbing in the first half of 2011 to 382,900.5

• Government Compensation: On September 23, 2001, the US Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act became law, providing US airlines with $5 billion in compensation (for losses incurred during the 9.11 shutdown and incremental losses sustained through 31 December 2001) and $10 billion in future loan guarantees.

The Financial Impact of 9.11

US AIr Carrier Domestic Revenue Passenger Enplanements 2000-2010

Global Impact

• Traffic: Global passenger traffic (tonne kilometers performed) declined by 2.7% in 2001 (see table below). Traffic did not surpass the 2000 level until 2003. It continued to rise until 2009 when, owing to the global financial crisis, it declined 2.1% year-on-year.

• Revenues: Global airline revenues declined from $329 billion in 2000 to $307 billion in 2001 and further to $306 billion in 2002. Revenues rebounded to $322 billion in 2003 and then to $379 billion in 2004. The next revenue dip was in 2009 when they fell $82 billion to $482 billion. In percentage terms this 14% drop was more than twice the decline experienced in 2001-2.

• Profitability: Airlines lost $13 billion in 2001 and a further $11.3 billion in 2002.The industry recorded its first post-September 11 annual profit in 2006 ($5 billion), and earned $14.7 billion in 2007. The following year rising oil prices and the global financial crisis plunged airlines back into the red with 2008-9 total losses of $25.9 billion.

• Bankruptcies: Within months of the attacks, Swissair and Sabena went bankrupt as the 9.11 shock pushed these financially weak carriers into collapse.

• Oil price: In the decade since 9.11 the industry fuel bill rose from 13% of costs (2001) to 30% (projected for 2011).

Timeline: Main Security Threats and Changes Since 9.11

The security of air transport for both passengers and freight has been transformed since the 9.11 attacks. The following timeline indicates the major terrorist plots and activities and the subsequent enhanced security measures.
September 2001: All international flights to and from US airspace were grounded for three days. The Federal Aviation Administration expanded the ICAO Prohibited Items List to include many household items, tools and virtually any item with a point or cutting edge. FAA Rapid Response Team on Aircraft Security created, recommends the hardening of existing cockpit doors and expediting the design, production and installation of new doors. By March 1, 2002, US major airlines complete installation of cockpit door modifications.
October 2001: The US Patriot Act enhanced the surveillance capability of the US Government, brought in the mandatory detention of suspected terrorists, and required Visa Waiver Program countries to develop machine-readable passports by October 2003.

November 2001: The Transport Security Administration (TSA) was established. It took responsibility for airport screening; use of sky marshals expanded dramatically from fewer than 100 to several thousand by 2004. Aviation and Transportation Security Act directs FAA to publish new standards for cockpit doors. Explosive detection screening for all checked baggage. Aviation and Transportation Security Act mandates the collection/transmission of Advanced Passenger Information (API) for flights into the US. Final rule takes effect in June 2005. $2.50 security fee on flights originating in US.

December 2001: In the US, shoes were required to be removed and screened separately. Similar measures were introduced in other countries, but the rules were not harmonized. Cigarette lighters and matches temporarily banned in aircraft cabins.

January 2002: FAA publishes new standard for cockpit doors. US airlines must comply by April 2003. FAA subsequently orders that foreign carriers also install new doors on aircraft serving the US from April 2003.

May 2003: ICAO adopted a harmonized blueprint for the integration of biometric identification information into e-passports and other machine-readable travel documents.

November 2003: ICAO standard requiring hardened cockpit doors on international passenger flights on aircraft of more than 60 passengers takes effect. The standard was announced in March 2002.

January 2004: US began fingerprinting non-US citizens entering the country by air, with certain exemptions.

October 2004: Machine-readable passports became mandatory for countries under the visa waiver program with the US. In December, the UK began collecting advance passenger data.

June 2005: US rule mandating the collection and transmission of API for flights into the US takes effect.

August 10, 2006: Foiled ‘liquid bomb’ plot at Heathrow. 25 suspected bombers were arrested after British Intelligence uncovered a plot to simultaneously blow up several transatlantic aircraft.

December 25, 2009: Foiled ‘underwear bomber’. Umar Abdulmuttallab, an Al Qaeda-trained terrorist, made a failed attempt to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear, on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

October 29, 2010: Foiled ‘printer cartridge’ bombs. Saudi intelligence tipped off the CIA on a plot to blow up aircraft midair with plastic explosives hidden in printer cartridges being sent from Yemen to Chicago. The packages were intercepted in Dubai and at East Midlands in the UK.

August 2006: Liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in individual containers of 100ml/3.4 oz could not be carried through security checkpoints and all liquids needed to fit into a transparent plastic bag (1 liter/1 quart size). All laptops and other electronic equipment had to be removed from bags and scanned separately. In addition the UK imposed a restriction of one piece of hand luggage per person, which remained in place until January 2008.

July 2007: US – EU passenger name record (PNR) agreement allows sharing of passenger data.

November 2010: The TSA introduced enhanced screening using advanced technology. A more extensive pat-down procedure was also (controversially) implemented. Substantial increase in cargo screening, including accelerating implementation of a law calling for 100% screening of cargo entering the US. Many Western nations banned cargo packages from Yemen. US and UK also banned cargo flights from Somalia.

Cost of Aviation Security Today

The cost of aviation security today is estimated at $7.4 billion annually. The chart (right) shows the breakdown.

These figures do not include the cost of airport passenger screening borne by airports or government bodies such as the US TSA, which employs airport screeners at US airports.

Given that the security threats facing commercial aviation are national challenges, funding the cost of meeting them should not be the responsibility of airlines but of national governments.

The Impact of 9.11 on Airline War Risk Insurance

Advanced Passenger Information

Following 9.11, many countries mandated that airlines provide information about their passengers ahead of their arrival at their destination.

Previously, some airlines had provided this data, known as Advanced Passenger Information (API), to facilitate the customs and immigration process, not for security purposes. This data initially comprised limited biographical information from government-issued travel documents such as passports. Prior to 9.11 only a handful of countries requested such data and it was voluntary on the part of airlines. Currently more than 60 countries mandate the provision of API. The figure will continue to increase.

Over time, some countries have increased the amount of data they require and added new items that may not be easily collected—such as a passenger’s local address at their final destination. There is a World Customs Organization standard for API that ICAO officially recognizes. Unfortunately not all countries abide by or observe it, creating a major compliance headache for airlines. Furthermore, new requirements such as real-time interactive API at check-in are adding significant development costs to airlines.

Passenger Name Record data

In addition to API data, an increasing number of governments require airlines to provide Passenger Name Record (PNR) reservation data. This has been controversial as some governments view such requirements as violating privacy and confidentiality rights. Airlines have been caught in the middle of disputes between different countries over access to PNR data, most notably in 2006, when the US and EU clashed over the issue, threatening airlines’ ability to provide air service between the US and EU countries. An agreement was not reached until 2007 and a recent EU court decision will require that the terms of the 2007 agreement be revisited. A global solution on the sharing of PNR data is required so that carriers can comply with one country’s requirements without fear of violating another country’s laws.

• On September 17, 2011 all aviation insurers issued a seven-day notice of cancellation of the air transport industry’s third party war risk insurance. This action was unprecedented and threatened the shutdown of the entire aviation industry.

• The private sector quickly returned to the market, but at a considerably greater cost to airlines—an additional $2 billion in premiums for far more limited coverage than that provided by some states. Some states took stop-gap measures to aid airlines during the initial period. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration continues to provide war risk insurance to meet US airlines’ needs. This, however, has created distortions in the commercial marketplace, putting non-US airlines at a competitive disadvantage.

• Efforts by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to revise the Rome Convention to create a victim compensation fund concluded in 2009. The revised Convention needs 35 signatories in order to come into force and to date just eight ICAO member states have signed it.6

• As a result, the airline industry remains extremely vulnerable to a future disruption of cancellation of war risk insurance.

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September 05, 2011

12:32

Kenyan Tourism on the Upswing

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published September 5, 2011

Kenya is working on becoming a force in African tourism through diversifying its target groups of tourists.

The traditionally most prominent groups of tourists in Kenya have come from the UK, USA, Italy, Germany and France in this order. Recently, France was replaced in fifth place by India. This may seem a mere detail, yet is an important statistic in terms of the shift from Europe and the USA to Asian countries, Russia and Brazil.

Inhabitants of debt-ridden Europe and USA have stopped coming to Kenyan beaches and safari parks in the droves they used to and are slowly but surely being replaced by tourists from elsewhere, most notably from India and China.

Growth is expected to reach the 20% mark by the end of 2011 in Kenyan tourism. With a fair stretch of the holiday season still to run, the figure currently stands at 13.6%. The huge optimism has surfaced due to Kenya not being reliant anymore on traditional sectors, instead targeting its campaigns all around the globe. As Chinese and Indian tourists continue to pour in, Brazil has been targeted as the South Americans enjoy a boom of their own.

As Egypt managed to welcome 1.8 million Russian tourists in 2010, Kenya sees no reason why she cannot attract the same high-spending customers. Russians are known for their lavish spending while on holiday and are a sensible target for any tourist organisation. Kenya is also improving her business tourism front, with a new convention centre springing up in Mombasa by the end of 2011.

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August 31, 2011

12:33

ICC Holds Pre-trial Hearing for First Kenya Case on Post December 2007 Election Violence

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Human Rights Watch
Published August 31, 2011

A “confirmation of charges” hearing, to determine whether the first case in the Kenya situation at the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be sent to trial, begins before an ICC pre-trial chamber in The Hague, The Netherlands, on September 1, 2011. The hearing is expected to conclude by September 12, 2011.

In the first Kenya case, the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has accused William Samoei Ruto, Henry Kiprono Kosgey, and Joshua arap Sang of committing crimes against humanity during the violence that followed the December 27, 2007 disputed presidential election in Kenya. A confirmation of charges hearing in the second Kenya case, which involves charges of crimes against humanity also allegedly committed during the post-election violence against Francis Kirimi Muthaura, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, and Mohammad Hussein Ali, is expected to begin on September 22, 2011.

Ruto and Kosgey are senior officials of the then opposition party, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as well as members of parliament and former cabinet ministers. Sang was a vernacular radio programme host at the time of the violence. They are accused of violence toward supporters of the president’s party, Party of National Unityb (PNU) while those charged in the second case are accused of violence against backers of the ODM.

“The April appearance of Ruto and his co-defendants in the dock at the ICC was an extraordinary moment, the first time many Kenyans had seen their political leaders called to account,” said Elizabeth Evenson, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “This hearing is another step toward ending impunity for Kenya’s election-related violence.”

The hearing is not a trial and will not determine the guilt of Ruto, Kosgey, or Sang. Instead, the limited purpose is to allow the judges to evaluate whether the prosecutor has enough evidence to move ahead with a trial. The defendants will have the opportunity to object to the charges, challenge the prosecutor’s evidence, and present their own evidence. The defendants have indicated that they each intend to call witnesses.

Under the court’s innovative system allowing for victim participation, 327 victims have been authorized to participate in the hearing through a common legal representative. On behalf of these victims, the legal representative may make open and closing statements, and may also seek the court’s permission to question witnesses and provide written submissions.

The Kenya investigation – the ICC’s fifth – was opened in March 2010 after the prosecutor received authorization from the court. The ICC prosecutor’s investigations have focused on the violence in Kenya that followed what was widely perceived as a rigged presidential election in favor of the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, in December 2007.

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August 25, 2011

10:36

High Impact Tourism Training Project Targets Four African and Three Asian Countries

» ‎ ArtMatters

By UNWTO
Published August 25, 2011

A €2 million (US$2.9 million) training project to provide vocational tourism training in seven sub-Saharan African and Asian countries in which tourism is increasingly a leading source of employment and economic growth is underway.

The initiative, dubbed High Impact Tourism Training (HITT) and implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation with support from UNWTO, will provide training to 8,000 tourism workers and entrepreneurs from the informal sector in Benin, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Cambodia, Nepal, and Vietnam.

Government and private vocational training institutions will work together to strengthen their capacity to reach and properly attend the informal sector demand for training. Workers and entrepreneurs will receive practical tourism training in major working areas to further their technical and management skills and increase their income possibilities, as well as their resilience to potential crisis situations. Participants will also benefit from links established through the project with the mainstream tourism sector, which will open opportunities for entrepreneurs and workers.

Each of the seven pilot countries is home to one or more of UNWTO’s Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) and/or Technical Cooperation projects, which aim at reducing poverty among the local community through sustainable forms of tourism. Local communities involved in these projects will directly benefit from HITT, which will be implemented through a multi-stakeholders alliance involving national and local governments, syndicates, technical and vocational education and training providers, and the private sector.

Tourism is one of the world’s largest job creators and currently accounts for 1 in every 12 jobs globally. HITT will be largely directed towards the most vulnerable groups of society, such as rural communities, youth, and women, among which unemployment is particularly high and where tourism is a key employment opportunity.

A unwto.org article

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August 23, 2011

12:17

South Africa’s 13th Annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival Promises Exciting Programme

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Centre for Creative Arts
Published August 23, 2011

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts and its celebrated annual contemporary dance platform, JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, invites dance lovers to explore this year’s 11-day festival which opens on August 31, 2011and runs until September 11, 2011. Now in its 13th year, JOMBA! has dance offerings which encompass the very best of local and international dancers and dance companies.

Specifically aimed at nurturing local dance, the JOMBA! New Works programme this year features two innovative artists, Mlu Zondi and S’fiso Magesh Ngcobo, whose growing body of dance theatre work has critics and audiences sitting up and taking notice. New Works grants are offered as a way of encouraging choreographers to continue to develop and find their unique dance and choreographic voices. Ngcobo’s “Similar Pathways” explores the real meaning of ubuntu on life’s journey, while Zondi’s incorporates video artwork into a reflection of a dancer’s psyche and memory in “Devolva”.

From Johannesburg, Gregory Maqoma brings his deeply celebrated “Beautiful Me”, a dance work that has travelled the globe to critical acclaim. Maqoma, one of South Africa’s most internationally recognised choreographers, has worked with creative in-put from Akram Khan, Faustin Linyekula and Vincent Mantsoe in a dance and choreographic dialogue that has resulted in this fiercely beautiful solo work.

A first for JOMBA! this year is the adventurous “Women’s Solo Project” which has gathered together four prominent local and international women choreographers who have created solo works. From France, Hélène Cathala joins JOMBA! with a work that celebrates the search for new dance languages; Durban’s Desiré Davids has made a short dance film which is the second part of the work she premiered at JOMBA! in 2010; Lliane Loots has created a politically charged work on Flatfoot dancer TeeKay Quvane; and Gauteng-based Dada Masilo makes her JOMBA! debut with her controversial and celebrated solo, “The Bitter End of Rosemary”. Masilo, a virtuoso dancer known for the risk she takes, sets herself up with this work as one of South Africa’s most innovative young choreographers.

The facilitation of dance collaborations within Africa is a key JOMBA! objective, and this year sees Durban’s much-loved Flatfoot Dance Company collaborating with Nigeria’s Ijodee Dance Company. Lagos-based choreographer Adedayo Liadi will feature Ijodee’s Frank Konwea alongside the five resident dancers of Flatfoot in a new work with the Yoruba title, “Aye Asan”, meaning ‘vanity’.

African dance maker Faustin Linyekula, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, presents his work “more … more … more … future”, which takes a critical look at post-independence in Africa and embraces the anarchy and chaos of making art in a time of struggle and trauma. Working with a live band on stage Faustin’s work looks to the nightclubs of Kinshasa as a way of making meaning in a society of greed and corruption.

JOMBA! is delighted to host two of the world’s most prestigious BBoyz—Junior and Stylistik—from France. These two world champion break-dancers have turned the contemporary dance world on its head by shifting what is often seen as an improvisation and ‘battle’ dance form, to the theatre stage. Carefully constructed solo works by two dancers whose bodies ooze strength, power and control break new ground in the interface between theatre and the street dance.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is JOMBA! City, a site-specific dance and art-making encounter with the inner city of Durban. Curated by David Gouldie, this is sure to be the street party event of the year. The event features more than 100 artists, including Doung Anwar-Jahangeer, Ewok, Sifiso Khumalo and Vusi Makanya, among others, with leading DJs and bands performing into the late hours of the night; the statues of Queen Victoria will never be the same.

JOMBA! also presents the popular Fringe night which provides open platforms for new dance-makers. The Youth Fringe, which takes place at the Dorothy Nyembe Hall in Cato Crest, is a valuable platform for young dancers and the identification of new emerging talent.

Also lined up for presentation are a series of free dance workshops with dancers and choreographers participating in the festival in which advance booking is essential.

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August 21, 2011

21:26

Al Jazeera Hires Ex-BBC Editors to Launch Kiswahili Channel for East and Central Africa

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Jackal News
Published August 21, 2011

Arab Satellite television network, Al Jazeera, has deployed former BBC editors Danston Tido Mhando and Joseph Warungu to steer its Kiswahili Service Channel set to launch in 2012, a move set to create a seismic effect on the regional media landscape.
The new satellite channel, to be based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, will target viewers mainly in East Africa and Great Lakes regions, where majority are Kiswahili speakers. There are more than 150 million Kiswahili speakers in the two regions, but the channel will target a few millions at its launch.

Mhando and Warungu are household names in the region and the only ones to have held senior editorial management jobs at the BBC headquarters in London. “Mhando and Warungu are top names in journalism from the region, their presence in Al Jazeera Swahili will be going to be a vote of confidence for the channel,” said a top official familiar with the plans.

Officials in the media giant said the reaction in East and Central Africa on the news about the launch of the Kiswahili channel “has been great.”

At the top of his BBC career, Mhando was the head of the Kiswahili Service, while Warungu was leading English to Africa Service at the station, and directly responsible for flagship radio Focus on Africa programme and Focus on Africa Magazine. Mhando started his careers as a radio DJ at the government-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) in Dar es Salaam in early1980s. At the same times, he also reported for a number of broadcasters including Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, known at that time as the Voice of Kenya.

In 1985, he moved to BBC Kiswahili Service in Nairobi and 14 years later, he moved to London and became the first African to head the service, a job he excelled in. But he first gained his real field reputation during Kenya’s first multiparty elections in 1992 with his solid reporting and command of the language. Notably, Mhando interviewed all presidents in the East and Central Africa region.

In 1990, Mhando’s fame reached its apex after he became the first journalist to report the disappearance and eventual death of the then Kenyan foreign minister, Dr Robert Ouko, and in January 2001 he was the last journalist to interview President Laurent Kabila of Congo-Kinshasa. Their long and revealing discussion took place just weeks before his assassination.

In 2006, he retired from the BBC and joined TBC as the managing director, but four years later the government refused to renew his contract largely because of fallout with the politburo in the powerful ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) over TBC’s coverage of the 2010 elections.

On his part, Warungu, trained as high school Kiswahili teacher, worked his way up after working for government-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and private Kenya Television Network.

In 1992, he joined BBC Kiswahili Service and 11 years later, he was appointed the head of the station’s African Service, replacing legendary African hand Robin White.

On his appointment, he said: “This is one of the most challenging and responsible jobs in the whole of African journalism. More than 20 million listeners all over Africa rely on the BBC to keep them in touch with the continent. I intend to build on the formidable reputation which Robin White has established for both programmes, strengthening our reporting of Africa and our links with partner stations.”

Warungu has toured dozens of countries, including reporting from South Africa upon the release of Nelson Mandela in 1991 and United States when Barack Obama won US presidential race as well as covering several warzones.

This is not the first time the Arab channel is employing experienced BBC hands. With closure of BBC Arabic service in the 1990s, more than 250 journalists switched to the newly created Al Jazeera. Its English service has also hired a couple from the BBC, including Mohamed Addow and Yvonne Ndege who report from East and West Africa, respectively.

Al Jazeera, armed with a war chest worth tens of thousands of dollars, is interviewing journalists from Kenyan TV stations to prepare for the launch. “Some of my journalists have been interviewed and are very keen to join Al Jazeera,” an editor in one of the top Kenyan media house told the Jackal News.

An Al Jazeera official said that so far, officials in Doha, the HQ, were proud with the response the channel was receiving in Africa, particularly this region, where it has made its reputation for covering issues that had been ignored by other international stations.

“Honestly, we have beaten BBC and CNN in this region,” he explained last month. Media analysts have said that since the US cable providers have refused to stream the channel, it would be wise if they sought other areas to expand. Attempts to get an official to comment on record failed as many feared to reprisals from the hugely secretive managers, who want to take other channels by storm.

Several journalists contacted said the launch of Al Jazeera, funded mainly by the Qatari government, will be a direct threat for local TV channels that have failed even at time when they received no direct threat from an international channel.

It was not clear whether Al Jazeera Kiswahili will start sourcing for advertisements from the local market, but if it does, certainly it will take a bigger chuck because of its regional audience, financial war-chest and high technology. They said that by November, they will have a clearer picture when to launch, but most probably within the first half of next year.

The cable channel, especially its main Arabic-language Channel, has led an existence filled with severe ups and downs. It has simultaneously become the most popular TV channel among Arabs, while being reviled by many of the governments in the region, along with the U.S. government.

While showing a much more gruesome and hyper-realistic side of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (including dead soldiers on both sides), Al Jazeera has also come under attack by American forces in both conflicts, with some accusing it of being the mouthpiece of terrorists, especially Al-Qaeda.

The channel was founded in 1996 with US$100 million-plus from the government of Qatar.

While it has been accused of an anti-American or anti-Western bias—and running little critical coverage of pro-U.S. Qatar—the channel’s spokesmen often say it gives both sides of every issue.

With constrained budgets at the BBC, Warungu and Mhando still managed to increase the station’s listenership across Africa, suffocating US-funded Voice of America and French broadcaster, Radio France International. With an expected bigger budget to start operations, it would be interesting to see how the two will guide Al Jazeera Kiswahili in cutting itself a niche in the sub region.

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August 18, 2011

19:17

Zanzibar Threatens to Jail Tourists Found Eating During Daytime

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Wolfgang H. Thome
Published August 18, 2011

Disturbing news emerged from Zanzibar overnight when it became known that a minister in the Zanzibari government had made public demands that police arrest anyone seen eating or drinking in the day time during the current month of Ramadhan.

“Anyone eating and drinking in public, as well as opening a bar, guest house, and restaurant is committing an offense. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days, in which participating Muslims fast or refrain from drinking, eating, and sexual intimacy with their partners during daylight,” the minister was quoted as saying in public.

The minister dismissed questions as to whether this applied to Christians and tourists who were not compelled to follow Islamic tradition. This caused panic and alarm among operators of tourist hotels and beach resorts on the islands of Zanzibar, as no one could immediately ascertain if this extra judicial order would be extended and applied to the thousands of tourists presently holidaying on the islands.

Said one regular source from the island, in view of the sensitivity of the matter under strictest anonymity: “This is a disastrous order. Does the minister even know how many tourists are here right now? This is high season. If we tell tourists they cannot eat or drink or should not have sex in their rooms during daylight, they will first laugh at us, and then sue us for whatever we are worth.

“I believe even for Muslims, they are free to obey or not to obey those rules as they choose, but if we try to impose this on non-Muslims visiting Zanzibar and spending their holiday here, or on the Christian minority who live here, we are making a mockery out of our hospitality. That minister has a stone age view and no wonder tourists who have picked up on this already spread this ridiculous ‘directive’ on Twitter and Facebook and other social media. It makes us a laughing stock, really!”

Another resort operator warned of the consequences should police enter any of the beach resorts at lunch time or during the day and attempt to arrest tourists sipping on their drinks, having breakfast, or eating lunch or having tea claiming: “This might destroy our reputation for a long time to come if there is even a single arrest of a foreign visitor over this uncalled for directive. The minister should have been either precise to apply it to practicing Muslims or best shut up altogether before opening his big mouth.”

An eturbonews.com article

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August 16, 2011

23:20

Winners of the 22nd International Radio Playwriting Competition Announced

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published August 16, 2011

Georgian Lasha Bugadze and Chinese Fernanda Jaber have won the two top prizes in the BBC World Service and British Council International Radio Playwriting Competition 2011.

According to a media release from BBC World Service, 14 plays from India, Brazil, China, Israel, Uganda, Ghana, Georgia, America, Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Montenegro and Canada were shortlisted from the nearly 1,000 scripts entered in this contest that was only open to writers outside the United Kingdom. The competition considered ‘original 60-minute radio plays on any subject’.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges comprising Dame Eileen Atkins, star of stage and screen and celebrated screenwriter; award-winning playwright, Roy Williams and acclaimed international actress, Ayesha Dharker, Head of Drama and Dance at the British Council, Brendan Griggs; Acting Controller, English, BBC Global News, Richard Porter and Executive Producer, BBC Audio Drama, Marion Nancarrow.

Bugadze’s The Navigator won in the English as a First Language category while Jaber’s The Wild Neighbour and the Willing Coward was victorious in the English as a Second Language section.

In The Navigator, Rostom is content with his regular office routine, safe on the fifteenth floor. But when he’s made to drive to inspect construction sites – and with a sat nav – his life begins to take an entirely unexpected course. This is a comedy about love, redemption, and the surprising effects of in-car technology.

In The Wild Neighbour and the Willing Coward, a moral fable about community, fear and love of a big cat, being a good man and a good neighbours is not always the same thing, as Avi is about to find out.

The two writers will be recognised at a special award ceremony at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and will attend the recordings of their plays. Each of the winner’s work will broadcast on BBC World Service later in 2011.

The International Playwriting Competition is now in its 22nd year and is a unique way of showcasing international writing talent around the world. Previous winners have come from a diverse range of countries including South Africa, Nigeria, America and Ghana, with some participants going on to secure further drama commissions both in the UK and globally.

Brendan Griggs, Head of Drama and Dance at the British Council, says, “The range of entries in terms of countries of origin, subject matter and sheer breadth of imagination is extraordinary. I was privileged to be one of the judges. The winners are outstanding: the writers have created such unique worlds and produced such original work that they will stay in the mind of the listener for some time to come!”

Marion Nancarrow, Executive Producer, BBC Audio Drama, says: “You never know what surprises are in store or what worlds and characters will open up to you when you begin reading for this competition. I’m thrilled that our winning plays are so different, but both so funny, poignant and imaginative and that the shortlist this year spanned more of the world than ever before.”

The shortlisted plays were:

English as a Second Language Category:

• The Wild Neighbour and the Willing Coward by Fernanda Affonso De André Jaber, China

[Winner, English as a 2nd language]

• Horn Signals by Sonja Lazovic, Montenegro [Regional Winner]

• Taped by Aurélio Pinotti Catalão, Brazil

• The New Bwana by Samwel Soko Osebe, Kenya

• Dear Mother by Atwine Bashir Kenneth, Uganda

• Jam by Annie Zaidi, India [Regional Winner]

• The Coup by Stanley Makuwe, New Zealand

• Siamese Twin by Agur Schiff, Israel [Regional Winner]

English as a First Language Category:

• The Floating Books by Finegan Kruckemeyer, Australia

• The Navigator by Lasha Bugadze, translated by Maya Kiasashvili, Georgia

[Winner, English as a 1st language (play in translation)]

• The Nature of Captivity by Matthew Paul Olmos, USA [Regional Winner]

• The Bus by Benjamin Kent, Ghana

• Twelve Easy Steps by Declan Greene, Australia

• The Rosy Sanctuary by Nicholas Popowich, Canada

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August 14, 2011

2:02

6th Lola Kenya Screen Ends as Spain Dominates the Awards List

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published August 14, 2011

The sixth edition of the Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa wound up in Nairobi on August 13, 2011 with Belgium narrowly beating Italy to the Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film. The former’s Le Maillot De Cristiano (Cristano Ronaldo’s Shirt) by Vincent Bruno had tied with the latter’s Pizzangrillo (Lighthearted Boy) by Marco Gianfreda forcing the chairperson of the jury to break the deadlock. Gianfreda’s Io Parlo (I’ll Tell on You) won the Golden Mboni at this Africa’s premier event exclusively designed for children and youth in 2009.

The best youth film award, the 14-Plus, went to Madagascar’s Dzaomalaza et Le Saphir Bleu (Dzaomalaza and the Blue Stone) by Mamihasina Raminosoa and Andriamanisa Radoniaina while the second and third prizes, respectively, went to La Playa De Berlin (Cannon Beach) by Manuel Calvo and Mi Otra Mitad (My Other Half) by Beatriz Sanchis, both of Spain.

The full list of the awards announced in the Kenyan capital by the jury comprising Graig Selewan, Daki Mohammed, Daisy Okoti and Joseph Simiyu are:

The Golden Mboni for the best children’s film: Le Maillot De Cristiano (Cristano Ronaldo’s Shirt), Vincent Bruno, Belgium.
The Silver Mboni for the second best children’s film: Pizzangrillo (Lighthearted Boy), Marco Gianfreda, Italy.
The Bronze Mboni for the third best children’s film: Voltereta (Somersault), Alex Morants, Spain.

The 14-Plus Award for the best youth film: Dzaomalaza et Le Saphir Bleu (Dzaomalaza and the Blue Stone),Mamihasina Raminosoa and Andriamanisa Radoniaina, Madagascar.

The 14-Plus Award for the second best youth film: La Playa De Berlin (Cannon Beach), Manuel Calvo, Spain.

The 14-Plus Award for the third best youth film: Mi Otra Mitad, (My Other Half), Beatriz Sanchis, Spain.

The 14-Plus Award Special Commendation: Bizzaire, Martin Ndichu, Kenya.

Special Youth Prize: Ombetja Yehinga Organisation, Philippe Talavera, Namibia.

The Best Student Film: Jutro (Tomorrow), Bartosz Kruhlik, Poland.

The Most Experimental Film: Voltereta (Somersault), Alex Morante, Spain.

The Best Documentary: Paradiso, Alessandro Negrini, Northern Ireland.

The Best Documentary Special Commendation: Mbambu and the Mountains of the Moon, Lucian and Natasa Muntean, Serbia.

The Best Animation: Gamba Trista (Loser Leg), Francesco Filippi, Italy.

The Best Kenyan Film: Zebu and the Photofish, Zipporah Nyaruri, Kenya.

The Best Children’s Rights Film: Mute, Muayad Alayan, Palestine.

5th Kids for Kids Festival Africa Prize: Vanessa’s Dream, Adede Hawi and Daki Mohammed, Kenya; Monsters of the New Age, Brian Saruni, Kenya.

Lola Kenya Screen was yet to announce three more prizes at the end of the festival that was held, for the fourth year running at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi city centre.

Supported by ComMattersKenya under its ArtMatters.Info’s skill-development mentorship programme, the mentors at the 6th Lola Kenya Screen included Cajetan Boy (Scripting), Benson Kamau (Camera), Karama Ogova (Editing) and Allan Aligula (Post-production). The 2011 heads of sections included Bethsheba Achitsa (General Manager), Fadhili Ogova (Screening Manager), and Karama Ogova (Technical Manager). Also serving on the staff were Eva Wambui (Guest Relations Officer), Joseph Simiyu (Festival Assistant), Daki Mohammed (Master of Ceremonies) and Beatrice Mwangi (Festival Intern).

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August 01, 2011

11:08

Cape Town’s Use of Design as an Instrument for Change Could Win It the Bid for World Design Capital 2014

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego and eturbonews.com
Published August 1, 2011

Cape Town, the political capital of the Republic of South Africa, has Since the end of Apartheid system in 1994, been using design as a tool to transform and reconnect the city. Now, this approach could see the Mother City winning the bid for for World Design Capital 2014 whose results are set for release on October 26, 2011. Cape Town is competing against Spain’s Bilbao and Ireland’s Dublin.

“We are building an inclusive city, one based around five pillars: the opportunity city, the safe city, the caring city, the inclusive city, and the efficient city. Design is a tool for all of these areas of building a truly inclusive city,” Patricia de Lille, Executive Mayor of Cape Town, said at the hand-over of the World Design Capital 2014 Bid Book.

According to the Bid Book Committee, eturbonews.com reports, the story at the heart of Cape Town’s bid theme is about the city’s use of design to overturn the negative legacy of its colonial and Apartheid past; a cruel design which aimed to divide people, disconnect the city, and force both people of colour and the urban poor to its fringes.

The platform for Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid is an acknowledgement that it is using design as an instrument for social, cultural, and economic change, eturbonews.com says, quoting capetown.travel.

Some of the projects that put Cape Town ahead as a city that is employing design as an instrument of social transformation include the Economic Development Agency, the low-carbon economy Joule electric car in Woodstock; the Reconstructed Living Laboratory in Athlone; and the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading programme in Khayelitsha informal settlement.

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July 26, 2011

3:22

Student Film Says Nobody Questions the Complexity of Simplicity

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sarah Alaro
Published July 26, 2011

In droves of threes and fours, eager and excited filmmakers, students of mass communication and the general public, flocked to the 47th monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum at Goethe-Institut in the heart of Nairobi to get a taste of Daystar University students’ film production.

Though no one ever tells you this, a university is a microcosm of the larger society in which we live. And this appears to be the base of CONTROL, a 33-minute film produced by Daystar University of Kenya. Directed by Ian Kithinji as part of students’ course work, the film—that competes for the Best Student Film Award at the 6th Lola Kenya Screen/5th Kids for Kids Festival Africa in Nairobi (August 8-13, 2011)—mirrors the traps university students can get themselves into. It is about a planned theft in a university’s finance department. Sarah, a student at the university wants to use David, a fellow student, to steal money. But as the film ends, it is difficult for the audience to identify who between Sarah and David is using the other.

The film begins by making it possible for the viewer to come up with their own conclusion on how it might end but it has its own twist which. The characters play their parts authentically, the dialogue mirroring that of young people on campus. However, the storyline is simply nothing close to what one expects when they hear the title, ‘Control’. When I hear ‘control’, I imagine a story about someone having power over the other but that is not what one gets after viewing the film.

The editing of the film is good, especially at the beginning where there is black and white that help the audience understand that either it is a scene from the past or that the mood in which the film is set is gloomy or sad.
As much as there are not so many ‘aha!’ moments in the film, I think it is worth watching for just about everyone. This is one of the seven films in the Best Student Film Award competition at Lola Kenya Screen. The others are PLUMM by Andrzej Dybowski, Pawel Blakala, Jakub Kosakowski,Krzysztof Jedrzejek, and Przemyslaw Patyk of Drimagine School in Poland; WYCIECZKA and JUTRO both by Bartosz Kruhlik of PWSFTVIT in Poland; SUNSET AT DAWN by Grace Ng’ang’a of the National Youth Talent Academy in Kenya, ORGANS by Asha Mwilu of the United States International University in Kenya; and TWIST & BLOOD by Kuba Czekaj of Poland.

While WYCIECZKA (The Trip) is 1 13-minute film starring a 13-year-old girl on excursion with her grandfather who teaches her how to drive a scooter and shows her the beauty of nature, JUTRO (Tomorrow)—running 13’30”—revolves around an old woman’s typical day and appears to impart the knowledge that one never really knows what ‘tomorrow’ has in store for one.
Kenya’s SUNSET AT DAWN and ORGANS tackle sexual relationships and illicit trade in body organs, respectively.

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1:32

Emirates Offers The Best InFlight Entertainment

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published July 26, 2011

For the seventh consecutive year, the Emirates Airline has won the Skytrax World Airline Award for the ‘World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’. The airline has long been investing in exceptional inflight entertainment systems and holds a very firm grip over the competition.

The Emirates belongs to the most popular airlines; in 2010, it was the sixth largest airline in terms of passengers carried, and in recent years, it has gained a glamorous reputation of an unrivalled on-board entertainment provider.

Skytrax World Airline Awards revealed the results of a survey of 18.8 million passengers from more than 100 countries; for an impressive seventh year in a row, Emirates won the “World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’ Award, leaving Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airlines behind. Overall, approximately 200 airlines were competing for the award.

Emirates, that has over the years been building a reputation of an airline which invests in on-board entertainment, has recently introduced the ‘ice’ inflight system, (information, communications and entertainment) which provides more than 1200 channels on-demand for a wide range of audiences.

It contains more than 280 movies from all over the world, including some new Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters. For instance, it will be the first airline to show the Pirates of Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Apart from movies and cartoons for children, music lovers will rejoice over thousands of music tracks featured, ranging from classical to modern.

Emirates is willing to invest in entertainment even when the economic climate is not particularly great. However, it has retained a very strong position on the market with flights to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents.

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July 25, 2011

9:55

In Film, Nobody Questions the Complexity of Simplicity

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sarah Alaro
Published July 25, 2011

The film begins by making it possible for the viewer to come up with their own conclusion on how it might end but it has its own twist which. The characters play their parts authentically, the dialogue mirroring that of young people on campus. However, the storyline is simply nothing close to what one expects when they hear the title, ‘Control’. When I hear the word ‘control’, I imagine a story about someone having power over the other but that is not what one gets after viewing the film.

The editing of the film is good, especially at the beginning where the black and white is used in contrast to help the audience understand that either it is a scene from the past or that the mood in which the film is set is gloomy or sad.
As much as there are not so many ‘aha!’ moments in the film, I think it is worth watching for just about everyone. This is one of the seven films in the Best Student Film Award competition at Lola Kenya Screen. The others are PLUMM by Andrzej Dybowski, Pawel Blakala, Jakub Kosakowski,Krzysztof Jedrzejek, and Przemyslaw Patyk of Drimagine School in Poland; WYCIECZKA and JUTRO both by Bartosz Kruhlik of PWSFTVIT in Poland; SUNSET AT DAWN by Grace Ng’ang’a of the National Youth Talent Academy in Kenya, ORGANS by Asha Mwilu of the United States International University in Kenya; and TWIST & BLOOD by Kuba Czekaj of Poland.

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July 24, 2011

16:36

Nobody Questions the Complexity of Simplicity

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sarah Alaro
Published July 24, 2011

The film begins by making it possible for the viewer to come up with their own conclusion on how it might end but it has its own twist which. The characters play their parts authentically, the dialogue mirroring that of young people on campus. However, the storyline is simply nothing close to what one expects when they hear the title, ‘Control’. When I hear the word ‘control’, I imagine a story about someone having power over the other but that is not what one gets after viewing the film.

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July 22, 2011

22:57

Here are the Top 5 Middle East and Africa Tourist Destinations

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego and eTurboNews
Published July 22, 2011

A survey by Travel + Leisure, an American magazine, has ranked Cape Town, South Africa’s mother city, as the No. 1 tourist destination in the Middle East and Africa category, with Israel’s Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Egypt’s Cairo and United Arab Emirates’ Dubai trailing behind, in that order.

According to eTurboNews, Travel + Leisure–whose readership exceeds one million loyal explorers who base their trip itinerary on advise from this leading international tourism magazine– conducts such a poll every year, and for the last 16 years has also published a survey rating hotels, airlines, cities, spas, and islands, among other tourist information.

Readers choose their favourite cities based on a number of criteria, including culture, sight-seeing, food and restaurants, travel costs and shopping.

Meanwhile, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban have signed a joint marketing agreement that will see them collaborate on product and destination packaging, collaboration on events and trade shows, as well as shared collateral and online campaigns aimed at the international and domestic markets. The joint marketing forum will look at improved city branding and how the unique offering of all the three cities are being presented and packaged to both domestic and international travellers.

“Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban tell three very different and unique but complementary stories. I strongly believe that we add value to each other’s leisure and business tourism offering, and I think that this will also go a long way towards providing the prospective international traveller with a seamless impression of destination South Africa. The time has come for us to use creative and innovative ways to maximize the domestic and international leisure, as well as business tourism potential, for all three cities,” say Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.

Lindiwe Kwele, CEO of Johannesburg Tourism, adds: “All three cities have the confidence to define themselves in the minds of our markets. Johannesburg is a frontier city and personifies urban chic, achievement, and a sophisticated energy. Durban is diverse; a leading port city that exemplifies warmth and tradition. Cape Town is a city of inspiration, hope, and freedom with a rich cosmopolitan culture set against the backdrop of unprecedented natural beauty.”

On his part, Phillip Sithole of eThekwini Municipality’s Business Support and Tourism says, “One of the secrets of a winning destination is for cities to realise that we are brands; that we should harness our assets. Positive perception, unique identities, authentic experiences, and a powerful story is the armory of a successful city brand. The joint marketing agreement is a formal recognition of our synergies and will go a long way to present a conducive and integrated city tourism experience for both domestic and international travellers.”

This partly explains why South Africa attracts 10 times the number of tourists who visit a country like Kenya in 12 months.

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July 20, 2011

14:02

Ugandan Writer Misses Out on Caine Prize, Promises to Inspire Others

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Published July 20, 2011

Beatrice Lamwaka, the Ugandan poet and short story writer who came close to winning the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing, has promised to continue writing in order to inspire others.

Lamwaka was short-listed for her short story, Butterfly Dreams, from Butterfly Dreams and Other New Short Stories From Uganda, published by Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, Nottingham (UK), in 2010.

She said: “It is exciting and I know I will make a major contribution to the literary world. I will have very many opportunities following this Caine Prize short-listing that if I use them well, I will prosper as a writer. I have got so much support from many Ugandans. I hope I will motivate others to join the profession of writing.”

Saying the road to writing is difficult, Lamwaka says she was excited “when I read an email announcing the short list. I had just returned from a Caine Prize workshop in Cameroun. I wouldn’t believe it was true. This prize is so huge and I know very many writers who would wish to be on the short list every year and do not make it. I think the Caine Prize exposes African writers to the rest of the world as agents and publishers get interested in you. Being on the short list alone is big enough,” Lamwaka told ArtMatters.Info in Kampala.

A US-based Zimbabwean author, Elizabeth Tshele who writes under the pen name NoViolet Bulawayo, won the 2011 Caine Prize beating 120 writers to the coveted continental award with her short story, ‘Hitting Budapest’, that had been published by The Boston Review of the United States in 2010.

The Caine Prize, widely known as the ‘African Booker’ and regarded as Africa’s leading literary award, is now in its 12th year. It is awarded to a short story by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa or elsewhere.

Lamwaka was the third Ugandan to be chosen after Doreen Baingana and Monica Arach de Nyeko; Arach won the prize in 2007 for a story, Jambula Tree, from African Love Stories, published by Ayebia Clarke Publishing in 2006.

Butterfly Dreams is about a family that has been waiting for five years for their daughter, Lamunu to return home from the hands of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. The family has even buried her tipu (spirit), when word went around that she would not return home. When Lamunu is finally rescued by the soldiers in Sudan and returned home she is a traumatized and changed girl.

Lamwaka says that the idea of this story emerged after she heard the sad tales of child captives at a rehabilitation centre in Gulu district.

Lamwaka has published a number of poems and short stories in various Uganda Women’s Writers Association (FEMRITE) anthologies including her latest story, The Hair Cut, in the anthology, Never Too Late. She is currently working on her first novel whose title keeps changing. Her short memoir, The Market Vendor, was published by PMS 9, University of Alabama, USA, in 2010. Her poems have also been published in various anthologies.

Lamwaka says creating characters is what drives her. “What gives me the courage is being able to create characters – creating people who live on paper and the readers can easily relate with those characters. My writing will live on because I speak to different people even when I am not there.”

She says the Joseph Kony rebel war experience in northern Uganda influences most of her writing.

“My stories are war-related although tackled from different angles. I was born and raised in Gulu and when I was about 10 years old I had to move to Moroto where my big sister was working in a maternity hospital to escape the insecurity in the late 1980s. It was too dangerous because today you are in school and tomorrow you are on the run. Sometimes children would be abducted on their way to school.”

“I feel that some people are not able to tell their stories. So I speak for them. I come from Gulu where I went to school with my age mates, who died as result of the war. I am able to tell their stories in a way,” she said.

“When the war was getting tense we would leave home in the evening to take shelter at Akololum Seminary in Gulu town. We only returned in the morning to prepare for school and the farm work,” Lamwaka recalls.

Her father was a medical officer at Gulu Hospital and often people came home to consult him over health problems like malaria and cough. “The rebels would come and take the drugs from home and the government would accuse him for supporting the rebels. I think my dad was bold because he continued helping the people in these different times. When people needed to get treatment they knew where to get it,” she adds.

Lamwaka has no kind words for the perpetuators of the Joseph Kony war, arguing: “It was a stupid war. I feel there is no need for war and it should not have been there in the first place. What have we gained or lost? The loss is greater than the gain, if there is any. I am sure there is no gain at all. There is a lost generation that was born and grew up in the displaced people’s camps that did not have an education and lost their culture as well. There were very many people who were damaged and need to move on so that they are not worse off.”

“Every time you go home you find it is a different feeling. Like the first time I returned home in Gulu I would not trace the path to our compound. There were very many huts all over the place. I have picked story ideas from such experiences and the motivation me to write more.”

“I will continue writing both short and long stories. But I would wish to have my own collection of short stories and a novel in future. I hope it works out,” she said.

Lamwaka was born in Gulu in northern Uganda, and now lives and does most of her writing in Kampala where she is the General Secretary of the Uganda Women’s Writers Association (FEMRITE) and a freelance writer with Daily Monitor newspaper, UGPulse and the Press Institute.

Lamwaka is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Human Rights at Makerere University where she also graduated with BA (ED) Literature and English Language Studies in 2002.

She was one of the pioneers of a British Council writing scheme known as “Crossing Boarders” in 2000 linking Ugandan creative writers with established writers in the UK. In 2010 she was Laureate for Council for the Development of Social Science (CODESRIA) Democratic Governance Institute in Senegal. She was a Finalist for the PEN/Studzinski Literary Award 2009 and a Fellow at the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation/African Institute of South Africa Young Scholars Programme 2009 where she is researching about spiritualism in traditional African conflict resolution.

Lamwaka is proud of FEMRITE being able to publish works of a number of female writers and promote them as well. The support and motivation is always kept alive, she says.

“I think people are working very hard and the literary scene in Uganda is changing. I think good works will come out of Uganda because very many things are going on,” Lamwaka observes, but she is quick to express her displeasure with the government and local publishers that are focused on textbooks publication.

“The publishers are only interested in text books believing ‘that is what sells.’ We don’t receive support from the government. More or less you are writing at on your initiative. We have very good writers who have published one or two good books but because there is no support they can’t produce more. If they happen to have a job they concentrate on their employment and writing becomes more of a hobby than a profession – which is a disservice to the book industry,” she argues.

Lamwaka also denied reports that she abandoned the noble teaching profession for writing. “Am a trained teacher and I have taught apart from my teaching practice in Kibuli Secondary School and Negri College in Gulu. It is wrong to say that l left teaching for writing. I decided not to teacher because you are tied down to one thing as a teacher.”

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July 19, 2011

18:11

Tourists Flood ‘The Island of the Gods’ as Top 5 Offbeat Travel Tours Are Unveiled

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published July 19, 2011

Who would believe that there is such a thing as too many tourists? But that appears to be the reality in the case of Indonesian Bali.

Often dubbed the Island of the Gods,Bali–that prides itself in a reputation of a haven of tranquility and peace, of wondrous beaches and spiritual atmosphere.–lives off tourism.

The country should ideally hold a population of 1.5 million. In reality, 4 million inhabitants live there. An additional 2.5 million tourists arrived there last year, which is a 25% increase on previous two years.

With so much attention, problems are starting to pile up, including water shortages, increasing crime, polluted beaches, etc. Local officials are rather slow in admitting to these issues, and are currently planning to create a second airport to cater for a wave of Chinese middle-class tourists who are expected to start arriving soon.

While the 2002 and 2005 terrorist attacks in Bali targeted Western travellers, the Indonesian island has now returned to pre-2002 visitor numbers. And such news would have been fantastic, if only there were no side-effects of such great tourist influx.

While EAT, PRAY and LOVE, a US film starring Julia Roberts shot in Bali may have contributed to the return of U.S and Australian visitors, the planned visit of US President Barack Obama should be a definite confirmation Bali is safe again. Furthermore, the East Asia Summit takes place there in November 2011, which is yet another event of great strategic relevance.

Being in the spotlight is crucial for Bali to retain its glamorous tourist status; however, experts are starting to appeal to local officials to make them realise there is such a thing as too many tourists.

The Top 5 Offbeat Travel Tours

Meanwhile, Womansday.com presents ‘The Top 5 Offbeat Travel Tours’ aimed at meeting the expectations of diverse travellers: No matter if you like it historical, literary, spooky, or adventurous, the top 5 offbeat travel tours have it all. Here they are:
1. Baltimore Street Tour – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA

The Ghosts of Gettysburg walking tours based on Mark Nesbitt’s book, Ghosts of Gettysburg, are perfect for Civil War history fans. The tour begins in a courtyard “where disembodied voices have been recorded and a child has been spotted . . . a century after his death.” Tour participants can also look forward to seeing the County Courthouse, “that witnessed the battle of Gettysburg and was filled to over-flowing with wounded soldiers…and now holds visitors from another world”. The next stop is the church where so many amputations had to be done that holes in the floor had to be drilled to let the blood run out. The tour guides state that today a spectral undertaker continues to walk there.
(Ghostsofgettysburg.com)

2. Millennium Tour – Stockholm, Sweden
Experience Stockholm following the lives of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander – the main characters of Stieg Larsson’s three Millennium books (or the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). Over 50 million people around the world read the books turned into films and TV series. During approximately two hours tourists can learn interesting facts not only about the books and the author but about Stockholm as well. The tour starts at Bellmangatan 1, where Mikael Blomkvist lives, then passes the Millennium editorial office, Lisbeth Salander’s luxury apartment and many other locations mentioned in the books and films.(Stadsmuseum.stockholm.se).

3. Jack the Ripper Tour and London Ghost Walk – London, UK
Popular Jack the Ripper Tours take brave tourists back in time when the infamous London serial killer lived and frightened the whole city. Over the three-hour long tour, often done after the sunset, the participants visit four of Jack’s murder sites in Whitechapel. The tour guide, an expert “Ripperologist”, vividly explains the history of the world’s first recognized serial killer. Moreover, for those who still have the stomach Berkeley Square is the perfect place to be. With London Ghost Walks you can explore this site of what was once called the “most haunted house in London.” (Walksoflondon.co.uk).

4. Dracula Tour – Transylvania, Romania
A week-long tour for the fans of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or Vlad the Impaler, includes Sighisoara – the birthplace of Dracula, Snagov Monastery with its tomb of the infamous ruler, as well as the Castle of Dracula in the Carpathian Mountains. Some itineraries however also cover the capital of Romania – Bucharest or Tokaj region where you can taste Dracula’s favorite wine.(Dracula-tour.com).

5. Day of the Jackal – London, England
Tourists admiring the characters of Frederick Forsyth’s novel The Day of the Jackal will love this day-long adventure. First the participants are taken by a helicopter to a secret place where they are trained by ex–Special Forces operatives. The intensive training session includes hands-on experience of the equipment and weaponry that the participants will be using. After the lunch the would-be spies get an opportunity to practice their new skills on a mission. Once the mission is complete, they are debriefed before returning to their hotel in an armored luxury vehicle.(Quintessentiallyescape.com).

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July 17, 2011

18:20

Here is How to Write on 1001 Subjects!

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sarah Alaro
Published July 17, 2011

“Writing is an adventure, a game. To live or play it well, one must learn the rules that govern it.” These are the very first words in the introduction of the book, How to Write on 1001 Subjects!, a book that is to a writer what a map is to a traveller. Like the traveller knows where he or she is going and only needs a map for direction, this book is a guide for someone who knows what they want to write about and only need to know how to write about it.

Saying that this book teaches any one how to think logically and coherently, Ogova Ondego, the writer of How To Write on 1001 Subjects!, provides a guide that walks the reader through writing for various fora: leisure writing, journalistic writing, academic writing. Thus doing, Ondego equips the user with the common, standard and accepted way of expressing words and phrases. The basic rules of grammar are also highlighted in the book, for example, where to use capital letters and where not to makes the book not just a guide but also an invaluable reference material on some of those small mistakes that people make while writing.

Drawing from various international sources on writing, grammar and criticism, this 44-page publication covers creative writing, journalism and criticism (arts journalism, arts appreciation, fine arts, architecture, literary analysis, music analysis as well as film analysis) in simple language that does not need a dictionary to understand.

Whether you are a journalist, a student of film production, a poet or even just an arts lover, this book will not let you down. If you are a writer or are working on becoming aiming one, or if you are writing an academic paper or a news story, this book will be a handy companion to help you on the long and often difficult and lonely journey with ideas and letters.

Published by ComMattersKenya in 2011 and retailing for Sh300 per copy, this paperback is affordable and any serious school would do well to add it to its library. Anyone who has an interest in improving their writing skills should get themselves a copy as, to quote Ondego, puts “Writing is a game to be played only by those who understand the rules that govern it.” Therefore, if you want to play the game of writing—be it fiction or non-fiction—you have to learn the rules and How to Write on 1001 Subjects! is just the book for you.

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July 16, 2011

20:56

World Poetry Movement Formed

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published July 16, 2011

A movement to promote and strengthen cooperation among poets, poetry initiatives and organisations around the world has been formed.

The World Poetry Movement was founded after a five-day meeting on the status of poetry and poetry festivals across the world at the 21st Medellin Poetry Festival in Colombia (July 2-9, 2011). The meeting, that brought together directors of 37 Poetry Festivals worldwide, also analysed and discussed human concerns and issues regarding difficulties and achievements as part of local organisations promoting poetry, according to a media release issued by the Centre for Creative Arts of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa that organises Poetry Africa festival.

Among the issues discussed were the relationship between poetry and peace and reconstruction of the human spirit, nature of reconciliation and recovery, unity and cultural diversity of people, material misery and poetic justice, and actions to take towards the globalisation of poetry.

The meeting then formed the World Poetry Movement on the recognition that poetry provides meaningful insights into the human condition.

The main objectives of the World Poetry Movement are to promote the growth of poetry festivals across the world in all their diversity, to enhance communication among poetry festivals and poetry organisations,to promote the development of poetry schools and poetry initiatives, to explore audience development initiatives to broaden publics and access to poetry, and to address issues such as publishing, translation and the general concerns of poets worldwide.

To realise its objectives, the movement is to invite all poets, poetry initiatives and organisations to join the World Poetry Movement whose email address is worldpoetrymovement@gmail.com.

The founding festivals of the World Poetry Movement are:

Tomás Arias, poet representative of Barcelona Poesía (Spain)
Kwame Dawes, poet representative of Calabash International Literary Festival
Sixto Cabrera, poet representative of Encuentro Latinoamericano de Poesía en Veracruz (Mexico)
José María Memet, poet director del Encuentro Internacional de Poetas ChilePoesía
Otoniel Guevara, poet and director del Encuentro Internacional de Poetas El Turno del Ofendido (El Salvador)
Fernando Rendón, Gabriel Jaime Franco, Jairo Guzmán and y Gloria Chvatal, representatives of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín (Colombia)
Alex Pausides, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía de La Habana (Cuba)
Fernando Valverde, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Granada (Spain)
Gaston Bellemare, director of Festival International de la Poèsie de Trois-Rivières (Canada)
Amir Or, poet and director of the International Poetry Festival Sha’ar (Israel)
Iryna Vikyrchak, poet and executive director of The International Poetry Festival Meridian Czernowitz (Ukraine)
Lello Voce, poet and representative of International Poetry Festival RomaPoesía and Absolute Poetry (Italy)
Rira Abbasi, poet and director of International Festival of Peace Poetry (Irán)
Graciela Araoz, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
José Mármol, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía de RepúblicaDominicana
Giovanni Gómez, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía Luna de Locos (Pereira, Colombia)
Aaron Rueda, poet and representative of the Festival Iberoamericano de Poesía “Salvador Díaz Mirón” (Mexico)
Rodolfo Dada, poet and representative of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Costa Rica
Rigoberto Paredes, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Honduras
Lucy Cristina Chau, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía Ars Amandi (Panama)
Marvin García, poet and director del Festival Internacional de Poesía de Quetzaltenango (Guatemala)
Vilma Reyes and Vicente Rodríguez Nietzche, poets and representatives del Festival Internacional de Poesía de Puerto Rico
Rafael del Castillo and Fernando Linero, poets and representatives of Festival Internacional de Poesía de Bogotá (Colombia)
Gabriel Impaglioni, poet and director of Festival Internacional de Poesía Palabra en el Mundo (Argentina/Italy)
Ataol Behramoglu, poet and organizer of International Poetry Festival of Smirna (Turkey)
Rati Saxena, poet and director of Krytia International Poetry Festival (India)
Thomas Wolfhart, director of Literaturwerkstatt Berlin (Germany)
Endre Ruset, poet and director of Norsk Litteraturfestival (Norway)
Regina Dyck, director of Poetry on the Road (Bremen, Germany)
Peter Rorvik, director of Poetry Africa (South Africa)
Bas Kwakman, director of Poetry International Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Céline Hémon, director of International Communications of Les Printemps des Poètes (France)
Zabier Hernández, director of the Recital Internacional de Poesía desde el Sur, (Pasto, Colombia)
Jack Hirschmann, poet and director of San Francisco International Poetry Festival (United States)
Nikola Madzirov, poet and representative of Struga Poetry Evenings (Macedonia)
Ban’ya Natsuishi, poet and director of Tokyo Poetry Festival (Japan)
Ide Hintze, poet and director of the Vienna Poetry School (Austria).

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July 13, 2011

12:19

6th Lola Kenya Screen Presents Films for Enjoyment, Learning and Participation in the 21st Century

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published July 13, 2011

The Nairobi-based Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa has on July 12, 2011released the film line up for the August 8-13, 2011 event.

In its sixth year, Lola Kenya Screen received more than 300 films from 102 countries from which 150 have been selected following a rigorous viewing selection process by children, youth, mass communication students, journalists, critics and parents. Fewer films shall be programmed than ever before following the introduction of media literacy seminars in 2010 and film discussion at the end of every film in 2011.

The selected films shall be presented in 10 categories, including the 6th Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film, the 3rd 14-Plus Award for the best youth film, the 5th Kids for Kids Festival Africa, Films by Students, Films by Children for Children, Eastern Africa Prism, World Panorama, and three special focus areas: Documentary, Busan International Kids’ Festival (BIKI, South Korea) and George Washington University’s Documentary Centre (USA) productions.

The battle for the best children’s film is likely to be between Italy and Spain that have two entries each in the 10-film contest that also has three entries from Kenya, and one each from Belgium, Palestine, and USA. Indeed, the hardest contest is likely to be waged over the Golden Mboni Award where Kenya is, for the first time in the 6-year history of the festival, well represented. The United States and Belgium are unlikely to go down. But if they do, the victor will be left with wounds that will take a while to heal.

Spain is again well represented in the 14-Plus Award for the best youth film contest in which Madagascar, Namibia, Kenya and France shall also be hoping to pip the others for the prize. The contest has 10 films.

All the 10 categories have particularly strong films that will keep the audience busy and discussing them over the entire six-day of the festival that shall be held in both the Nairobi City Centre and the densely populated Eastlands residential neigbourhood.

Besides film shows, Lola Kenya Screen shall host a two-day roundtable for the independent audiovisual media producers. Motivational speakers drawn from the fledgling audiovisual media sector are also expected to interact with children and youth.

The theme of the 6th Lola Kenya Screen is “Films for Enjoyment, Learning and Participation in the 21st Century”. ArtMatters.Info is the official media partner of the festival that is presented by ComMattersKenya.

Among the films selected are:

I. Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film Competition
1. Le Maillot De Cristiano/Cristiano’s Shirt, Vincent Bruno, 2011, 16’48”, Belgium
2. Gamba Trista/Loser Leg, Francesco Filippi, 2010, 8’20”, Italy
3. Pizzangrillo/Lighthearted Boy, Marco Gianfreda, 2011, 16’43”, Italy
4. Zebu and the PhotoFish, Zippy Nyaruri, 2010, 12’00”, Kenya
5. Becoming A Girl, Grace Kinya,2010, 09’47”, Kenya
6. Kidz for Kidz, Allesandra Argenti, Peter Jansen, 2010, 6’22″, Kenya
7. Mute, Muayad Alayan, 2011, 20’00”, Palestine
8. Cuando Corres/When You Run, Mikel Rueda, 2011, 5’00”, Spain
9. Voltereta/Somersault, Alex Morante, 13’50”, 2010, Spain
10. Refren per Kosoven/Requiem for Kosovo, Dhimitri Ismailaj, 2010, 19’32”, USA

II. 14-Plus Award for the best youth film Competition
1. Checkpoint, Ruben Amar, 2010, 19’20’’, France
2. Bizzaire, Martin Ndichu, 2010, 90’00”, Kenya
3. Hadithi Ya Uamuzi: Story of a Choice, Alessandra Argenti, Silvia         Gioiello, Vincenzo Cavallo, 18’00” 2011, Kenya
4. Dzaomalaza et Le Saphir Bleu, Mamihasina Raminosoa,         AndriamanisaRadoniaina, 2010, 49’15”, Madagascar
5. Teddy Bear Love, Philippe Talavera, 2011, 44’00”, Namibia
6. Rosalinda, Rogier Hesp, 2010, 10’21”, The Netherlands
7. La Playa De Berlin. Cannon Beach/Cannon Beach, Manuel Calvo, 2009,         25’00”, Spain
8. Mi Otra Mitad/My Other Half, Beatriz Sanchis, 2011, 18’00”, Spain

III. Films by Students
1. Wycieczka/The Trip, Bartosz Kruhlik, 12’30”, 2010, PWSFTViT, Poland
2. Jutro/Tomorrow, Bartosz Kruhlik, 13’30”, 2009, PWSFTViT, Poland
3. Sunset At Dawn, Grace Ng’ang’a, 2010, 38’00” , NYTA, Kenya
4. Organs, Asha Mwilu, 2010, 30’00”, USIU, Kenya
5. Control, Ian Kithinji, 2010, 33’00’’, Daystar University, Kenya

IV. Kids for Kids Festival Africa competition
1. Vanessa’s Dream, Adede Hawi, Daki Mohamed, 01’41′ 2010, Kenya
2. Passion for the Environment, Mueni Muthama, Daphine Mbithuka, 01’16” 2010, Kenya
3. Monsters of the New Age, Brian Saruni, 02’24′, 2010, Kenya
4. Facebook Era, Brian Saruni, Adima Mesa, Bob Ian, Antony Mukiri, 02’55’’, 2010, Kenya

V. Eastern Africa Prism
1. Flying Toilet, Sheila Mulinya, 2011, 7’00” Kenya
2. Within Reach, Salome Mbuthia, 2010, 10’12”, Kenya
3. Amani/Peace, Alison Ngibuini, 2010, 15’00”, Kenya
4. Karamoja Faces, Simon Bird, Simon Lokai, 2010, 15’16”, UK
5. Irresponsible Exercises, Napoleon Were, 2010, 60’00”, Kenya
6. My Story music, Adam Juma, 2008, 3’05”, Kenya
7. Me and My Bike, Allesandra Argenti, Peter Jansen, 2011, 1’08”,         Kenya
8. Trash is Cash, Allesandra Argenti, Peter Jansen, 2009, 5’30”, Kenya
9. My Story with narration, Allesandra Argenti, Peter Jansen, 2009,         5’00”, Kenya
10. Lezare/For Today, Zelalem Woldermariam, 14’00”Ethiopia
11. Sita Kimya/I will Not Be Silent: Junia and Doreen, Cajetan Boy,         2010, 15’00”, Kenya
12. Sita Kimya/I will Not Be Silent: Brian and Lavender, Cajetan Boy,         2010, 17’00”, Kenya

VI. Wold panorama
1. Velik/The Bike, Maria Morozova, 2008, `7’50”, Russia
2. Akerbeltz Las Brujas Y El Inquisidor/Akerbeltz, The Witches and The         Inquisitor, Cesar Urbina Vitoria, 10’29”, 2010, Spain
3. Panchito, Arantxa Echevarria Caecedo, 16’28” 2010, Spain
4. Lichtspuren/Traces of Light, Claire Walka, 2010, 14’30”, Germany
5. Busy, Felix Von Seefranz, 2010, 15’00”, Germany
6. El Hijo Del Nar/The Son of the Sea, Roberto Aznar, 2010, 25’00”,         Spain
7. Upaasmar: The Taste of Hunger, Ajay Saklani, 2011, 28’02” India
8. El Vendedor Delano/The Salesman of the Year, Cote Soler, 2010,         18’00”, Spain
9. Ciclope/Cyclopes, Carlos Morett,2009, 12’00”, Spain
10. El Orden De Las Cosas/The Order of Things, César Esteban         Alenda,2010, 18’00” Spain
11. Tenatorios/Funeral Parlours, Miguel Méndez, 2011, 14’00”, Spain
12. Mamiko , Vincent Richard, 2010, 4’08” France
13. Siggil, Remi Mazet, 20’00”, 2010, France
14. The Last Thread, Liz Skaggs, 2009, 7’00” USA
15. In Two Minutes, Michalis Lygkiaris, 2010, 2’00”, Greece
16. White House, Jared Katsiane, 2011, 4’25”, USA
17. Ich Bin Eine Terroristin/I am a Terrorist, Valerie Gaudissart,         2010, 97’00”, France
18. La Rubia De Pinos Puente/The Blonde from Pinos Puente, Vicente         Villanueva, 2009, 14’00”, Spain
19. Make A Move (OYO’s Festival Presentation in 2009), Philippe         Talavera, 2010, 42’41”, Namibia
20. Calamity Jane Lettre a’sa fille/Calamity Jane’s Letter to her         Daughter, Vincent Richard, 2010, 3’46, France
21. The Last Thread, Liz Skaggs, 2009, 07’00”, USA

VII. Films by Kids for Kids
1. Tombe De Ciel/ Fallen From the Sky, Cumulo Nimbus, 2009, 9’50”,         France
2. Les Amis Du Monde/World Friends, Cumulo Nimbus, 2010, 5’19”, France
3. Les Machines a Voyager/Travelling Machines, Cumulo Nimbus, 2010,         6’45”, France
4. Nairobi by Taxi, Charmaine Ndolo, Brian Saruni, Mina Ogova, Crystal         Ndolo, Tracey Wanja, 04’26”,2010, Kenya
5. The Un-ending Adventure, Brian Saruni, Charmaine Ndolo, Crystal         Ndolo, Tracey Wanja, Mina Ogova, 04’02”,2010, Kenya
6. My Shoes, My Style, Mina Ogova, Tracy Muringa, Charlene Ndolo,         Karama Ogova, Bob Ian, 03’43”, 2010, Kenya
7. Behold, The Glory! Adima Mesa, Adede Hawi, 04’21’’, 2010, Kenya

VIII. Best Documentary
1. Ciao Cirella, Christophe Berthaud, 55’00”, 2010, France
2. Mbambu and the Mountains of the Moon, Lucian & Natasa Muntean, 50’05”, 2011, Serbia
3. Unsung Heroines: Epis 5, Prof Habiba Bouhamed Chaabouni, M Beatrix Mugishagwe, 26’00”, 2010, Tanzania
4. Paradiso, Alessandro Negrini, 61’00”, 2009, Northern Ireland
IX. Special Focus
a). Busan International Kids’ Film Festival (BIKI, South Korea)

b). The Documentary Centre, George Washington University, USA

More information, including editorial, photo and video, on Lola Kenya Screen is available at:
lolakenyascreen.org, facebook.com/LolaKenyaScreen, twitter.com/LolaKenyaScreen, youtube.com/Lolakenyascreen, flickr.com/photos/lolakenyascreen, flickr.com/people/lolakenyascreen

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July 12, 2011

12:37

Zimbabwean Writer Wins 12th Caine Prize Award for African Writing

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published July 12, 2011

Elizabeth Tshele of Zimbabwe has won the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing with her short story, Hitting Budapest.

Speaking at the award ceremony at the Bodleian Library in Oxford in the evening of July 11, 2011, the chair of the judging panel, writer Hisham Matar described Hitting Budapest as “a story with moral power and weight” and that it “has the artistry to refrain from moral commentary.” The judge said the author, who is better known as NoViolet Bulawayo, “takes delight in language”.

Tshele, whose story was first published in The Boston Review of November/December 2010, was awarded the £10,000 prize and a month’s residence at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA, as a Caine Prize/Georgetown University writer-in-residence.

The Caine Prize, that brands itself as ‘celebrating the very best of African literature’, had shortlisted five authors from 126 entries across 17 African countries.

Other contestants included Ugandan Beatrice Lamwaka (Butterfly Dreams from Butterfly Dreams and Other New Short Stories from Uganda (Critical, Cultural and Communications Press), Nottingham, 2010); South African Tim Keegan (What Molly Knew from Bad Company (Pan Macmillan SA), 2008); Botswana Lauri Kubitsile (In the Spirit of McPhineas Lata from The Bed Book of Short Stories (Modjaji Books, SA), 2010); and David Medalie, another South African with The Mistress’s Dog’ from The Mistress’s Dog: Short Stories 1996-2010 (Picador Africa), 2010).

Hitting Budapest, the winning story of the 2011 Caine Prize for African writing, will feature in BBC’s African Perspective on Saturday, July 16 and also in the weekend (July 16/17, 2011) edition of The Strand, another BBC World Service global arts and entertainment programme.

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July 02, 2011

11:17

Great Line-up at South Africa’s 32nd Durban International Film Festival

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sharlene Versfeld
Published July 2, 2011

The 32nd Durban International Film Festival kicks off on July 21, 2011 with the World Premiere of the South African film OTELO BURNING, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of Apartheid, the Durban-shot film tells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this convincing fulfillment of local filmmaking potential.

The festival, that ends on July 31, will be crammed with great films from around the world. SKOONHEID, Oliver Hermanus’s ground-breaking film that caused a stir at the recent Cannes film festival, will have its first South African screening at the festival.

DIFF will also present the World Premieres of Charlie Vundla’s noir film, HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION, John Barker’s thrilling heist flick, 31 MILLION REASONS, Faith Isiakpere’s crime drama, THE ALGIERS MURDERS, ELDORADO by new talents Shaldon Ferris and Lorreal Ferris, the hilarious comedy, TAKA TAKATA by Damir Radonic, and THE DREAM by Zuko Nodada.

Making their African Premieres are Mukunda Michael Dewil’s psychological thriller, RETRIBUTION, and Paula van der Oest’s moving film about Ingrid Jonker, BLACK BUTTERFLIES.

DIFF 2011 includes the African Premiere of the year’s most anticipated film, Terrence Malick’s THE TREE OF LIFE, which just won the Palme d’Or in Cannes.

Other highlights include Woody Allen’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS which will close the festival, Bela Tarr’s THE TURIN HORSE, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s ELENA, Jose Padilha’s ELITE SQUAD 2: THE ENEMY WITHIN, Takeshi Kitano’s OUTRAGE, Michel Ocelot’s TALES OF THE NIGHT, SJ Clarkson’s TOAST, Lee Chang-dong’s POETRY, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES.

African cinema will also be well-represented by Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s striking and unique VIVA RIVA!, Nigerian director Andrew Donsunmu’s visually beautiful RESTLESS CITY, Justin Chadwick’s uplifting Kenya-set film, THE FIRST GRADER, and Ebrahim El Batout’s HAWI which first appeared in Durban as a project at the inaugural Durban FilmMart in 2010.

DIFF will focus on two national cinemas this year: India and Canada. Six films from the great Indian master Satyajit Ray will be presented alongside daring new works by talented new Indian filmmakers. Leena Manimekelai will present the World Premiere of her film, THE DEAD SEA.

Other Indian films include Onir’s I AM, Sanjoy Nag’s MEMORIES IN MARCH, Kaushik Mukherjee’s Bengali hip hop film ASSHOLE, and Aamir Bashir’s AUTUMN.

In a very strong year for Canadian cinema, DIFF will present Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated INCENDIES, the gritty drama JO FOR JONATHAN,Ed Gass-Donnelly’s SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS, Xavier Dolan’s ravishing HEARTBEATS, and the quirky FAMILIAR GROUND by Stephane Lafleur.

Canadian documentaries include Barry Steven’s PROSECUTOR, a fascinating look at the International Criminal Court, and Shannon Walsh’s ST. HENRI, THE 26TH OF AUGUST.

Germany is also well-represented at DIFF 2011 with Tom Tykwer’s THREE, Pia Marais’ AT ELLEN’S AGE, Ulrich Kohler’s SLEEPING SICKNESS and the stunning documentary EL BULLI–COOKING IN PROGRESS by Gereon Wetzel.

Local stories in the powerful documentary line-up include World Premieres such as Ryley Grunewald’s THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY where healing is shown as being more than skin deep, Mickey Dube’s SOBUKWE, a great soul about one of South Africa’s most influential but unsung heroes, the Keith Jones/Deon Maas music revolution collaboration PUNK IN AFRICA, and the Dara Kell/Chris Nizza collaboration DEAR MANDELA about innovative leadership emerging in informal settlements.

Not to be missed, DIFF will present the African premiere of MAMA AFRICA,the inspirational film about Miriam Makeba.

With the COP conference on climate change taking place in Durban later in 2011, an exceptional range of conscientising environmental films is included in this year’s Eco-Lens focus. There is heated Irish village resistance to Shell in THE PIPE; BLOOD IN THE MOBILE shows how frightening mining conditions in Congo-Kinshasa produce material for our cellphones; and, fresh from Cannes, THE BIG FIX exposes corruption and cover-ups surrounding the Mexican Gulf oil spill. COUNTDOWN TO ZERO (by
Lucy Walker whose WASTE LAND won big awards in 2010) is about nuclear weapons and challenges to disarmament, while INTO ETERNITY covers nuclear waste storage. ECO-PIRATE: THE STORY OF PAUL WATSON is about this legendary defender of our oceans and its creatures (Paul Watson will attend the festival).

The riveting SING YOUR SONG is the story of Harry Belafonte from his music and film career to his involvement in civil rights and anti-apartheid movements. A special highlight will be Leonard Retel-Helmrich’s tracking of an Indonesian family in POSITION AMONG THE STARS. This masterful film won top awards at both Sundance and IDFA.

Look out also for KING NAKI, a beautiful story of struggle and achievement set around horse-racing in the rural Transkei, the Cape Town film THE IMAM AND I, and the Durban-shot STREET KIDS UNITED.

The global financial meltdown is the focus of the 2011 Academy Award winning INSIDE JOB, while John Pilger’s biting THE WAR YOU DON’T SEE is a timely investigation into the media’s role in war.

Other documentaries cover Bollywood, Robert Mugabe, the Black Power movement in America, organic agriculture, paraplegic musicians in Kinshasa, and West Indian cricket.

Packages of short documentaries and short films are also on offer.

Opening with an outdoor screening on the beachfront on 24th July, DIFF will host the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival for the 7th consecutive year – a six-day blast of red-hot wave action, surf stories and groundbreaking cinematography.

DIFF has become a valued meeting point for filmmakers and industry professionals, local and international, and the seminar and workshop programme is populated with leading experts offering insight and debate on a range of relevant issues.

Talent Campus Durban is an intensive five-day programme bringing together nearly 47 African filmmakers from 16 countries on the continent.

Durban FilmMart, a partnership with the Durban Film Office, not only facilitates opportunities for African projects selected for meetings with international financiers and potential co-producers, but also provides a seminar and master class programme for registered DFM delegates.

There are also a number of presentations by the National Film and Video Foundation in 2011 that marks the 10th year of DIFF’s partnership with University of KwaZulu-Natal’s AV divison who run the workshop programme for first-time filmmakers from community organisations.

Special events running with DIFF include an exhibition of Bollywood paintings by Ranjit Dahiya, organised in association with Alliance Francaise, and performances by Grammy-nominated Debashish Bhattacharya, a leading exponent of the chaturangui (Indian slide-guitar).

Festival screenings will take place at Nu Metro Cinecentre Suncoast, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau Gateway, the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ekhaya KwaMashu, The Royal Hotel, Luthuli Museum (Groutville) and other venues.

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July 01, 2011

0:27

Ten Eastern Africans Attend South African Film Talent Campus

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published July 1, 2011

Ten Eastern African filmmakers are among 50 audiovisual media practitioners from 16 African countries selected to participate in the 4th Talent Campus Durban in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Ethiopian Eskindir Tefera Mengistu and Yinekachew Shumete Desalegn, Kenyan Zipporah Nyaruri, Peggy Mbiyu and Natasha Likimani, Rwandan Richard Mugwaneza, and Ugandan Agnes Kamya, Joseph Kenneth Ssebaggala and Rehema Nanfuka shall carry the flag of Eastern Africa alongside talents from Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Iivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe for a six-day intensive programme of workshops and masterclasses held in the framework of the 32nd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) that runs July 21-31, 2011 on the theme, ‘Africa in Motion’. The Talent Campus Durban (July 22-26, 2011) also comprises a Doc Station component where three selected talents will receive expert mentoring before pitching their documentary projects to financiers, commissioning editors and potential co-producers within the Durban FilmMart. The three are Kenyan Mbiyu, South African Dylan Valley, and Swazi Nonhlanhla Benji Dlamini.

All the talents, said to have been ‘selected through a rigorous application process’, will also be expected to attend film shows and events at the 32nd DIFF.

Talent Campus Durban is a partnership project between the Durban International Film Festival in cooperation with the Berlinale Talent Campus and the Berlin International Film Festival.

Below is the complete line up of participants at the 4th Talent Campus Durban:

Kitso Lynn Lelliott, Botswana
Eudes Narcisse Wandji Ngassa, Cameroon
Lassina Koné, Côte D’ivoire
Ahmed Ghonemi, Egypt
Nadine Salib Abdel Said, Egypt
Eskindir Tefera Mengistu, Ethiopia
Yinekachew Shumete Desalegn, Ethiopia
Cedric Ido, France
Akosua Adoma Owusu, Ghana
Kwaku Duah Prempeh, Ghana
Natasha Likimani, Kenya
Peggy Mbiyu, Kenya (also in Doc Station Durban)
Zipporah Nyaruri, Kenya
Thabiso Mohapeloa, Lesotho
Coulibaly Daouda, Mali
Bodunrin Iruemiobe, Nigeria
Peter Chidiebere Omewiri – Pius, Nigeria
Mugwaneza Richard, Rwanda
Anel Alexander, South Africa
Anthonie Van Der Walt, South Africa

Peggy Mbiyu, 2nd from left

Calum Macnaughton, South Africa
Duduetsang Makuse, South Africa
Dylan Valley, South Africa (also in Doc Station Durban)
Gavillan Letsoalo, South Africa
Guy Sclanders, South Africa
Jarryn Katia, South Africa
Jonathan Caramanus , South Africa
Kyle Lewis, South Africa
Mandilakhe Yengo, South Africa
Mark Edwards, South Africa
Matthew Jankes, South Africa
Molefi Lebone, South Africa
Mthokozisi Lembethe, South Africa
Padraic O’meara, South Africa
Rishane Rajkoomar, South Africa
Rudzani Muthambi, South Africa
Sean Drummond, South Africa
Tiny Mungwe, South Africa
Tshegohatso Molete, South Africa
Yashvir Bagwandeen, South Africa
Zachariah Rapola, South Africa
Nonhlanhla Benji Dlamini, Swaziland (also in Doc Station Durban)
Agnes Kamya, Uganda
Joseph Kenneth Ssebaggala, Uganda
Rehema Nanfuka, Uganda
Lydia “Sue-Ellen” Chitunya, Zimbabwe
Rudo Chakanyuka, Zimbabwe
Simon De Swardt, Zimbabwe.

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June 28, 2011

11:48

Commonwealth Film and Photography Competition Call for Entries

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ameyaw Debrah
Published June 28, 2011

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) in London is inviting young people from around the Commonwealth, to make their voice heard on a global platform, through film and photography. In previous years, winners of the competitions have included those making a film or taking a picture for the very first time. “What we are looking for is a creative spark, a unique insight, or a new idea!”, the RCS team note.

This year, the Commonwealth theme is ‘Women as Agents of Change’. To this end, the RCS is inviting entrants to use the medium of film or photography to describe the opportunities and barriers faced by women and the roles they play in their family, community and nation.

Prizes across both competitions include monetary awards, film and photography equipment, exhibitions at prestigious venues and submission to prestigious festivals around the Commonwealth. In 2010, a selection of the filmmakers and photographers behind the judges’ favourite entries were also flown to London to visits famous sights (including a special tour of the Houses of Parliament) and to attend workshops with professional filmmakers and photographers. Furthermore, awards and prizes were presented at a special gala awards ceremony by Gurindher Chadha, the award-winning Kenya-born British Indian director of films such as BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and BHANJI ON THE BEACH.
Details of this year’s top prize will be revealed at the beginning of July 2011.

John Apea, the star of the iconic TV show, Home Sweet Home who is currently working with the RCS to deliver these competitions notes: “This is a very exciting project which would provide unbelievable exposure for aspiring filmmakers and photographers. I urge all young people from the Commonwealth to get involved”. He adds, “Whether your camera is big or small, expensive or inexpensive the RCS wants you to get involved”.

To be eligible to enter the competition, entrants must be under 30 years old and from or resident in a Commonwealth country. Also, the film or photograph must be connected to the theme ‘Women as Agents of Change’, and up to 4 minutes in length. Submission can be made online before the deadline of August 1, 2011 at rcsregister.org/public/index/index). Alternatively, entrants can upload entries on YouTube (or a similar site), and email the link together with a completed entry form to competitions@thercs.org. Postal entries can also be made by printing and completing the application form and sending it together with your entry, to the appropriate address.

More information about the competitions can be found on the RCS website: thercs.org/youth/competitions, or email competitions@thercs.org or youth@thercs.org with any questions.

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June 27, 2011

11:00

21st International Poetry Festival of Medellin Focuses on Africa

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published June 27, 2011

More than 90 poets from 50 countries shall gather in Medellin, the capital of Columbia, the South American country that has been in conflict over the past 50 years for the 21st International Poetry Festival of Medellin, July 2-9, 2011.
The festival, that shall be graced by Derek Walcott, the winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature, shall “pay homage to the Spirit of Origin and to African poetry, as it was in the black continent where the human legend arose, and where the winged hearts of its griots breathed poetry into the heart of the species.”

The African delegation to the festival comprises singers Madosini Latozi Mpahleni (South Africa), Chiwoniso Maraire (Zimbabwe) and Tania Tomé (Mozambique), poets Werewere Liking (Cameroon), Haji Gora Haji (Zanzibar), Shailja Patel (Kenya), Antonio Gonçalves (Angola), Lebogang Mashile, Pitika Ntuli, Iain Ewok Robinson (South Africa) and Rachid Boudjedra (Algeria). The participation of the African singers and poets is facilitated by Poetry Africa and the Centre for Creative Arts of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Musician Pedro Espi-Sanchis (South Africa-Spain) will also participate in the event, according to a Press statement issued by the International Poetry Festival of Medellín.

Organised and presented by the Prometeo poetry magazine,the 21st International Poetry Festival of Medellín will include the World Meeting of International Poetry Festival Directors, the 15th Poetry School of Medellin, a cycle of seven feature-length African films, a celebration for the premiere of the documentary RESISTANCE CULTURES by the Korean Iara Lee and 164 free events for the public.

With the attendance of 35 international poetry festivals confirmed, the World Meeting of International Poetry Festival Directors is expected to tackle issues such as Peace and reconstruction of the human spirit, Interconnection and recovery of nature, Unity of the human spirit and cultural diversity of peoples, Material indigence and spiritual riches and Actions for the globalisation of poetry.

The festivals whose representatives will deliberate on the above issues include: Krytia (India), Teheran (Iran), Tokyo (Japan), Smyrna (Turkey), Qinghai (Popular Republic of China), Tel Aviv (Israel), Durban (South Africa), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Struga (Macedonia), Paris (France), Granada (Spain), Berlin and Bremen (Germany), Rome (Italy), Kiev (Ukraine), Oslo (Norway), Palabra en el Mundo (Argentina/Italy), San Francisco (United States), Trois-Rivières (Canada), Tabasco and Veracruz (Mexico), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Havana (Cuba), Santiago de Chile (Chile), City of Panama (Panama), Medellín, Bogotá, Pereira and Pasto (Colombia), Quetzaltenango (Guatemala), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Valparaíso (Chile), San José (Costa Rica) and San Salvador (El Salvador).

It is expected that this Meeting will give rise to the bases for the creation of a World Network of Poetry Projects and Festivals.

The Asian poets in Medellín shall consist of Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi (Myanmar), Amir Or (Israel), Jidi Majia (Popular Republic of China), Ban’ya Natsuishi (Japan), Zahreef Ahmed (Kashmir), Rira Abbasi (Iran), Hadaa Sendoo (Mongolia), Zakaria Mohammed (Palestine), Ataol Behramoglu (Turkey) and Kamran Mir Hazar (Afghanistan).

European poets programmed to read their poems in the new edition of the Festival include Dutchman Cees Nooteboom, Julian Heun (Germany), Fernando Valverde, Elena Medel, Anna Aguilar-Amat, Tomàs Arias, J. M. Calleja, Pedro Enríquez, Kirmen Uribe (Spain), Agneta Falk (Sweden), Nikola Madzirov (Macedonia), Lello Voce, Carlo Bordini, Giovanna Mulas (Italy), Christian Ide Hintze (Austria), Sigurbjörg Thrastardóttir (Iceland), Niillas Holmberg (Finland, Sami nation), Endre Ruset (Norway), Raphael Urweider (Switzerland) and Iryna Vikyrchak (Ukraine).

Also joining the festival line up of guests will be Australian Philip Hammial, American Jack Hirschmann, and Latin Americans Thiago de Mello (Brazil), Marco Antonio Campos, Aarón Rueda, Mariana Hernández, Sixto Cabrera, Roberto Arismendi (Mexico), Gabriel Impaglione (Argentina), Alex Pausides, Aitana Alberti, Waldo Leyva, Magia López (Cuba), Julio Mitjans Cabrera, winner of the La Gaceta – Prometeo Prize (Cuba), Rodolfo Häsler (Cuba-Spain), Marvin García (Guatemala), Louis-Philippe Dalembert (Haiti), José Mármol (Dominican Republic), Kwame Dawes (Ghana-Jamaica), Lucy Cristina Chau (Panama), Carmen Ollé (Peru), Faumelisa Manquepillán (Mapuche nation,Chile), José María Memet (Chile), Rodolfo Dada (Costa Rica) and Otoniel Guevara (El Salvador).

More than 1000 poets from 156 countries are reported to have already taken part in the festival, and poets from Afghanistan, Myanmar and Zanzibar will attend for the first time.

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June 26, 2011

21:22

Nairobi’s Lola Kenya Screen Sets the Pace in Children’s Productions

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba achitsa
Published June 26, 2011

From the uncomfortable valleys of Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya where children have to have to jump over flowing sewage and watch films on their feet without any protection from the elements to the comfortable cultural centres of Bogota, Colombia and cinemas of Busan, South Korea, Lola Kenya Screen productions are setting the pace for children’s productions.

They may lack proper budgets and production schedules—they are made over a 2-4-day period during the six-day festival—that are common for big budget Hollywood and Bollywood productions but these witty short films—some are as short as 30 seconds—made in the framework of learn-as-you-do skill-development mentorship workshops have not only won the admiration of festival-goers but won grand prizes on various continents where they are shown.

Drawing their themes from the day-to-day world of the children, four productions made by children aged 6-15-years during the annual Lola Kenya Screen are set for competition and showcasing at international film festivals in South Korea, Australia and Iran.

HAPPY TIMES by Elaine Nesbitt, MANANI OGRES by Samuel Musembi, Joseph Hongo, Marcus Kang’ethe and Norrick Mwangi, and SANTOS THE SURVIVOR by Rupinder Jagdev have been selected for the Ready Action! competition section of the 6th Busan International Kids’ Film Festival in Busan, South Korea. Seven other Lola Kenya Screen productions shall show in the Kids For Kids Festival section as part of the global Kids For Kids Festival programme.

Additionally, Lola Kenya Screen’s most successful production—LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS— that has been to the nook and cranny of the four corners of the globe since its making in 2007 has been selected for the Jump Cut screening programme of the 2011 Bayside Film Festival that holds August 17-20, 2011 at Palace Brighton Bay, Bay Street, Brighton, Victoria, Australia.

LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS that was made in Kiswahili in 2007 by Adede Hawi, Samora Oundo and Karama Ogova has enjoyed immense participation at film festivals having played on virtually every continent. When three non-literate friends decide to learn English in an attempt to impress, little do they know the amount of trouble they are landing themselves in. The story is simply told from the children’s own perspective. Realised under the guidance of Finnish Maikki Kantola, LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS was in December 2010 shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Bogota, Colombia where it was shown to more than 1500 boys and girls. The film has won awards and accolades across the world where it has been screened. It continues to be one of Lola Kenya Screen’s all-time favourites with children in Oceania, South America, North America, South-East Asia and even in the Middle East.

While HAPPY TIMES, MANANI OGRES and LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS are films made by children aged 6-15years, SANTOS THE SURVIVOR is one of the six short documentaries for children and youth made by practicing filmmakers during a Lola Kenya Screen film production workshop. This was one of the many hands-on workshops conducted with the aim of sensitising practitioners in the film sector on the need for creating specialised content for hildren. Jagdev’s SANTOS THE SURVIVOR has been a favourite on the world film festival circuit. It was part of the Jan Vrijman Fund documentary tour in various film festivals in 2010. It was nominated for best short documentary at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria in 2009.

With more than 32 well crafted award winning films, Lola Kenya Screen has also been promoting the productions from Kenya through the weekly community screenings that have since October 2011 provided dwellers in the informal settlements in Kibera and Mathare with a chance to watch films made by children and youth. Lola Kenya Screen’s productions that address issues such as caring for the environment, children’s talent as well as technological advancement are part of this initiative.

PASSION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FACEBOK ERA, HOUSE OF TALENT, BROTHER…brother (The Quiet Katoto), LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS, THE UNENDING ADVENTURE and SANTOS THE SURVIVOR have all been shown in the informal settlements to much acclaim from the audience comprising children, youth and adults.

“We are focused on film 365 days a year through our weekly skill-development mentorship programmes in schools, school/community mobile cinema, monthly Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum, annual Lola Kenya Screen film festival and special audiovisual media outreach programmes,” says Ogova Ondego, director of the Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media initiative. “Our mobile cinema programme covers the breadth and width of Nairobi Metropolis and her environs, including Mathare and Kibera informal settlements.”

Asked to say what Lola Kenya Screen is or does, Ondego simply says, “We are a global movement of young filmmakers and media educators. Our agenda is media literacy and creative & cultural entrepreneurship.”

While Lola Kenya Screen is an initiative that explores, identifies, nurtures and flaunts creative talent among children and youth, the need to see the Kenya and eastern African film sector mature into a veritable film industry, Lola Kenya Screen is on the forefront to champion for filmmaking issues. Consequently, the Nairobi-based initiative that serves children and youth in the Horn, Great Lakes and Southern Africa is a member of the International Centre of Cinema for Children and Young People (CIFEJ)—an organisation founded in 1955 under the auspices of UNESCO and UNICEF to promote excellence in cinema for children and youth. Lola Kenya Screen organises and presents Kids For Kids Festival Africa besides identifying with various local and international film initiatives.

In 2011, for instance, Ondego organised and hosted the ‘Nomination Night’ of the Africa Movie Academy Awards that brought more than 500 delegates from across Africa and the Diaspora to Nairobi.

Lola Kenya Screen has since 2006 been showcasing the best possible international productions for children and youth in Nairobi every second week of August. During this time of the year selected participants are given a chance to experience filmmaking, cultural journalism, creative writing, film criticism, media literacy and event planning & presentation through special, learn-as-you-do mentorship initiatives led by local and international experts specialising in issues related to children, youth,film, mass media, culture and development.

The sixth edition of Lola Kenya screen is scheduled for August 8-13, 2011 at the Kenya Cultural Centre/Kenya National Theatre in the Nairobi CBD. The hugely popular skill-development mentorship programmes that form the centre piece of the festival will introduce screen-writing and screen acting to participants. The festival that has become a permanent fixture on the calendar of many film lovers will exhibit more than 250 films from 102 countries.

And, yes, you can follow the progress of Lola Kenya Screen online: lolakenyascreen.org, facebook.com/LolaKenyaScreen, twitter.com/LolaKenyaScreen, and youtube.com/Lolakenyascreen

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June 24, 2011

18:23

6th Annual Lola Kenya Children’s Screen film festival holds in Nairobi

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published June 24, 2011

The diverse cultures of 102 countries are set to spring to life during the 6th annual Lola Kenya Screen/5th Kids For Kids Festival Africa in Nairobi, Kenya (August 8-13, 2011). In all genres and formats, more than 250 films that reflect on the day to day lifestyles of the various peoples of the world shall be exhibited to children, youth and family.

As travelogues serving as a window into the lives of other people, films transport our imaginations into the world of the unknown, evoking in us the feeling of magic and excitement. Lola Kenya Screen, that has come to hold a special place in the August school holiday of children and youth in eastern Africa holds, it is unlikely to disappoint judging from its impressive programme line up that caters for children aged as young as three-and-a-half years.

The films lined up for exhibition address themes as diverse as love, friendship, betrayal, and the ups and down of economic meltdown. But the variety of films do much more than just being informative and entertaining. Films like REFREN PER KOSOVEN (Requiem for Kosova) and UPAASMAR: THE TASTE OF HUNGER will leave the audience with a lot of things to ponder about. While the emaciated faces of hunger-stricken infants in the latter set in India is likely to leave viewer with a bad taste in the mouth, REFREN PER KOSOVEN questions the commitment of the United Nations to the wellbeing of Kosova. The two films may not relate in any way, but the messages they put forward is clear. While Dhimitri Ismailaj’s REFREN PER KOSOVEN uses a dramatic style, Ajay Saklani’s UPAASMAR: THE TASTE OF HUNGER is a documentary.

From the world where management of the day-to-day affairs of nations seem to be on the spot, from Madagascar, Mamihasina Raminosoa and Andriamanisa Radoniaina suggest that young people are victims of a world full of poverty and hardship that offers them a limited range of options. In their 59-minute fiction film, they view lack of role models as a reason why the youth lack direction in life. This is why their main characters—Nirina and Vola—are found in the circumstances that befall them in DZAOMALAZA. In her early teenage, Vola finds herself pregnant after a short-lived affair with Dzaomalaza, a rich drug trafficker, in return for a cellphone.

As if in response to Mamihasina Raminosoa and AndriamanisaRadoniaina suggestion that lack of role models for young people leaves them lost in the world, Beatrix Mugishagwe highlights some of the outstanding women in Africa that young people the world over can look up to. The six part series, UNSUNG HEROINES, focuses on the lives of six women in the area of politics, art, sports, medicine, science and show business.

But in ICH BIN EINE TERRORISTIN/ (I am a Terrorist) will young people learn what it means to believe in oneself and know they have a task in changing the world. The 97 minute child driven drama is about a young girl who believes she is the true Rosa Luxembourg’s —a Marxist, theorist, philosopher economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent— heir. Her wish to experience the world and explore what way an 11-year-old can change it will be fulfilled will provide young people with a better example of what way they can lead a better life.

And as the festival is all about seeking, discovering, nurturing and flaunting creative talents among children and youth, the films will provide the thrill and fun that most children look forward to during their August school vacation. The skill-development mentorship programmes that equip them with skills in filmmaking, cultural journalism, critical appreciation of film, media literacy and organization & presentation of creative and cultural events (Emceeing). The 2011 programmes will for the first time conduct stand-alone screen acting and screen writing workshops.

Additionally the festival will hold the second meeting for independent audiovisual media producers that aims at lobbying for better working conditions for practitioners in the eastern Africa region. This is a follow up to the 2009 first summit held in Nairobi, Kenya where producers from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia met and came up with the Nairobi Declaration, a comprehensive report on the audiovisual media sector of the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region.

Find Lola Kenya Screen at lolakenyascreen.org, facebook.com/LolaKenyaScreen, twitter.com/LolaKenyaScreen, and youtube.com/Lolakenyascreen

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June 21, 2011

13:21

Africa’s Competitiveness Lags Behind as UNWTO launches World Tourism Day 2011

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego, Tourism-Review.Com and Forimmediaterelease.net
Published June 21, 2011

While some sub-Saharan African countries are aware of the need to focus on developing their travel and tourism sector, most are yet to form any efficient strategy to reach their potential according to a World Economic Forum and African Development Bank and World Bank report.

The publication, the Africa Competitiveness Report 2011, not only assesses the opportunities and possible limits to the industry but also states that Africa is not fully utilising all its natural and cultural resources; it calls upon African governments to make competitiveness their priority.

Although one in every 10 jobs is within the tourism and travel sector globally, the African job market features only one in 20. Some of the hindrances to Africa’s competitiveness are concerns over safety and security, health and hygiene and challenges of proper infrastructure.

Selecting the right tourist product and investing in it is a great strategic move. For example, in mid-nineties, Rwanda started focusing on local rare gorilla population and today, the targeted industry is booming.

Meanwhile, “Tourism: Linking cultures” is the theme of the World Tourism Day 2011 that shall be marked worldwide on September 27, 2011.

The purpose of the World Tourism Day that is celebrated annually on September 27 is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. The event, according to its formulators, is aimed at addressing global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contribution of tourism sector in reaching these goals.

“The message on this World Tourism Day is that, thanks to tourism, millions of people from different cultures are being brought together around the world like never before,” says UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai. “This interaction between people of different backgrounds and ways of life represents an enormous opportunity to advance tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding.”

In 2010, some 940 million tourists are reported to have travelled to a another country, coming into contact with tangible (art, monuments) and intangible (music, food, traditions) cultures and thus furthering understanding of the values of cultural diversity and international understanding.

Culture, a vital tool for the development of a sustainable tourism, must be thoughtfully managed and protected as set out in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism which states that: “Tourism policies and activities should be conducted with respect for the artistic, archaeological, and cultural heritage, which they should protect and pass on to future generations.”

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June 13, 2011

12:00

Seychelles Publishes Souvenir Book on the 2011 Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Forimmediaterelease.net
Published June 13, 2011

SEYCHELLES Enters the World of Carnival,an 84-page full-colour souvenir book on the 2011 “Carnaval International de Victoria” has been completed and is currently being printed in Dubai.Designed and put together by Olivia Alvis and Michel Agrippine at the Seychelles Tourism Board, SEYCHELLES Enters the World of Carnival is a large format book which measures 305 x 310 mm with a hard cover in landscape format. It will be printed as a limited edition book.

The book has two pages dedicated to the island’s first carnivals of 1972 and 1976. Glynn Burridge, a local author who is also the copywriter at the Seychelles Tourism Board wrote the foreword of the book. He is the author of two published works: Voices, a collection of Seychelles short stories, and Kolony, a novel set in Seychelles. The carnival coffee-table book is produced by Alain St.Ange, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board who has already published three Seychelles political history books and the Seychelles Regatta souvenir coffee-table book.

SEYCHELLES Enters the World of Carnival brings to life the work prior to the carnival launch with meetings in Dubai to promote the carnival by Minister Jean Paul Adam and Alain St.Ange, and the one in South Africa between the South African President Jacob Zuma and Alain St.Ange.

The Carnival Book’s three main sections covers, through many pictures, the 2011 Carnival Official opening ceremony at the Clock Tower in Victoria on March 4, the Carnival Procession of March 5, and the family fun day and the carnival’s closing ceremony and prize-giving of March 6, 2011.

“I think it is important to mark these important events with such publications, as they put in perspective everything that has been achieved,” stated Alain St. Ange, author of the book, “In the case of the carnival, all was accomplished very intensely and within an extremely short period of time, and this new, coffee table book places all this in context with a lovely assortment of images that capture the vibrancy, colour, and excitement of the event.”

“Not only does it provide attractive coverage of what was a momentous event for Seychelles, but it is also an important promotional tool with which to stimulate further interest in the carnival over the coming years,” commented Alain St. Ange.

The souvenir coffee-table book is expected to arrive in Seychelles in mid-June and will stand alongside the Tourism Board’s-produced DVD of the milestone event as eloquent records of the highly-acclaimed 2011 Seychelles “Carnaval International de Victoria.”

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June 11, 2011

11:17

The Stories from Life We Sometimes Take for Granted

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sarah Alaro
Published June 11, 2011

“History is written not to justify anything but to inform, to educate and to caution.” This is the premise upon which Stories From Life, an anthology of fictional stories and poems is based. The stories appear not to be solely written as a record of history or a store of information, though. This book of 19 creative stories and poems also aims at entertaining and celebrating humanity. The author—they are four; Mina Ogova, Karama Ogova, Fadhili Ogova, Ogova Ondego—draws his ideas from things that happen in contemporary society as well as his own life experiences not forgetting Biblical history which in fact appears to be basis for some stories in the book. In the author’s introduction, Ondego—who specialises in issues related to children, youth, creativity, mass media, culture and development—writes that his “work is influenced by the Hebrew prophets of old as recorded in the Bible.”

The main themes that stand out in this book are the increasing rate of crime in our society today, immorality, and the changing role of the woman. The author brings out clearly how things have changed from crime committed by men who rob people in broad daylight to crime committed by women who lure men into their dens and steal all their money. He also gives a picture of how different life in the city is from life in the village. The author seems to subtly indicate the fact that people today do not want to work hard for money but prefer to get it the easy way in stories like Beware, that ‘Lady’ could be Dangerous.

Ondego, not only talks about life stories as we know them today, but also in an interesting way, retells stories from the Bible so that it is easy to relate to them. One of the stories—The Princess in Tatters—is about the birth of the Messiah which is an actual story in the Bible but the author recreates it for the contemporary reader in the way he imagines the events might have taken place today. He intends to promote fiction writing by expressing what happens in life as we know it and does a good job of taking the reader back to how life used to be or still is for some people especially in rural Africa.

But what qualification does an urban African have in writing about rural Africa?

“My rural and urban African experience and globalisation, otherwise known as westernisation, have also left a mark on my work”, the author who declares that writing isn’t “a profession but a calling, a nerve-wracking adventure and lifestyle that serves an almost prophetic role”, writes in the introduction.

These interesting stories will leave the reader laughing at themselves and reminiscing on days gone by while at the same time informing them of the dangers that lie in our streets and the beauty of celebrating humanity.
One of the stories that aim at celebrating humanity and togetherness is Christmas in my Village. Togetherness stands out in this story as people get together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Some of the stories in the collection are interesting ones from children—F Ogova at 12, M Ogova at 13 and K Ogova at 17—who actually wrote their stories as part of their English class work! But just looking at the stories of these children alone may not tell the whole story; they have always worked behind the scenes as readers and evaluators of the work O Ondego writes for young people. It is only now that their own work is being included in an anthology under their own names.

The author engages the reader’s senses as descriptions of scenes are well written making it possible to picture the situations as they play out. The poems in the collection, too, complement the stories that come before or after them and play the same role of informing, educating and entertaining. The author does not tell the reader what to think but lets the reader decide or judge a situation on their own depending on the story or the poem they have read.

With a copy of Stories From Life costing KSh350, this 56-page book is definitely worth the reader’s while. It is simple and easy to read and would be a good reference material for pupils who would like to improve their language writing skills. It is published by ComMattersKenya in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2011.

Other titles by Ondego that are worth finding and reading include From Terror to Hope (2009), The Braggart’s Day (2005) and How to Write on 1001 Subjects! (2011).

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June 07, 2011

13:25

World Tourism Organisation Supports Tunisia

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego and Forimmediaterelease.net
Published June 7, 2011

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Tunisian government have signed a partnership agreement under which UNWTO will support the country’s tourism development. Policy guidance, marketing, and training for the tourism workforce are among the planned areas of cooperation.

UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai said the partnership would contribute to help accelerate the return of international tourists to Tunisia in the short-term, where tourism represents nearly 14% of the country’s GDP and accounts for 450,000 jobs, and in the medium-term, would support the improved competitiveness of the destination.

“International tourists are gradually returning to Tunisia,” said Mr. Rifai at the signing of the agreement, “As they do so, UNWTO will be providing Tunisia with technical support and assistance to sustainably reinforce this tourism recovery, one of the country’s principal sources of income, jobs, and development.”

Under the agreement signed by Rifai and Mehdi Houas, the Minister for Tourism of Tunisia, NWTO will provide Tunisia with up-to-date market intelligence on tourism movements and trends, as well as guidance on tourism policy. Local officials will be trained on the latest marketing tools and strategies available to reposition Tunisia among the world’s leading destinations. UNWTO will also asses the country’s tourism education and training needs, linking Tunisian tourism institutions with UNWTO-certified universities around the world.

UNWTO and the Tunisian government further agree to organise a regional conference in Djerba on competitiveness and sustainability criteria for tourism destinations and a UNWTO training workshop on quality and classification systems of tourism accommodation units.

In 2010, Tunisia received nearly 7 million international tourist arrivals, generating nearly US$3 billion in export revenues. During the first 3 months of 2011, international tourist arrivals decreased by 44% and receipts by 43%.

According to Tunisian government records, the North African country’s tourism revenues dropped 50% between January and May following the revolution of January 14,2011.

Tunisia receives 1.5 million Algerian visitors and 2 million Libyan tourists every year, but the war in Libya is causing these numbers to fall drastically.

With the dust still settling from the revolution that ousted president Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali and the ongoing massacres in Libya at its borders, Tunisia presents a tough environment for investors.

Meanwhile Tourism-Review.Com reports that Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama has discovered 17 previously unknown underground pyramids, 1,000 tombs and 3,000 settlements dating back some 3,000 years in Egypt whose tourism has hit rock bottom following political unrest that swept President Hosni Mubarak from power and plunged the country into economic uncertainty.

Dr Parcak, a US Egyptologist, made the discovery in Saqqara, Egypt using infra-red images acquired by satellites orbiting 400 miles above the earth.

Hopefully visitors will stream back to Egypt following the discovery and the opening up to the public of some previously inaccessible sites, such as seven tombs of leading retainers of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Tourism accounts for almost 11% of the country’s income.

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11:32

Dubai Tops World’s Destination Cities

» ‎ ArtMatters

By eturbonews.com
Published June 7, 2011

Dubai tops the Middle East and Africa’s destination cities by international tourist arrivals, according to new research released by MasterCard yesterday.

The latest index of Global Destination Cities shows that Dubai not only leads the charge in terms of tourist traffic and visitor spending, but she also beats other popular tourist hubs such as New York, Rome, Seoul and Amsterdam in terms of international visitor arrivals.

It is the ninth most highly ranked destination city in the world and is ranked third globally in terms of growth in visitor spending, outstripping key cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Melbourne, Seoul and Bangkok.

The latest index of Global Destination Cities ranks 132 cities by total international tourist arrivals and cross-border visitor expenditures. It also gives tourist and passenger growth forecasts for 2011.
International travel is considered a powerful trend that impacts global commerce and underpins the growth of key industries such as transportation, retail and hospitality, and professional services like marketing and advertising.

“The leading cities of the world — the global cities — are the very nodal hubs that knit the global economy together. Without these global cities, there would be no global economy,” says Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, global economic adviser for MasterCard Worldwide.

In an interview with Gulf News, Hedrick-Wong said the data used in the research include, among others, the airlines’ announced flight capacity for 2011. “And since the airlines’ objective is to always increase their load factor, we used the historic average of the load factor, to be on the conservative side,” he says.

Dubai is expected to receive 7.9 million international visitors in 2011, the highest in the Middle East and African region. Second in rank is Cairo, with 3.7 million, followed by Johannesburg (3 million), Tel Aviv (2.7 million), Casablanca (2.5 million) and Abu Dhabi (2 million).

Dubai also leads in terms of visitor expenditure, expected to reach US$7.8 billion in 2011. Beirut is second (US$6.5 billion), followed by Tel Aviv (US$3.8 billion), Cairo (US$3.7 billion), Johannesburg (US3.3 billion), Casablanca (US$2.3 billion) and Abu Dhabi (US$2 billion).

Many of Dubai’s visitors come from London, Kuwait, Beijing, Frankfurt and Paris. Travellers from London are expected to spend US$876 million in 2011, while those from Kuwait are forecast to log US$373 million in expenditures.

It is also interesting to note that Beijing now ranks third in spending.

For Abu Dhabi, the highest number of tourists come from London, Frankfurt and Jeddah. More tourists from Paris, Manchester and Chicago are also visiting this commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UAE’s future economic growth is likely to become more sustainable, according to Hedrick-Wong, global economic adviser for MasterCard Worldwide. He says lingering concerns over Dubai’s debt repayment schedule are not a risk that could hit recovery.

“It’s a factor of a drag on growth because, for many years to come, a portion of the capital resource of the region will be spent on paying down the debt as opposed to investing. So the trade-off is that we will have a lower rate of investment, but it’s not a risk factor,” Wong tells Gulf News. He also notes that the recent financial crisis has turned out to be a good opportunity for the UAE, or the region as a whole, to reset its growth pattern. “The crisis actually served a good purpose for the region. We become more realistic. We now look at things in a more balanced way.”

MasterCard’s latest index ranks London as the number one destination city by visitor numbers with 20.1 million inbound tourist traffic expected in 2011, ahead of Paris in second place with 18.1 million.

Eight Asia-Pacific cities made it to the top 20, with Bangkok in the third spot. The only North American city in the list, New York, could welcome 7.6 million inbound tourists, the 12th on list.

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May 30, 2011

11:36

Tourism and Travel Studies University Launched in Zambia

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published May 30, 2011

A university offering studies in tourism and travel has been launched in Livingstone, Zambia.The institution, Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM), is the first university in Zambia to provide undergraduate and post-graduate studies in tourism education.

According to liutebm.org, the website of the university, the core business of the institution is “the provision of high-quality education, consultancy, research, and activities that are relevant to, and best serve the needs of, individuals and organisations operating in the tourism industry and allied services in the quest for continuous performance, as well as improved and sustainable growth and development.”

LIUTEBM says it will “offer cost-effective, innovative, relevant programmes, and practical solutions to organisational problems in order to maximise …performance and development goals and objectives” of organisations and individuals. “It will endeavor to promote and inculcate a culture of business and service excellence in the tourism and allied industries throughout its service area.”

The university, that is currently working on collaborative efforts with institutions of higher learning in other countries on curriculum development, is headed by Dr Patrick K Kalifungwa.

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May 24, 2011

14:11

Nairobi Shows Comedy on Global Economic Crisis and European Football

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published May 24, 2011

There limit to which cinema can be employed on world issues is endless. Did you know that not only can filmmakers impress with their clever story-telling techniques but they also have the ability of making the audiences laugh even at the worst of times?

Welcome to LE MAILLOT DE CRISTIANO (Cristiano’s Shirt),a 17-minute film by Belgian Vincent Bruno that pokes fun at the ongoing world economic crunch that has rendered thousands jobless, homeless and hopeless.

Two 11-year-old boys set the pace by running after a train in this humorous and fun-filled film that is being considered for the Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film at the 6th Lola Kenya Screen in Nairobi, Kenya (August 8-13, 2011). As if aware of what might be going through the minds of the audience, they slow down to explain why they are running. But their explanation carries one to the football pitch where the boys appear to be fighting for survival on the football pitch where the team they are playing against is hitting the back of their net every now and then. Are they late for football practice or have they missed an important match? This scene opens the story as an artistic portrayal of the various types of crises that individuals are bound to face in their lives.

At the backdrop of such hard times the lure to spend lavishly on unnecessary things is inevitable especially among young people who despite the reality are bound to show off and pretend that all is fine through expensive status symbols like designer clothes, cellphones and various other fads that put them in crowds that matter. The main characters in the film—Tom and Ptit Lu and his friend—represent this kind of individuals. Being football fanatics they look up to Christiano Ronaldo, a respected footballer of the 19-time English premier league champions Manchester United.

Being the only ones who support him from their club, the two boys are excited when Christiano wins the Ball d’Or. This win means too much for them and despite their lack of finances to buy a T-shirt featuring their icon at a whopping 89 Euros, they sell off whatever valuables they can lay their hands on in order to buy the Ronaldo shirt in order to show off to their friends.

They are over the moon showing off the Critiano Ronaldo/Manchester United T-shirt they have just acquired when the unexpected happens: Ronaldo transfers to Real Madrid and their hard-earned T-shirts become both worthless and irrelevant. Not only do they feel betrayed but PtitLu’s friend has to find a way to get back his father’s football that he sold to buy the T-shirt. Being ardent fans of Christiano Ronaldo’s, they also plan to purchase Real Madrid’s T-Shirt. But they must first ensure that Christiano will not transfer to a new team. Will Christiano stay at Real Madrid.

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May 16, 2011

16:47

Film Questioning the Morals and Ethics of the UN as a Protector of the Poor and the Weak Screens in Nairobi, Kenya

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published May 16, 2011

Fatmira, a seven-year-old orphan, lives in UN-administered post-war Kosova and works hard eking a living from selling chewing gum in the hope of making some money that she could use in travelling to a far-off mountain in order of re-uniting with her late mother she believes now lives as a mountain fairy. But this changes the moment she encounters Mrs UN, a United Nations judge responsible in the rebuilding of Kosova’s judicial system despite her own family crisis. This is the setting of REFREN PER KOSOVEN (Requiem for Kosova), a 20-minute film made in 2010 by Dhimiter Ismailaj, a Kosovar American.

No one can see this film—that has been selected for official competition at the Nairobi-based 6th Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa (August 8-13, 2011)—and remain unaffected, even if one’s heart is made of cast iron or steel. Besides the moral dilemmas—Mrs UN’s ‘high life’ daughter is dying back home in the first world of Europe and requires an urgent organ transplant that could be provided by the poor, desperate and almost hopeless ‘low life’ Fatmira—presented in REFREN PER KOSOVEN, this film also appears to question the commitment of the United Nations to the wellbeing of Kosova as portrayed on television: “We are here, because we believe that the Kosovars deserve freedom. Because they want to be part of a whole free world and its values. And, we will help them go throught the path of these values. And, we will be here as long as needed.”

If that were true, why are the UN premises fortified with with concrete and metal grills with its staff living large, driving gas guzzling 4-wheel drive vehicles and earning king-size salaries in an impoverished country in which everyone from toddlers to eldersly great grandparents having to eke a living from odd jobs? Why is it that the UN has failed to recognise and accept Kosova—that declared her own independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008–as a sovereign state and therefor a member country among 192 other countries? Why is it that only 75 0f the 192 members led by the USA, Britain and France are the only ones that recognise Kosova?

Though Kosova gained independence a decade after the war and “the dream came true for more than two million Kosovars, and another six million Albanians in mainland Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and other parts of the world,” writer/director/co-producer Ismailaj says in his ‘Director’s Statement’, “this fact cannot and will not erase the frustration, anger and poverty the Kosovars went through and endured during the UN’s administration of the country. It remains to be seen whether this was intentional or not, but the fact remains that UN could not or did not want to make up its mind and bless Kosova’s independence even a decade after the war.”

Saying mysterious forces working behind the scenes to hinder Kosova’s independence forced the Albanians to declare it unilaterally in 2008, Ismailaj laments that “The status quo impoverished the country even further, forcing the Albanian population of every age to seek odd jobs, and make a living in any way they could. Malnourished children as young as 5 years old would cruise the city’s cafeterias selling gum and cigarettes, mostly to the UN employees. Throughout this period of time, the UN officials and the rest of foreign organisations were earning ‘fat’ salaries running a country they were supposed to help rebuild.”

The film, a fictional drama, decries the illegal trafficking of human organs that happens in countries involved in violent conflicts. “Although we believe in the individual’s rights of having an organ transplant, we cannot and shouldn’t turn a blind eye at the means and methods used in many cases to get these organ transplants from the donor to the patients of transplant, from different parts of the world,” a promotional poster for the film says. Does the UN know what some of its employees do in the countries under the world body’s mandate? Does it, for instance, know that some of the doctors and judges working for it could be involved in more than legitimate business?

“With all these facts, one cannot help but ask serious questions regarding the morals and ethics of an organisation that was created to help protect the poor and the weak,” says Ismailaj.

According to Ismailaj who migrated to the USA in 1999, REFREN PER KOSOVEN “was born out of our lengthy observation of the UN management and the situation it created in Kosova.”

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May 11, 2011

16:49

Community Film Screening Campaign Targets Residents of Nairobi City’s Mathare Valley

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published may 11, 2011

Lola Kenya Screen, a charitable organisation that explores, identifies, nurtures and promotes creative talents among children and youth in eastern Africa, may since September 2010 have been partnering with Slum-TV, a community-based trust that documents the lives of the people of Mathare through film, to conduct community film shows and train young people in film production and media literacy. However, the two organisations have upped the ante since February 2011 in an ambitious campaign to cover the expansive Mathare Valley that is billed to be one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya.

Lola Kenya Screen and Slum-TV have signed a memorandum of understanding and are traversing the valley and its environs to showcase films of various genres to enlighten the inhabitants of film as a vehicle for communication as well as conduct media literacy awareness in the area.

For a population that is mainly exposed to television soap operas and pirated Hollywood and Nollywood productions, the experience of seeing people and places that are familiar to them and knowing that the work has been done by local Kenyan children and youth is usually a life changing experience. For them it is watching their life projected on the screen giving them a reason to quickly point out the various aspects of the films shown to them. While the fascination of watching locations that are well known to the dwellers augur well with the younger audience who not only discuss the venues but go as far as discussing the themes raised by the films, the adults always appear to be dumbstruck; they hardly comment on what is highlighted by the various films.

The reactions exhibited by the audience from village to village in regard to short films are also encouraging for anyone venturing into this kind of productions. A well packaged short film will move the audience as well as leave them with something to ponder over. Unlike previous screenings where short films had been poorly received, the attitude was changed when Lola Kenya Screen showed a three-minute film—KATOTO—that is directed by Sheila Mulinya and produced by Lola Kenya Screen in 2008. Revolving around the antics of a younger boy over his older brother; Katoto maybe young than his brother but he rules his brother’s world. The film leaves the audience laughing their hearts out with its level of irony and Katoto’s extra-ordinary acts.

Another production that has been well received among the audience is LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS, an animated film done in 2007 by three children—Adede Hawi, Samora Michelle Oundo and Karama Ogova—under the guidance of Maikki Kantola of Finland during the Lola Kenya Screen film production workshop. The story is simply told and the audience can easily realise what is addressed in the film contributing to the overwhelming reception witnessed at the various villages where it has been showcased. Other films made by children that have been well received include THE MONSTERS OF THE NEW AGE, THE FACEBOOK ERA, and LOLA KENYA SCREEN: THE UNENDING ADVENTURE.

Also on the circuit are THE SPEAKER and SANTOS THE SURVIVOR, Lola Kenya Screen documentary productions in conjunction with the Jan Vrijman Fund/IDFA written and directed by Susan Mwangi and Rupinder Jagdev, respectively, in 2008.

On the other hand CYCLES OF DESPAIR, a 2010 Slum-TV production, has left many with mixed reactions. While many viewers tend to question some of the actions carried out by the characters in the tragic drama, some continually question the overall intention for creating the 35-minute film. CYCLES OF DESPAIR is set in a slum and shows how a drunkard father neglects his duties as the head of the family and ends up raping his own daughter spanning a series of other family problems. The film, whose idea is not clearly addressed, has left young people christening it the ‘Nollywood of Kenya’ as the pieces of stories are highly predictable.

The screenings, that have since February 2011 been conducted in various locations of Mathare Valley on Friday through Sunday evening, usually attract both young and old, men and women. So far Lola Kenya Screen and Slum-TV have toured Bondo ground in Kariobangi, Mabatini, Mathare 4B, Kwa Austin in Mlango Kubwa, Muliro ground in Huruma, and Jobless Corner to show films that are made by children and youth reflecting slum life as well as the social life of the middle and upper class population. The next series of monthly screenings are on May 13 (Redeemed Gospel Church), May 20 (Mathare North Social Hall), May 27 (Mathare 4A), May 28 (Kiamaiko) and May 29 (St Teresa’s Catholic Church, Eastleigh).

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13:28

Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park is one of the most exclusive safari experiences available on the market today

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Wolfgang H. Thome
Published May 11, 2011

In a remote corner of Ethiopia, not far from the border with the soon-to-be independent Southern Sudan, the little known Gambela National Park is found, visited by a very few adventure tourists who, going by blog reports found on the web, were enchanted by their experience and raving about their discovery, with few, if any, other tourists around at any given time of the year, making it one of the most exclusive safari experiences available on the market today.

This very diverse park, in terms of scenery and landscapes, as well as the game found, does not even feature on the web very much as yet, and information sourced from there is at times contradictory, as its size according to different sites is pegged between about 5,000 and as many as 20,000 square kilometers – an incredible variance by any standards and probably one of the main reasons for this article, as will become evident soon, in the absence of defined boundaries.

What is, however, beyond doubt is the majesty of the park area, from the mountains down to the plains and wetlands, which extend towards the South Sudan border, where according to a source in Addis Ababa, over 400 species of birds are found, as well as over 50 mammal species, including predators like lion, leopard, cheetah, hyenas, and a variety of smaller cats and foxes.

The presence in the park of a permanent major river, the Baro, which flows towards the Nile, adds to the attraction of the park as it is navigable for much of the year – though reportedly not used for regular trips by tourists – and its depth and width makes a good habitat for many hippo colonies and the giant Nile Perch. The most common plains game are reportedly the white-eared kob, also found in the hundreds of thousands at Boma National Park in Southern Sudan, and the Nile or Kafue Lechwe.

Ethiopia as a tourist destination remains well behind its potential, and while known for its history, ancient cultures, and allegedly hidden treasures – the mystical Ark is rumored to have been hidden in Ethiopia somewhere – the country is not too well known for its national parks.

It is, therefore, probably for lack of demand by tourists, itself, of course, caused by a lack of determined marketing of the country’s natural attractions, that an alarming trend has been observed, in particular around the Gambela National Park.

While it is, of course, true that Ethiopia has in the past been suffering from devastating droughts and subsequent famine – maybe one reason why the country is not considered the typical tourist destination in spite of its attractions – and the parallel need to produce more food for the population in parts of the country, which is less prone to drought effects, the agro-industrialization lobby has now earmarked the national park land to provide more farmland for expansion. Sadly, for the hungry in Ethiopia, the anticipated production though is not aimed at the local market but for export to feed the growing populations in India and the Middle East, where added farmland is either impossible to get or where climatic conditions, like in Saudi Arabia for instance, make it impossible to grow food crops on a large scale in a sustainable fashion.

Hence, officials and tycoons from such countries have sought out opportunities on the African continent, where governments of relatively poor countries can easily be induced by grand schemes and grander cash resources to part with arable land on a major scale. Hundreds of thousands of acres are in coming years, and probably sooner rather than later, to be converted into mega farms, growing food crops, oil crops, and there is even speculation that crops aimed to produce bio-fuels – the bane of feeding the hungry in Africa and the rest of the world – are to be grown.

With the expected inflow of farm workers, talk has it that tens of thousands might be needed, along with whom come roads, villages, and farm infrastructure. Extensive swamp lands are earmarked for draining, to use the water and create added farming areas, interfering with crucially important ecosystems responsible for the moderate micro-climate this part of Ethiopia enjoys. With the biodiversity such threatened, environmentalists and conservationists are starting to ask hard questions, now that these developments are slowly coming into the public domain, hitherto carefully hidden from the prying eyes of the conservation community and the global media, but not this correspondent.

One leading tourism expert in Addis Ababa, with whom this correspondent is in regular contact, was careful about his reaction and almost paranoid about not having any identity revealed for fear of repercussions, something which the regime is notorious for. Said the source: “Even in Addis, we hear little about the plans for Gambela. A lot is shrouded in secrecy because of the deals which have been made, are being made. What Ethiopia should have done first is to tap into tourism on a scale like Kenya or Tanzania do or you in Uganda. This park is really not known, only very few know about it. But the wildlife numbers are very big, the scenery is spectacular, in fact.

“I hear even across the border into South Sudan they want to tap into the Boma National Park for tourism where they have also a big migration of kobs. Last year, I was aware of a global group, Wildlife Conservation, to work with some officials to survey Gambela and other wildlife areas. There are reports, but I do not know where they are kept or if they are available for us to read and learn about findings. I think our government needs to sit down with us internal experts and discuss our country’s way forward.

“This should be for all of us to decide, do we want to mortgage our land to foreign investors or become investors ourselves in tourism and make it a big industry? Ethiopian Airlines is the best in Africa and flies to the most places everywhere. Let us work hand-in-hand with them to promote tourism. It brings investment, jobs, foreign exchange, and is sustainable. But once we drain swamps, destroy habitat for crops, the animals will become enemies of the farmer, because they eat the crops, then they are hunted, fenced out, starve. I think this story has to become public knowledge, like you did with the Serengeti story since last year. Please help us spread information.”

Added details obtained from other sources also speak of imminent displacement of the hunter/gatherer tribespeople living in the area, who will have to make way for agro conglomerates and either end up as menial farm laborers or in camps, in both cases losing their freedoms to do as they wish to and having to give up, likely against their will, age-old customs and lifestyles. Deforestation is already evident in parts of the park previously covered by woodlands and will arguably accelerate further, when firewood will be needed to fire boilers, for households’ domestic use, and for timber to build houses.

In closing, it is hoped by this correspondent that a healthy debate will ensue from here on, and that all pros and cons of these developments are discussed and affected populations consulted to ensure the long-term survival of one of Ethiopia’s and, in fact, East Africa’s last pristine wilderness areas, where with some degree of careful planning, agriculture and conservation could easily co-exist, instead of one having to give way to the other by force.

Like “the corridor of destruction” in Tanzania, where from Lake Victoria to the shores of the Indian Ocean at Mwambani near Tanga, major consumptive and destructive industrial and infrastructural projects are being planned and relentlessly advanced by the Tanzanian government, totally insensitive to the outcry by the global conservation community and their domestic tourism sector, here in Ethiopia, too, similar forces seem at work.

Coincidence or the plan of the world’s rich and powerful to carve up Africa and suck its resources dry before discarding us when we have nothing else left to give?

(an eTurbo New article)

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May 06, 2011

11:48

5th Kids For Kids Festival Africa Holds in Nairobi, Kenya

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published May 6, 2011

The fifth edition of Kids For Kids Festival Africa (KFKF-A), an international community of young filmmakers and media educators, shall hold in Nairobi, Kenya, in the second week of August 2011. This will form the 10th item in the 10-section programme of the 6th Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa that holds August 8-13, 2011 in the Kenyan political and commercial capital.

A Greek initiative whose African affiliate first took place in Johannesburg, South Africa during the 5th World Summit on Media for Children in 2007 and at which FILMS BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN (a Lola Kenya Screen production) won the grand prize, KFKFA has since August 2008 been held in the framework of Lola Kenya Screen every August.It is presented as an international movement for the conception, production and promotion of audiovisual media content created by children for children; the main feature of it is the all-Africa competition for the best film made by a child that usually represents the continent at the global KFKF that brings together the winners of all affiliated KFKF, like KFKF Balkans, KFKF Nordic & Baltic Sea, KFKF-UK and KFKF Iran.

Lola Kenya Screen, Africa’s premier audiovisual media intiative exclusively designed for children and youth, has organised and presented KFKFA since August 2008 because she shares the core values with KFKF: promoting cinema art by children for children.

Every year, Lola Kenya Screen usually sends out calls for children residing in any part of Africa to submit their recent films for consideration for the KFKFA competition.

A ‘child’ is defined as any one aged 18 years and under. And such people need not be citizens of Africa but can be resident in the mother continent at the time the film was made.

Films made by children under the guidance of adults are eligible for the Kids For Kids Festival Africa but that the contribution of adults should be confined to training or facilitating the process; it should not extend to areas such as scripting, shooting, storyboarding or animating as that would disqualify the production.

Like all entries to Lola Kenya Screen, all KFKFA entries are received, processed, assessed and awarded by a film selection committee and jury comprising children.

The KFKFA forms the 10th category on the Lola Kenya Screen programme that will draw films from the 102 countries around the world that have submitted entries.The 10 sections of the programme are: The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film, The 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film, Films by Students, Films by Children, Films for Youth, Eastern Africa Prism, Television Series, World Panorama, Special Focus, and 5th Kids For Kids Festival Africa.

Like in 2010, there will be a daily media literacy seminar over the entire six days of Lola Kenya Screen that shall hold in the Nairobi CBD. The aim of the seminars is to sensitise the public, and especially children, on the opportunities and risks inherent in the consumption of modern mass media content.

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May 03, 2011

12:50

Why Technology Shouldn’t Replace Personal Service in Travel and Tourism

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Peter E. Tarlow
Published May 3, 2011

In these precarious economic times, the hospitality industry, composed of tourism and travel, is facing a quintessential question. Technology has the great advantage that it allows tourism industries to replace expensive human labour with technological labour, thus not only reducing labour costs but also avoiding issues of customer service. Yet, technology may produce a whole new set of unintended consequences.

How does it draw the line between technology and personal service? There is no doubt that technology plays an important role in tourism and travel. Most of us are now used to booking our airline reservations online, dealing with telephone trees and other cost-saving devices. These technological advances have allowed corporations to save on manpower while at the same time empowering customers to make their own decisions. On the other side of the equation, travellers use more technology than ever before, and often the tourism industry has taken advantage of this desire (need) to stay in touch with its clientele. Most of us are now used to being almost harrassed with online surveys or computer-driven telephone calls. Now we have entered the world of e-marketing, a system that may be called an advanced form of “spam”.

Although many hotels do provide free Internet services, many of the “better” hotels have added charges for local calls, for Internet access, and a per-page fee to receive a fax. These additional charges combined with less personalised service often means that travellers have the idea that technology has become a one-way street. Technology is used to providing less-personalised service and at the same time generating additional revenue at hotels, on airplanes, and at transportation hubs.

Despite the misuse of technology, tourism and travel are highly dependent on technology, and its use has made life a whole lot easier. There is no doubt that the cell phone has become a major part of our lives. And although technology etiquette may lag behind technology machinery, the inconvenience of someone speaking too loud on a cell phone is more than outweighed by the safety, security, and convenience that cell phones bring to most of us. On the other hand, technology’s growth has allowed worldwide terrorism to attack the tourism industry. Cell phones can save lives or detonate bombs; air conditioning units serve to make life bearable in hot climates, but also pollute the atmosphere and can be carriers of disease. The dawn of the computer age permits us to know weather forecasts around the world, allows business travellers to stay in touch with their offices, and to supersede the problem of cross time zones negotiation but can be used to destroy air travel.

Technology then has become a bag of mixed fortunes for the tourism industry. It creates a great deal of conveniences while at the same time has been used as a way to increase revenues and to lessen customer service. The world of technology has made air travel safe and abundant but has also brought about the need to go through long security lines and daily hassles. Certainly, some parts of the industry have begun to use technology prudently. When used ethically, technology can be a great help in increasing our communication and security. If, on the other hand, technology is used for selfish or destructive purposes, then it can become a nemesis within the travel and tourism industry. Hamlet’s question, “to be or not to be,” has never seemed more poignant in its relationship to travel and tourism. Here are some suggestions to help you decide how much or how little technology is right for your tourism business:

a). Remember that tourism is about people “interfacing” with other people. No matter how good your technology may be, technology does not provide human warmth of take-home experiences. Be mindful that tourism is about the selling of memories and then ask yourself at what point are you willing to sacrifice memories for efficiency.

b). Make sure that your employees are well trained in the use of technology. Technology is only as good as the people who use it. Often tourism centres hire people who simply are not up to the task, misuse the technology, and create more problems than they solve. Train, train, and then train your people some more. Do not update so often that your employees’ knowledge base lags behind the technology’s capabilities.

c). Use technology wisely: even the best computer can never substitute for the care and love that comes from another human being; technology, if used properly, can solve many a problem in tourism. Among these are:

* Issues of time. Nothing upsets the tourism industry’s clientele as much as the misuse of time. The proper use of computers to facilitate both check-ins and check-outs of places, such as hotels, allows the person on duty to attend to other problems.

* Clarity and consistency. In an interrelated multi-lingual world, a great deal of information can be provided to guests in their own language without linguistic, pronunciation, or grammatical errors

* Ease of place. Use technology and social networks to allow visitors to research from home and to gather basic information. However, many hotels and transportation companies seem to hide telephone numbers on their web sites. Combine basic information that can be given on a computer with the human side of information. Remember that if the tourist can never reach you, then you may find that your customer has found a more user-friendly location.

Whether we like it or not, technology touches almost every aspect of the tourism industry. If we are smart enough to use the benefits of technology such as convenience, speed, and accuracy, and avoid some of the pitfalls, lack of human contact, user friendliness, size of lettering, then technology can be a great time and cost saver. But if the tourism industry forgets the importance of the human element and that tourism is all about the experience, then it is making a major error.

Source: tourismandmore.com through eturbonews.com

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12:08

China Reaches Top Three in World Rankings

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published May 3, 2011

China, a destination with growing popularity and almost limitless potential, became the third most visited destination in 2010.

According to China National Tourism Administration, 2010 became a record-breaking year in tourist numbers. The country now takes fourth place in outbound tourists, with a whopping 57.39 million Chinese travelling abroad, a 20% increase on previous year. What many consider an ever greater success is the fact that China ranked third in the world in terms of inbound visits; 55.66 million tourists visited the country in 2010, increasing the total by 9.4% on 2009.

Many of the visitors travelled there on business, as China’s economic power is growing massively. However, some 47% visitors came on leisure, keen to visit not only local fascinating modern cities but also intriguing cultural heritage. Most popular destinations include Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou. Shenzhen is immensely popular thanks to its advantageous location near Hong Kong.

The majority of inbound tourists come from Asia, mainly Taiwan, Macao, Japan, Vietnam and India, but visitors from Russia as well as the United States are beginning to find China increasingly tempting. France and the USA are still in the lead by several million visitors, but China and the entire region has been growing by 5-10% year on year and before long, the world rankings may change completely.

Tourism experts agree that the Shanghai Expo and the Asian Games in Guangzhou have contributed to the increase and attracted millions of visitors, however, the appeal of the Chinese ancient culture is overpowering on its own and predictions for the upcoming years are more than positive.

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May 01, 2011

0:27

Book on Publicity Posters Whets Appetite for Egyptian Cinema

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Edith Wairimu
Published May 1, 2011

Though filmmaking has existed in Egypt since the 1920s, the history of this seventh art has not been well documented in this Land of the Pharaohs.

The Golden Poster of the Egyptian Cinema by Sameh Fathy is a collection of posters of Egyptian films whose introduction praises it as “an act of love for cinema in general and Egyptian cinema in particular.”

Dr Samir Seif, a film director and professor, describes the book merely as an enjoyable cruise through hundreds of publicity posters of more than eight decades of filmmaking. He notes that this is done without any pretension of offering a historical or theoretical analysis.

Written in Egyptian Arabic with English translations, the book contains posters of films between 1933 and 1999. Its art director is Dr Mohamed Ghazala, aother filmmaker and professor.

For a long time, Egypt cinema has been characterised by Affiches or large posters about films drawn by artists to express the type of film using words and picture. Such affichage also had a summary of the films and pictures of the cast. They were used as an attractive way of advertising or publicising films.

The collections in this book are a showcase of great artwork as each poster sends a different message about the film. One can read emotions such as passion, fear, excitement or lust from the faces of the characters on the posters. One of the posters, Sons and Killers (1987), shows faces that communicate shock, pain and pleasure. While most of the pictures will communicate an idea of what the film is about, some will definitely leave you guessing if the film title does not give any clue.

Taking into account the age of some of the posters, it is hard to not recognise the effort, time and energy put in collecting these affiches, preserving and then compiling them into a book that contains both large and small posters of more than 50 films.

The preface in this book acknowledges the lack of properly documented history of Egyptian films. Even though this compilation makes a great effort to preserve material which would have been destroyed—the affiches—it does not give enough information about the films.

This full colour book on glossy art paper is indeed a show case of what cinema is, each colour setting the mood of the cinema on paper! The posters have however been done in Arabic which robs posters the impact they would have had if the publication were done in a language like English that is well understood by many more people.

Although the book would be a great purchase, a few changes would make it worth holding on to. The book would be far much worth if information about the films, their directors, cast and rating was included. Having this book with just posters and a title only generates curiosity in the reader to know more about Egyptian films.

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April 24, 2011

16:07

Lola Kenya Screen Receives Films from 101 Countries as Durban Festival Hosts Film Mart

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego and Sharlene Versfeld
Published April 24, 2011

Films from 101 countries have been sent to the Nairobi-based Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth that marks its 6th edition in 2011.

The films received represent the whole gamut of human emotion and include titles like Ich Bin Eine Terroristin (I am a Terrorist), [,] La Poesie De Kiyumi, La Broderie De Sayuru (Kiyumi’s Poetry and Sayuru’s Embroidery), Calamity Jane Lettre A Sa Fille (Calamity Jane’s Letter to Her Daughter), Mute, Dzaomalaza Et Le Saphir Bleu, Go Kiss Her, Le Maillot De Cristiano (Cristiano’[Ronaldo]s Shirt), Refren per Kosoven (Requiem for Kosovo), Tenatorios (Funeral Parlours) and Irresponsible Exercises.

The films, after selection, shall be placed in a 10-category programme for the August 8-13, 2011 festival. The sections shall be the Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film, The 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film, Films by Students, Films by Children, Films for Youth, Eastern Africa Prism, Television Series, World Panorama, Special Focus, and the 5th Kids For Kids Festival Africa.

Besides showing in various festivals around the world—Australia, South Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran—films made by children and youth during the hugely popular Lola Kenya Screen film production workshops can now be accessed via Youtube. They include Vanessa’s Dream, Passion for the Environment, The Monsters of the new Age, Facebook Era, Little Knowledge is Dangerous, and Nairobi by Taxi.

Meanwhile, Sharlene Versfeld reports that the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF)’s 32nd edition shall take place July 21-31, 2011 with more than 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a focus on films from South Africa and Africa being screened around the city.

The festival also offers an extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers, and the return of the Talent Campus Durban which sees some 40 young film-makers from Africa converge on Durban for five days of intensive workshops, seminars and master classes.

In addition the 2nd Durban FilmMart, a co-production market which incorporates a Producers’ Forum and a Finance Forum, shall also run during the festival. Experts in various fields within the film industry present workshops and master classes at the Producers’ Forum and the Finance forum calls for potential projects from Africa from which 12 are selected, mentored and then presented to potential financiers.

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12:23

How Hollywood Creates Conformist, Politically-Correct Films to Protect American Viewpoint

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa with Ogova Ondego
Published April 24, 2011

If you are like many other people around the world who view Hollywood films as escapist, superficial entertainment devoid of any ideology, you will change your mind after reading A Divided World: Hollywood Cinema and Émigré Directors in the Era of Roosevelt and Hitler, 1933-1948. The 280-page paperback written by Nick Smedley and published by Intellect of the United Kingdom in 2011examines how the film community of the 1930s and 1940s supported President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ‘s liberal reforms aimed at getting America out of the Great Depression and going to war against Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Come the Cold War, the filmmakers turned to a film of darkness and despair.

Smedley, a freelance journalist and writer who also teaches a course on Modern Hollywood Cinema and its Historical Roots at London University, writes that there was a close relationship between American cinema and Rooseveltian liberalism, otherwise known as the New Deal, in the 1930s. Having been elected President of United States of America in 1932, Roosevelt embarked on a programme of social reconstruction that would introduce to America the ideas and values of a welfare society and active state benevolence and intervention. This was a cultural as well as a political phenomenon and Hollywood’s response was to reiterate the need to preserve the country’s ideals at a time of threat.

The 1930s Hollywood Community developed a cinema of liberal idealism, providing a manual of ideals upon which life in America should be based. The cinema of the time was extremely topical, evoking not an intellectual, but an intuitive response. Amid this conformist kind of cinema three distinct voices from Europe descended on American soil to offer new perspectives.

Fritz Lang (Friedrich Christian Anton Lang), Ernst Lubitsch and Billy Wilder (Samuel Billie Wilder) all from Berlin in Germany became key voices in the Hollywood film industry of this time that challenged American conformity and articulated dissent from the moral consensus of Rooseveltian economic programmes that focused on relief, recovery, and reform and had led to the film of conformity. The three Europeans from the Nazi capital articulated criticisms of the American society left unsaid by their contemporaries.

Where Hollywood cinema emphasised female passivity and submission to male control, Smedley writes, Lubitsch opted to empower his female characters. While American cinema urged the women to recapture their true ‘feminine values’ Lubitsch formulated images of women who were free to express themselves.

For an industry that had championed the social values of America in the 1930s under Roosevelt, a Democratic Party president, it was shocking when the philosophical and social tenets of the New Deal came under attack from a resurgent Republican Party in the 1940s and Hollywood quickly fell silent. The onset of the Cold War, that followed the victory of the Allied Forces and the fall out between America and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) that had fought on one side thus found the liberal community in Hollywood silenced. The film community was no longer in harmony with the political values of Washington but rather defending the values of the 1930s against the post-New Deal political settlement; the rise of the Film Noir was one such expression of Hollywood’s disillusionment—a dark, bleak setting for lonely exploration of murder and violence.

A Divided World: : Hollywood Cinema and Émigré Directors in the Era of Roosevelt and Hitler, 1933-1948 may appeal mainly to film historians, critics and journalists who already have background information on the subject under discussion. With Smedley analysing themes of more than 250 films, his book requires one to have a prior knowledge and understanding of the films as the themes are not fully explored. Perhaps it is a good way to invite people not just to further reading about Hollywood’s engagement with the social life of the time but also to look for and watch the films he mentions with a view to examining them for oneself.

It is also not clear whether the varying accounts—as stated by the author—of the lives of the three European directors under examination could be the reason as to why he states that Lang once served in the German military while other sources claim he served in the Austrian Army. The reader at this juncture is not so sure whom to trust.

Like any good scholarly book, A Divided World: Hollywood Cinema and Émigré Directors in the Era of Roosevelt and Hitler, 1933-1948, that retails at US$40 per copy, has a comprehensive list of end notes, in-text referencing, bibliography, index and case studies that may be of interest to any one interested in further reading of the American Cinema during the 15-year period that the book examines.

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April 18, 2011

8:37

Kenyans to Demonstrate Against Sky-Rocketing Prices of Essential Commodities

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published April 18, 2011

Kenyans are set to hit the streets on April 19, 2011 to demonstrate against government inaction on sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, particularly fuel and food.

According to the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek), the public will assemble at Uhuru Park in Nairobi at noon from where speeches will be delivered before the procession takes Kenyatta Avenue in the Nairobi CBD to present a petition to Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi, Parliamentary Speaker Kenneth Marende, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki.

Saying the current prices of fuel and food are fast becoming unbearable for most Kenyans and that they cannot be sustained, Cofek argues that the government must act to minimise the adverse ‘social, economic, environmental and political’ effect of the runaway prices on the country.

Dismissing the various excuses—weak shilling, high inflation rate, the Northern Africa and Arab world crisis—that have been have been advanced to explain the rising costs of living as immaterial, Cofek says the fuel prices pose a serious threat to Kenya’s stability as the country heads into a general election in 2012.

The steep increases, Cofek says, could be due “to outright corruption and institutional gross inefficiency” and that “some quarters could be using the fuel crisis to fundraise for the 2012 general elections.” Cofek further wonders why “no one is talking about the internal factors of the high prices” or why “neither President Mwai Kibaki nor Prime Minister Raila Odinga has found it necessary and urgent to speak about the fuel and food crisis.”

A Cofek statement calling consumers to a peaceful demonstration in Nairobi and other major towns in Kenya says, “We are disturbed that the Minister for Energy, Mr Kiraitu Murungi, has been playing politics with the matter of fuel prices for a while. He has been left to walk away with many unexplained issues—from the ‘Triton Scandal’ in which the tax-payer lost Sh7.8 Billion to politically-connected shenanigans: the irregular award of the 30% quota for the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) which NOCK couldn’t service; the poorly representative (stakeholder and regional) key energy parastatals and the Energy Regulatory Commission. The Minister is yet to explain the fraud that was the so called ‘free energy saving bulbs’ that were hardly distributed and accounted for.”

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April 11, 2011

13:06

Kenya Airways in Ambitious Expansion

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Edith Wairimu
Published April 11, 2011

Kenya Airways, that has been flying passengers for more than 30 years, plans to launch new destinations in Africa, Middle and Far East every month.

The airline currently flies more than two million passengers to 50 destinations in 39 countries in Africa and beyond every year. The airline, whose motto is ‘The Pride of Africa’, projects that they will fly more than three million passengers around the world every year. This may not be far-fetched as statistics provided by the International Airlines Transport Association (I.A.T.A) show that the number of passengers rose by 8% globally in 2010. Indeed, Kenya Airways recorded a 35% increase in passenger numbers on their domestic routes in the last quarter of 2010.

It is in line with catering for the increasing demand of passengers that Kenya Airways plans to launch new destinations. For instance, the airline that is popularly known as KQ from its airline code, is expected to introduce flights on the Nairobi-Abuja route in July 2011. This route will ensure that passengers travelling from the Nigerian political capital by Kenya Airways will no longer need to travel to the Lagos commercial capital to board their flights.

Kenya Airways launched three times weekly flights to Rome, its fourth European destination, in 2010. The airline, operating on a code share with Alitalia, Italy’s national carrier, was granted landing rights at the Rome’s Fumicino Airport. Nampula in Mozambique became the airline’s 42nd destination in Africa in 2010.

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11:50

Why Tanzania’s Popularity as a Tourism Attraction Underperforms

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tourism-Review.Com
Published April 11, 2011

Despite having a number of great beaches and attractions, Tanzania is lagging behind on the global scale in the world of tourism. Experts generally agree that the country could be doing a lot better.

Tanzania has the world’s most famous wildlife documentary favourite – the Serengeti Park, which is at the top of the list of Africa’s most popular destinations and most attractive national parks. Most people could see various documentaries about the largest mammal migration on the planet that takes place there. Stunning beaches add to the attractions available in the East African hotspot. However, many in the tourism sector agree that Tanzania is not doing enough to market and support its assets to attract more tourism business. In fact, studies show that Tanzania is becoming less popular with tourists and has actually dropped 12 places in global rankings from 98th to 110th position.

So what is the reason behind the underachievement? The most obvious answer is a lack of suitable infrastructure. The biggest obstacle is that the Serengeti Park, most of which is in Tanzania, is somewhat inaccessible by road, rail or by air. This not only creates a problem for tourists in Tanzania, yet also destroys the reputation of the country outside.

Perhaps the greatest damage to to Tanzania is that country’s government’s decision to build a 33-mile long road, which will create a crucial link between the east coast ports, Tanzania’s biggest city Dar es Salaam and Lake Victoria. Though a crucial linksuch road is likely to put an end to the world famous wildebeeste migration.

Serengeti National Park in Tanzanie attracts 90,000 tourists every year, most of whom come to witness the unrivalled spectacle of the greatest animal migration in the world. Some 1.5 million zebra and wildebeest move north, along with gazelle and packs of predators. Once the wet season finishes, between April and June, the animals migrate closer to the wet feeding grounds along the river Mara.But the government announced in 2005 that it would build a road through this park.

Many organisations have spoken against the planned construction – which is scheduled to start in 2012. Members of the UNESCO, World Conservation Society, and Zoological Society of London strongly appeal to the Tanzanian government to reconsider. Many believe that leading the road through the south of the park, rather than north will not only be cheaper to build but would also be of use to more people and the migration would not be threatened.

Poaching scandals and rumours of illegal ivory trading has also put dents in the reputation of a struggling country. It is true that not all of the ivory poaching takes place in Tanzania, yet much of it passes through airports in Tanzania. The situation is getting worse as people are now not talking in terms of certain beasts only to be found in Tanzania, yet continually refer to them being exploited and poached.

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April 08, 2011

14:04

International Children’s Peace Prize 2011 Call for Nomination

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published April 8, 2011

Any boy or girl aged 12-18 years and with a history of standing up and fighting for his or her rights or those of other children in any part of the world could win “€100,000 to be invested in projects closely connected to the winner’s area of devotion” by the end of 2011 if nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by April 18, 2011.

The organisers of the award, KidsRights, says the award is “is presented annually to a child for his or her devotion to children’s rights, anywhere in the world.”

Besides being a sign of recognition for the winners, KidsRights says, the award also offers the winner a platform to promote his or her ideals and causes.

“In this way, the messages that these young heroes convey can reach a broader public, thereby making a greater impact in the promotion of children’s rights. The Children’s Peace Prize is accompanied by an award of €100,000 to be invested in projects closely connected to the winner’s area of devotion,” KidsRights says.

“Nominees for the Children’s Peace Prize can come from any person, in any country, with knowledge of an exceptional child dedicated to promoting children’s rights. An independent Expert Committee assesses the applications and selects the final nominees.”

In 2011 the International Children’s Peace Prize will be celebrated around November 20, the Day of the Rights of the Child.

Calling upon adults to nominate children, KidsRights says, “We would like to invite you to inform us about the children you meet and work with and whom you feel might be a good candidate for this Prize. Any boy or girl between 12 and 18 years old who has a clear history of standing up and fighting for the rights of him/herself and other children can be nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. It is important that the child has an active approach in accomplishing his or her goal.”

KidsRights calls out to everyone worldwide to nominate a child who would deserve the International Children’s Peace Prize. The deadline for sending in nomination forms is April 18, 2011. The nominations are to be emailed to info@childrenspeaceprize.org

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April 02, 2011

16:10

By Warc Published April 2, 2011 ...

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Warc
Published April 2, 2011

Television viewing times continue to rise around the world, even in mature markets like North America and Europe.

Research firm Eurodata TV reported that the global average consumption time hit 3 hours 10 minutes per day last year, an increase of six minutes compared with 2005.

North America delivered a lift reaching four minutes measured against 2009, registering 4 hours 39 minutes overall, while Europe grew in line with the norm, on 3 hours 48 minutes, across the same period.

At present, Asia Pacific’s total stands at 2 hours 34 minutes, although this is expected to improve going forward.

In Belgium and Ireland, where delayed viewing – such as by DVR – has been incorporated into measurement figures, viewing time rose by ten minutes and 11 minutes respectively.

Major sporting events retained their appeal, as totals climbed by 36 minutes in Canada and 22 minutes in Denmark year on year during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

In Spain, Telecinco attracted a 78% audience share for its broadcast of the 2010 World Cup Final, featuring (and won by) the national team.

Entertainment content topped the category charts for the first time, taking 40% of the ten highest audiences in 70 countries, beating fictional output, on 39%.

The Eurovision Song Contest posted the top scores in 16 countries, while local versions of America’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing and the X-Factor also generated excellent ratings in several markets.

Local dramas tended to perform more strongly than big American series, but medical offering House and police procedural the Mentalist proved international successes.

To monitor changing attitudes and the impact of digital media, the study assessed the broadcast consumptionsof 15-24 year olds covering several screens, such as mobile and PC.

It revealed that, when including all channels, the amount of time dedicated to this material rose by 14 minutes in the UK, six minutes for Germany and five minutes for the US.

Data sourced from Eurodata TV; additional content by Warc staff, 28 March 2011

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April 01, 2011

14:17

Civil Society Call on African Governments to Support Creative and Cultural Sector

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Florence Mukanga
Published April 1, 2011

Arterial, a pan-African network of creative and cultural practitioners has on April 1, 2011 launched a generic cultural policy which aims to strengthen support for the cultural sector in Africa.

Adapting the Wheel: Cultural Policies for Africa, the cultural policy template for Africa—launched in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and DOEN Foundation of The Netherlands—addresses the lack of strong cultural policy in many Commonwealth countries, 20 of which are in Africa. It was developed by a 12-member Task Group, and aims to assist artists, cultural practitioners and stakeholders in Africa to develop effective policy in order to raise the standard of arts and cultural practice.

“The Commonwealth Foundation is pleased to be a partner with the Arterial Network on this project, responding to civil society’s call at the 2009 Commonwealth Summit to strengthen the creative and cultural industries through the implementation of strong and sustainable frameworks. With this key document, it is hoped that the rich array of cultural talent in African countries will have the opportunity to flourish and reach its full potential,” says Vijay Krishnarayan, Deputy Director of the Commonwealth Foundation.

The template generic policy can be applied and adapted to a range of African national contexts. Adoption of the template will improve support for the creative and cultural industries, develop the creative economy and ensure cultural diversity is protected and promoted.

Mike Van Graan, the Secretary General of Arterial Network, says, “The Millennium Development Goals have particular resonance for Africa and at their 2010 summit to reflect on progress in meeting the 2015 deadline for the MDGs, world leaders recognised that culture is integral to development. The Commonwealth Foundation and DOEN Foundation has done excellent work in promoting the links between culture and development, which is why we are delighted to have been able to partner with them in producing this Cultural Policy Framework.”

In addition to the framework, the Arterial Network will develop an ‘arts and culture barometer’, a tool to assist African governments and civil society networks in developing, monitoring and evaluating national cultural policies.

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March 31, 2011

7:38

Egypt and Tunisia Holidays Offer Big Bargains, Small Risk

» ‎ ArtMatters

By eTN
Published March 31, 2011

“There is no better time to visit Egypt or Tunisia” says Peter Lilley, director of Middle East and North Africa Tavel Association (MENATA). “There are thousands of bargain holidays available. Package prices to Egypt have been slashed by up to 40% while summer holidays to Tunisia are available for less than £300 for seven nights’ half-board at the end of June. You would struggle to find a weekend break in the UK for that price.”

MENATA’s advice to potential holidaymakers to Egypt and Tunisia is straightforward, Peter Lilley says. “We believe the countries are essentially safe and that there is no real reason not to visit. Both countries desperately need tourists to return and they can be assured of a warm welcome. But there are some risks involved and we feel it is better to be upfront about those – to assist potential holidaymakers to make an informed decision.Both Egypt and Tunisia are currently ruled by interim presidents and temporary governments which have never been seen as the hallmarks of stolidness and stability. Both countries also remain quite volatile and no-one can completely rule out the possibility of further street protests.”

Peter Lilley says holidaymakers “can either take advantage of the excellent value for money currently offered by Egypt and Tunisia while understanding there’s just a possibility their travel plans may be disrupted or they can opt for what they perceive is a safer resort – even if that means paying more. There’s no right or wrong answer. Holidaymakers need to make the decision which suits them.”

Peter Lilley believes one of the reasons why tourism has been quite slow to return to Egypt and Tunisia is the result of mixed messages from the travel industry, with national tourist offices claiming resorts are safe at the same time as tour operators are busy slashing their programmes to the region.

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March 30, 2011

16:30

Kenya and Nigeria’s Glow Fade at the 7th Annual Continental Film Awards

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 30, 2011

“Kenya has a long way to go. The rest of Africa has upped its game tremendously. Let us work on producing our own, good quality film or be obsolete on the African scene,” was all Kenyan filmmaker F Simiyu Barasa could say following the poor performance of Kenya in the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards Gala Night in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, on March 27/28, 2011.

Kenya, whose Wanuri Kahiu had made history by emerging the first woman to win the Best Director Award at AMAA in 2011, watched helplessly as prizes were shared between Congo-Kinshasa’s VIVA RIVA (it took six of the 12 prizes it had been nominated for!) and THE MINE (won Best Short Documentary Award) and South Africa that won six awards.

VIVA RIVA, the Congolese crew said, is the first film made in Congo’s native Lingala language in 20 years. They said they had worked on the film for five years and that it was bringing in dividends from international film festivals like Berlinale, FESPACO and Toronto. Thus Congo-Kinshasa has broken Kenya’s record by one prize. Kenya had won six in 2009.

South Africa took six awards with SHIRLEY ADAMS (Achievement in Sound, Special Jury Prize,), A SMALL TOWN CALLED DESCENT (Best Visual Effects), IZULU LAMI (Best Film in an African Language, Best Child Actor), and HOPEVILLE (Best Actor in Leading Role).

Ghana’s SINKING SANDS won three awards: Best Make up, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress in Leading Role.

Nigeria struggled to win in two competitive categories–Best Sound for Jeta Amata’s INALE and Best Costume for Niji Akanji’s ARAMOTU. Together with the ‘affirmative action’ category—Best Nigerian Film—in which only Nigerian films compete and that was in 2011 won by ARAMOTU, Nigeria came out with three AMAA statuettes as Kenya limped away with one: Achievement in Editing that went to SOUL BOY.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the founder and chief executive officer of AMAA, called upon filmmakers in Africa and in the Diaspora to explore more stories that project the continent ‘truly and positively’.
“Our films must not validate some of the negative stereotypes Europeans and Americans have about us. We have our challenges but good things are also happening in Africa,” she said, appealing to governments in Africa to support what has now come to be known the creative sector-the entire arts and culture sector.

“Our writers, filmmakers and other professionals within the creative sector continue to bring glory and honour to Africa and providing jobs for millions of people. Our governments must take this sector seriously and provide the necessary structures and funding that will help the sector grow.”

Although the jury ‘praised the recent boost in short film production in Nigeria and Cameroon’ and went on to award an Honourable Mention to NO JERSEY, NO MATCH by Nigerian Daniel Ademinokan, not all appears to be well in the audiovisual media sector. For instance, the award for the Best Animation was not presented due to the fact that the entries were either not enough or were wanting.

Ghana may not have performed to expectation, but she still appeared in the awards tally. However, Kenya’s dismal performance has left many with numerous questions as to what happened to the East African country that had started being counted as one of the giants of filmmaking after her sterling performance in 2009. That year, Kenya’s nominees included Lola Kenya screen productions—SANTOS THE SURVIVOR by Rupinder Jagdev (Best Short Documentary), LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS by Adede Hawi, Samora Oundo and Karama Ogova (Best Animation), CHEPRONO by Lola Kenya Screen (Best Animation), and MANANI OGRES by Samuel Musembi, Norrick Joseph and Joseph Hongo (Best Animation); PAMELA by James Kanja (Best Short Film); FROM A WHISPER by Wanuri Kahiu (Achievement in Sound, Achievement in Editing, Achievement in make-Up, Best Original Sound Track, Best Performance by a Child Actor: Samara Migwi; Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Godfrey Odhiambo; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Corine Onyango; Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting Role: Kenneth Sammy Muigai Ambani and Abubakar Mwenda; Achievement in Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director); COMING OF AGE by Judy Kibinge (Best Short Documentary); and KILLER NECKLACE by Judy Kibinge (Best Short Film). FROM A WHISPER won Kenya five awards–Best Director, Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Soundtrack as Kibinge’s COMING OF AGE was declared Best Short Documentary.

Here is the full list of AMAA 2011 Awardees as announced in Yenagoa, Nigeria:
Best Short Film: DINA, Mickey Fonseca, Mozambique
Best Short Documentary: AFTER THE MINE, Congo-Kinshasa
Best Long Documentary: KONDI ET LE JEUDI NATIONALE, Cameroun
Best Diaspora Feature: SUICIDE DOLLS, USA
Best long Diaspora Documentary: STUBBORN AS A MULE, USA
Best Diaspora Short Film: PRECIPICE, UK
Best Film by an African Filmmaker Abroad: OLADIGBOLU, Nigeria/USA
Achievement in Sound: SHIRLEY ADAMS, South Africa
Achievement in Editing: SOUL BOY, Germany/Kenya
Achievement in Production Design: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Achievement in Make-up: SINKING SANDS, Ghana
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ama Abebresse (SINKING SANDS), Ghana
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Themba Ndaba (HOPEVILLE), South Africa
Best Film in an African Language: IZULU LAMI, South Africa
Best Screenplay: SINKING SANDS, Ghana
Best Cinematography: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Best Director: Djo Tunda wa Munga (VIVA RIVA), Congo-Kinshasa
Best Film: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Achievement in Costume: ARAMOTU, Nigeria
Best Nigerian Film: ARAMOTU
Best Child Actor: Sobahle Mkhabase, Tschepang Mohlomi, Sibonelo Malinga (IZULU LAMI), South Africa
Best Visual Effects: A SMALL TOWN CALLED DESCENT, South Africa
Best Young Actor: Edward Kagutuzi, Nigeria/UK
Special Jury Prize: SHIRLEY ADAMS, South Africa

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March 28, 2011

7:04

7th Africa Movie Academy Awards Winners Unveiled

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 28, 2011

The seventh annual Africa Movie Academy Awards gala night was held at the Gloryland Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, on the night of March 27, 2011. Among those who attended the ceremony presided over by Chief Timpre Sylva, the executive governor of Bayelsa State, were more than 20 guests from Eastern Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo-Kinshasa.

As predicted, Congo-Kinshasa’s VIVA RIVA emerged the biggest winner. South Africa appeared to outdo all other countries as the following results by the jury whose report was read by Zimbabwean Keith Shiri, indicate:

Best Short Film: DINA Mickey Fonseca, Mozambique
Best Short Documentary: AFTER THE MINE, Congo-Kinshasa
Best Long Documentary: KONDI ET LE JEUDI NATIONALE, Cameroun
Best Diaspora Feature: SUICIDE DOLLS, USA
Best long Diaspora Documentary: STUBBORN AS A MULE, USA
Best Diaspora Short Film: PRECIPICE, UK
Best Film by an African Filmmaker Abroad: OLADIGBOLU, Nigeria/USA
Achievement in Sound: SHIRLEY ADAMS, South Africa
Achievement in Editing: SOUL BOY, Germany/Kenya
Achievement in Production Design: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Achievement in Make-up: SINKING SANDS, Ghana
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ama Abebresse (SINKING SANDS), Ghana
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Themba Ndaba (HOPEVILLE), South Africa
Best Film in an African Language: IZULU LAMI, South Africa
Best Screenplay: SINKING SANDS, Ghana
Best Cinematography: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Best Director: Djo Tunda wa Munga (VIVA RIVA), Congo-Kinshasa
Best Film: VIVA RIVA, Congo-Kinshasa
Achievement in Costume: ARAMOTU, Nigeria
Best Nigerian Film: ARAMOTU
Best Child Actor: Sobahle Mkhabase, Tschepang Mohlomi, Sibonelo Malinga (IZULU LAMI), South Africa
Best Visual Effects: A SMALL TOWN CALLED DESCENT, South Africa
Best Young Actor: Edward Kagutuzi, Nigeria/UK
Special Jury Prize: SHIRLEY ADAMS, South Africa

ArtMatters.Info shall publish an analysis of the performance in subsequent reports on the 7th AMA Awards later.

March 26, 2011

11:53

Congo-Kinshasa’s Viva Riva in 12 Africa Movie Awards Nomination

» ‎ ArtMatters

11:28

The BBC’s International News Services Mount Major Multi-media Coverage of Nigeria Presidential Elections

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By BBC International Publicity
Published March 26, 2011

The BBC’s international news services – BBC World Service, BBC World News television and bbc.com/news – have stepped up their operations to cover the national elections in Nigeria in April 2011. BBC World Service is extending regular programming and launching unique online and mobile content to deliver a comprehensive reportage and in-depth analysis of the key vote in Africa’s most populous nation.

BBC journalists, who are also household names in the region, will be in key locations across Nigeria. Jamilah Tangaza in Abuja, Mansur Liman in Kano, Bilkisu Labaran and Bola Mosuro in Lagos and Peter Okwoche in Port Harcourt will bring the audiences the latest on the campaigns, votes and moods in the streets. BBC World News television channel will be covering voting and election results from the north and south of Nigeria with presenter Komla Dumor and reports from correspondents Andrew Harding, Caroline Duffield and Rob Walker.

Special content on bbc.com/africa will include the latest elections news, profiles of main candidates, maps showing some of Nigeria’s many divisions, analysis and views from Nigerian voters. BBC Hausa has initiated a translation of the most important sections of the Nigerian Electoral Law from English into Hausa, to make it accessible to Hausa-speaking public. This content will be published on the elections index on bbchausa.com – along with profiles of the main candidates, political parties, key dates and deadlines, major issues etc. The website will also profile first-time voters who will say why they will vote in the elections and how they feel about the process. Two-minute audio news updates and live text updates on bbchausa.com/mobile will offer the latest on elections as they happen in different parts of Nigeria and on the results as they begin to come in.

Head of BBC Hausa, Jamilah Tangaza, says: “These elections belong to the kind of events that bring to the fore our relationship with our audiences. It is not just us informing them, but also them being an integral part of our output, telling us what they want to discuss, responding to the events unfolding around them and using us as platform for debate.”

From Friday, March 25, 2011, the BBC Hausa weekly audience-participation programme, Ra’ayi Riga (Have Your Say), will engage listeners and online users in debates of election-related topics such as monitoring, ways to stop vote rigging and violence, buying over voters, party primaries and other issues.

In the run-up to the elections, Assignment on BBC World Service will be looking at the aftermath of ethnic and religious violence in Jos, in Plateau state, while BBC World News television will be doing a special investigation on vote-rigging allegations and corruption in Nigeria.

On the three election Saturdays – National Assembly Elections on 2 April, Presidential Elections on 9 April and Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections on 16 April – the BBC’s English-language programmes for Africa will broadcast live from different regions of Nigeria. On these days, BBC Hausa will extend its two daily live radio transmissions from 30 minutes to one hour.

The BBC’s leading English-language programmes for Africa, Focus on Africa, Network Africa and Africa Have Your Say, will be reporting from across Nigeria, talking about the issues that matter most to the Nigerian electorate. An edition of Focus on Africa dedicated to Nigerian elections will be broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.

Solomon Mugera, Editor, BBC Africa Region, says: “The deployment of a strong BBC team with journalists reporting for our English, Hausa, French and Swahili programmes as well as BBC World News television demonstrates our commitment to report and analyse these very crucial Nigerian elections – for the millions of listeners and viewers in Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the wider international community.”

March 24, 2011

11:45

Africa Announces Her Commonwealth Writers Prize Winners

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March 20, 2011

17:25

The Safest and Most Dangerous Airlines Revealed

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March 19, 2011

20:31

Ethiopian Airlines Flies a Notch Higher

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By Edith Wairimu
Published March 19, 2011

Travelling should be a comfortable and memorable adventure. Aircraft safety has been the major concern raised about African airlines. European Union Transport Commissioner, Jacques Barrot, once referred to some of the aircrafts African airlines use as ‘Flying Coffins’ because of low safety standards.

Many African Airlines—Sudan’s Air West Airline, Angola’s TAAG Angola Airlines and all airlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Swaziland—are banned from the European airspace because they do not meet the required safety standards.

But it is not just the case of gloom and doom for all African airlines if Ethiopian Airlines is any measure; Ethiopian flies to many European destinations, including Brussels, Rome, London, Paris, Stockholm, and Frankfurt. With their recent acquisition of the state of the art aircraft—Boeing777-200LR—Ethiopian will be flying directly from the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia in USA to Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This will reduce flight time from 15 hours to 12 and one-half hours.

Ethiopian Airline that operates an all-Boeing fleet of 46 aircraft and is awaiting delivery of 40 more, flies to 60 international and 17 domestic destinations; it has introduced three weekly flights to Maputo, Mozambique and a twice weekly to Bangui, Central African Republic.

Ethiopian was the first African Airline to acquire and operate the Boeing777-200LR; this craft has a carrying capacity of 321 passengers, is fuel-efficient and emits lower carbon to the environment.

Ethiopian Airline Aviation Academy in partnership with the European Aviation Academy, has been training its own pilots, aircraft technicians and flight attendants.

Though it suffered a blow in January 2010 following a fatal plane crash in Beirut, Lebanon that killed all 90 passengers on board, Ethiopian has received seven awards; the latest is the African Cargo Airline of the Year this year that recognises airlines that have the best storage facilities, cargo terminals capacity in terms of space as well as their handling services. The awards were organized by STAT Times an international multimodal transport media that has been encouraging excellence in various categories of Air Cargo industry since 2006.

The ‘New Spirit of Africa’—as Ethiopian Airline is fondly known from its motto—is set to join Star Alliance, the leading global airline network in terms of destinations that currently has a membership of 29 global carriers, in 2011.

March 18, 2011

21:16

Kenya Goes to the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards

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By Ogova Ondego
Published March 18, 2011

Four Kenyan film directors are in contention for nine prizes at a pan African film awards contest.

Judy Kibinge, Zipporah Nyaruri, Wanjiru Kairu and Hawa Essuman represent Kenya at the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Yenagoa, the capital of the oil-rich Bayelsa State, Nigeria, on March 26, 2011.

While Kibinge’s HEADLINES IN HISTORY has been nominated in the Best Long Documentary category and Nyaruri’s ZEBU AND THE PHOTO FISH competes for the Best Short Film, and the Best Child Actor (for Benjamin Abemegisha), Wanjiru Kairu’s WEAKNESS shall seek to prove that it is the Best Short Film made in Africa during the time under review. Essuman’s SOUL BOY, on the other hand, has the most nominations for Kenya–Best Director, Best Film, Achievement in Editing, Achievement in Screen Play, Best Film in African Language, Best Young Actor (for Samson Odhiambo and Leila Opou)—though it fails short of equaling Kenya’s super achiever at AMAA 2009, Wanuri Kahiu’s FROM A WHISPER docu-fiction film that received nominations in 13 categories and went on to win five: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Soundtrack, and Achievement in Editing.

Can Kibinge, Nyaruri, Kairu and Essuman bring the glory home the way Kahiu—the first and only female to win the Best Director prize—did in 2009?

Kibinge’s HEADLINES IN HISTORY is a 60-minute film written by Ugandan David Kaiza and co-directed by Ghanaian John Akomfrah. It tells the history of a newspaper that sprang out of an old bakery in 1959 and went on to become one of Africa’s biggest success stories: Nation Media Group (NMG).

The story of NMG is ideally the story of Kenya whose people were fighting for political independence from the British and the then fledgling Nation took on the nationalistic stance, identifying with the African cause.

HEADLINES IN HISTORY uses interviews, headlines, photographs, film footage and dramatic reconstruction to tell the story of the African newspaper people who risked everything during the pre- and post-independence era to deliver the daily news and build a thriving business. Kibinge was one of the six motivational speakers at the Lola Kenya screen critical writing and creative documentary workshops in Nairobi in November/December 2010.

ZEBU AND THE PHOTO FISH, that has already won three awards—Best Director, Best Script, Best Supporting Actor for Peace Among who plays the ‘Salon Lady’—at Auteur Experimental Short Film Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, recently competed in the Best Short Film category at the 22nd Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, FESPACO (February 26-March 5, 2011) in Burkina Faso. Though it did not win the award, the message was clear: that Nyaruri had arrived on the scene to claim her position among Africa’s audiovisual creative minds. Her credits include MAAMA EMERRE (2008), a documentary on food vendors in Uganda that has travelled widely on the international film festival circuit.

Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in business studies, Nyaruri works variously as an editor, writer and director. MAMA EMERRE,her debut documentary, was screened at Slow Food Film Festival in Italy and was thereafter commissioned for re-screening in schools and non-profit-making institutions in Italy in 2008 and 2009. BLACK BUTTERFLIES, ‘the making of’ of a feature film she edited, premieres in The Netherlands in late March 2011.

WEAKNESS by Wanjiru Kairu is a 13-minute narrative film dealing with parental responsibility, alcoholism, and sibling rivalry.

“My main goal is to create films that are compelling, original and successful in promoting dialogue on social issues,” says Kairu whose short films—MUST BE A GOD-FEARING GIRL, and WEAKNESS—have screened at international festivals–Durban International Film Festival, ION Film Festival, New York African Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival and Images that Matter Film Festival. Saying that she is currently producing content for the Nigerian talk show, ‘Moments with Mo’, Kairu discloses that she is also working on her first full feature length project, THE TRANSCENDENCE, that she describes as “a first-time African superhero narrative.”

Kairu, an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2006 and Maisha Film Lab 2007, has written, directed and produced several television hit shows and award-winning programmes. She has also facilitated documentary filmmaking workshops at the Nairobi-based Lola Kenya screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship and market for children and youth in eastern Africa in 2009. It is expected that this experience will work to her advantage in the AMAAs. But will it?

Other members of the Kenyan delegation are actors and AMAA 2009 Nominees Kenneth Sammy Muigai Ambani and Godfrey Odhiambo; film director Simiyu Barasa; and film journalists Mwenda wa Micheni/Christine Mungai and George Orido.

In 2009, Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu’s FROM A WHISPER docu-fiction film collected five of the 13 nominations out of the maximum 24 categories. She became the first and only female director in the history of AMAA to be crowned the Best Director. Her other awards were Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Soundtrack, and Achievement in Editing.

Also in the nomination race in 2009 were James Kanja’s PAMELA (Best Short

Film), Judy Kibinge’s COMING OF AGE (Best Documentary) and Lola Kenya Screen productions—LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS by Adede Hawi, Samora Oundo and Karama Ogova (Best Animation), CHEPRONO by 2008 Film Production Workshop participants (Best Animation), MANANI OGRES by Samuel Musembi, Joseph Hongo and Norrick Joseph, and SANTOS THE SURVIVOR by Rupinder Jagdev.

In 2010, Kenya was represented by director Nathan Collet and producer Mercy Murugi’s TOGETHERNESS SUPREME and went on to win two AMAA statuettes: Best Performance by a Child Actor for Teddy Onyango and Bill Oloo, and Most Promising Actor for Wilson Maina.

AMAA, whose objectives are to promote African screen arts and unite the continent through the arts, is marketed as the biggest gathering of movie-makers across the African continent and the Diaspora.

The four films from Kenya, regardless of how they perform at the AMAAs on march 26, are lined up for screening at Goethe-Institut, Nairobi, on April 8, 2011 at 5.30 PM East African Standard Time (14.30 hrs GMT/UTC).The entry is free and the filmmakers encourage every film lover in Nairobi to turn up at the show.

March 17, 2011

22:36

Legendary Musician Ayub Ogada Performs in Nairobi

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March 14, 2011

13:08

Africa Bids to Host the world’s Most Powerful Radio Telescope

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By Ogova Ondego
Published March 14, 2011

Africa is bidding to host the world’s most powerful radio telescope that will probe the edges of the universe, even before the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. Known as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), this €1.5 billion project with operating costs of about €100 million a year telescope will contribute to answering fundamental questions in astronomy, physics and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter. This mega radio telescope is said to be about 100 times more sensitive than the biggest existing radio telescope.

Rod Marcel of SKA Africa says when the telescope is constructed in 2025, “it will have 50 times greater sensitivity than any other radio telescope on earth. The SKA will probe the edges of our universe, even before the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. This telescope will contribute to answering fundamental questions in astronomy, physics and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter.”

If Africa wins the bid to host the SKA, then it will be located in South Africa with several stations located in Namibia, Botwana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and Zambia.

South Africa is leading the African bid and has already legislated to create 12.5 million hectares of protected area – or radio astronomy reserve. This area is also referred to as the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area, offering low levels of
radio frequency interference, very little light pollution, basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and communication.

Since the human story began in Africa, Marcel argues, Africa “can also be the place where we find answers to the story of our universe.”

Marcel says that at least 24 organisations from 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, India, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, are involved in this project that will consist of approximately 4,000 dish-shaped antennae and other hybrid receiving technologies.

Both South Africa and Australia have suitably remote, radio quiet areas for hosting the SKA and have competing bids to host the SKA.

If Africa wins the SKA bid, the core of this giant telescope will be constructed in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province near to the towns of Carnarvon and Williston, linked to a computing facility in Cape Town.

Following an initial identification of sites suitable for the SKA by the International SKA Steering Committee in 2006, southern Africa and Australia are the finalists. A consortium of the major international science funding agencies, in consultation with the SKA Science and Engineering Committee (SSEC), will announce the selected site for the SKA in 2012.

The construction of the SKA is expected to cost about 1.5 billion Euro. The operations and maintenance of a large telescope normally cost about 10% of the capital costs per year. That means the international SKA consortium would be spending approximately 100 to 150 million Euro per year on the telescope. It is expected that a significant portion of the capital, operations and maintenance costs would be spent in the host country. South Africa offers a competitive and affordable solution for constructing, operating and maintaining the SKA.

A major component of the SKA telescope will be an extensive array of approximately 3000 antennas. Half of these will be concentrated in a 5 km diameter central region, and the rest will be distributed out to 3 000 km from this central concentration. South Africa’s bid proposes that the core of the telescope be located in an arid area of the Northern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa, with about three antenna stations in Namibia, four in Botswana and one each in Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and Zambia. Each antenna station will consist of about 30 individual antennas.

An important milestone was reached with the “detection of fringes” in a joint very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observation. For the first time South Africa has completed the experiment without assistance from other countries. The 26m Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) near Pretoria teamed up with one of the seven 12m dishes currently part of the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT-7) over 900 km away to jointly observe and record data from a distant radio source known as 3C273. The data was then correlated in Cape Town to produce the first ever African fringe detection at its first attempt.

South Africa’s Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act (2007) declares the entire Northern Cape Province, with the exception of the Sol Plaatje Municipality (Kimberley) as an astronomy advantage area. Within that an area of 12.5 million hectares is the main protected area – or radio astronomy reserve – for the SKA. This area is also referred to as the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area.

The SKA will be one of the largest scientific research facilities in the world and will consolidate Southern Africa as a major hub for astronomy in the world. Hosting the SKA would be a major accomplishment for the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Programme (AGAP), an initiative by the South African government to establish a hub of world-class astronomy facilities in Southern Africa. Other major astronomy facilities in the region include the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in the Karoo, and the HESS gamma ray telescope in Namibia.

Simon Ratcliffe, an astronomer and a member of the South African SKA bid team, has been part of the MeerKAT project (a precursor to SKA) for several years. His work includes cutting-edge astronomy, including the recent and successful very long baseline interferometry (VBLI) observations. “His astronomical colleagues are doubtful if Ratcliffe owns a pair of shoes other than a set of “plakkies” (flip flops or thongs) – let’s just say that no one has even seen him wearing such items. He has a rather peculiar habit of working barefoot,” says Fanaroff, Director, South Africa SKA Project.

In the next few years, in the build up to the SKA project, Ratcliffe – The Barefoot Astronomer – will not only conduct his science but, more importantly, will also travel extensively promoting the benefits of the SKA project for mankind and South Africa, in particular. He will focus not only on the global scientific community and astronomists generally, but interested members of the general public. He does this in a light-hearted fashion, making use of simple, everyday terminology and, of course, barefoot.

More information about the SKA project, the advantages of the South African SKA bid and how Africans can help bring the project to Africa is online at skaafrica.com.

March 13, 2011

12:16

Nairobi to Host “Worship and Religious Diversity” Photo Exhibition

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12:07

Tourism a vehicle for Gender Equity and women’s empowerment

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By Forimmediaterelease.net
Published March 13, 2011

Women make up an important percentage of the tourism workforce, but more work must be done to close the wealth and skills gap between men and women employed in tourism, according to a new World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)/UN Women report launched at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin (March 11, 2011).

According to the “Global Report on Women in Tourism” – the first survey to map women’s participation in the tourism sector worldwide – tourism, one of the world’s largest generators of wealth and employment, provides a wide range of income-generation opportunities for women, particularly in developing regions. Women are almost twice as likely to be employers in tourism as compared to others sectors. Tourism also offers leadership possibilities, with women accounting for one in five tourism ministers worldwide. Nevertheless, women are often “concentrated in low-skill, low-paid and precarious jobs,” typically earn “10% to 15% less than their male counterparts,” and tend to perform jobs such as cooking, cleaning, and hospitality, states the report.

Gladys Acosta, UN Women Director for Latin America, pointed out that women’s contribution to the tourism sector is often invisible. “In the Caribbean for example, 84% of contributing family work – unpaid – to tourism activities is provided by women. This is one of the key areas to address in promoting gender equality in tourism,” she said.

“This report highlights the crucial role tourism plays in empowering women politically, socially, and economically,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. ”But it makes it very clear that more must be done to close the gender gap, in particular ensuing equal pay for men and women for equal work, raising employment quality, and ending all discrimination.”

The report shows relevant data in five main areas: employment, entrepreneurship, leadership, education, and community, comparable by regions. It provides policymakers and operators recommendations on how to promote more gender-sensitive policies and integrate gender equality into corporate decisions, including strengthening the legal protection of women in tourism employment, providing higher-levels of training, and greater opportunities for women to develop their businesses. “Greater gender equality will contribute to the overall quality of the tourist experience, with a considerable impact on profitability and quality across all aspects of the industry,” says the report.

March 11, 2011

19:46

New Compilation Retraces Kikuyu Popular Music

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By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Published March 11, 2011

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music, a 19-track multi-media production containing a sampling of Kikuyu popular music through several decades and genres–from the blending of the Karing’aring’a (traditional rattles) with the accordion in the 1940s, to the imitation of yodeling and country and western guitar in the 1950s–has been released in Nairobi, Kenya.

These are songs about love lost and love found; personal sacrifice in the struggle for independence; traditions altered and abandoned with the adoption of urban living; the challenges of survival in a money economy; songs in praise of honesty and hard work. Songs about life.

The narrative booklet, music CD and documentary DVD has been complied and produced by Ketebul Music, a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya. This, Ketebul says, is a non-commercial venture and all the proceeds from this multi-media package will go into further research, development and documentation of East African music.

The recording contains Sammy Ngaku’s 1948 love song, Rosanna (praising a woman called Rosanna and sang in the yodeling style of early country and western music); Mwangi wa Maguru’s 1957 song, Ndinakuruma, (about a jilted lover’s advice to his girl friend in which he bemoans the fact that she has left him and succumbed to immorality in the big city. He urges her to shun her evil ways and get back to decent living. All in good faith. Ndinakuruma: ‘I have not insulted you’); and Roman Warigi’s 1962 song, Kunda Ruru (about a carefree drunkard singing of his drinking prowess, proclaiming that he has enough money to buy himself several rounds. If he gets drunk he will just lie down where he is, fall asleep, and start drinking again as soon as he gets up in the morning!).

In his 1966 song, ‘Ndari Ikumi na Inya,’ Joseph Kamaru advises young men to be wary of promiscuous young as an example. He discovered to his horror, that when she called him ‘ndari’ or ‘darling’ he was in fact one of fourteen, hence the song’s title.

SK Kimani, in his 1979 song, Rugano Rwa Naivasha, narrates to his friend Jimmy how he was raised on the shores of Lake Naivasha by his parents, who were fishermen. He tells Jimmy how he met a girl called Jane and the woes he faced when he was knifed in the ribs by a jealous lover. By the grace of God he survived the attack and decided to go back home to Naivasha to be comforted by his father and mother.

Tiga Kumute,a song released by JB Maina in 1992, urges a young man to marry a woman who has another man’s child. Love will prevail and it may even mean an added blessing to the home.

Roman Warigi’s 1962 song, Muhiki, is a tragicomic tale of a prospective bridegroom who writes a letter inviting his ex-girl friend to his wedding only to panic at the last minute when he finds the ex more alluring than his chosen bride. Angry and betrayed, the ex declares she will never speak to him again. His belated request to the preacher to wed him to both women is flatly denied!

With more than 3,000 compositions performed in at least three languages and in an array of styles and genres, Joseph Kamaru is the king of Kikuyu popular music. Kamaru is an institution. Over the last 45 years, his performances modes cover Nguchu, Mumburo, Nguru, Muthirigu, Mwomboko, Njukia, and Mucung’wa, in addition to other styles such as reggae, calypso, rumba and the local benga.

Others are DK Mwai (Daniel Kamau wa Maria), Christopher Daniel Mwaura Kiratu (CDM Kiratu), Jimmy wa Yuni, Pius Mwangi Mukira (Pius Kihingo), James Wahome Maingi, Mwania and Kakai Kilonzo. James Wahome Maingi (Kimandu Gikiuma) feels that the current music scene is dull with live performances replaced by playback machines.

The heart of the production of Kikuyu popular music is Nairobi’s River Road. River Road became the socio-cultural capital of modern Kikuyu music following the Africanisation policy that is often associated with the late Dr Julius Gikonyo Kiano who was then the minster for commerce and industry immediately after independence in 1963 and in the years that followed.

On River Road, commerce and entertainment became two sides of one coin and, over the years, ingenious musicians like Joseph Kamaru, Nderitu Munene, and Albert Gacheru have run some of the recording studios on this street. Today, River Road’s music shops have grown tenfold and offer a wide variety of entertainment products. It is also associated with Kenya’s budding ethnic language film industry, which has been popularly dubbed ‘Riverwood.’

Throughout the 1980s, Kikuyu popular music became increasingly sophisticated and one could now see fully equipped bands with a complete set of five guitars on stage, accompanied by drums and rattles. The music also spread from its roots in Kiambu, Nyeri, Muranga and Nairobi, to other places such as Nyandarua and Nakuru.

The spread of Kikuyu pop music was partly made possible at the time by the arrival of the audio cassette which had replaced the vinyl record. Production not only became cheaper and faster but also made it possible for the establishment of more and less sophisticated recording studios, a number of which were owned and managed by Africans, many of them Gikuyu. But this was also a field day for the music pirates because it was easy to duplicate the audio cassette tapes.

Hardstone’s (Harrison Ngungiri) hit ‘Uhiki’ did not enter the market as hardcore Kikuyu pop, it was in fact one of Kenya’s pioneer hip hop anthems but it did also succeed in pushing the imaginative boundaries of what could be done with ethnic folksongs.

Another interesting experiment with the form of Kikuyu popular music consists of the use of reggae guitar riffs and their accompanying rhythmic drum beats in Simon Kihara’s 1998 hit, ‘Mwigerekaino’ (copy-cutting).

Joroge Benson (Chris Kariuki)’s 1999 number ‘Gichichio,’ made a bold attempt at combining rap and benga.

As if to push this idea of rap in Kikuyu music a little further, Alex Wainaina using the stage name Ndarlin P recorded the song ‘4 in 1’ in 1999. The rapid-fire narration was as hilarious as it was unprecedented. It was a runaway success.

Other attempts to break the mould of benga in Kikuyu popular music have come from gospel artistes. But until Heze Ndung’u revolutionalized the conservative music of the Akorino, by embracing contemporary dance the Akorino sect represented authentic gist of Kikuyu gospel rhythms.

The foremost Kikuyu musicians of this gospel stable have been Elizabeth Nyambere, Julia Lucy and Miika Muthoni. In the 1990s, the emergence of musicians like Sammy Nene, Zackary Wandaro, Simon Mbugua Ben, Sarah Kiarie, and Nancy Torome, among others saw the balance sheet of Kikuyu country music tilting in favour of the gospel. Nakuru town was caught in the limelight of kikuyu music as the base of many Akorino sect musicians.

‘One-man’ guitar performers would not miss the party. Originally the one-man bands employed the use of a common chord of the guitar to strum out almost all their renditions. These days, the artistes have added keyboards their standard guitar accompaniment.

Joe Mwenda, considered by many as one of the early pioneers of the one-man guitar, died mysteriously while on a tour in Rwanda shortly after the turn of the new millennium.

Others include Sam Muthee, Kafel Maina, ‘The Retired General’ (Kimana), Mike Rua, JB Maina, Mike Murimi, Salim Junior and Kinyua Wamsoni.

A number of Kiyuku female musicians started their careers as one-lady guitarists, such as Lady Wanja, and Florence Wangari wa Kabera. Others like Margret Watherero were the only female members in their bands. They are a fine example of women who entered a male dominated trade and tenaciously struggled for recognition and success.

As the one-man guitar wave spread, the Mugithi train dance gained prominence and today clubs burst their walls with capacity crowds. In the more open clubs, the ‘train’ meanders through the gardens and it is whispered that, at some venues, muggers await in the shadows!

With the exception of Nyakinyua choirs, the female artistes of the 1950s and 1960s were no more than accompanying vocalists. When Roman Warigi recorded with his sister, Muthoni, he carried the by-line alone. Likewise, when Joseph Kamaru started recording with his sister, Catherine, she used a stage name, and Kamaru appeared to be the star of each record.

The late Jane Nyambura Ciira (Queen Jane) was a talented composer and had the ability to fuse the old and the new, both in terms of lyrics and tunes. She explored the unique experiences of women, and she did not shy away from attacking patriarchy and reverse images of female villainy and a victimized innocent male, like in her song ‘Mwanake.’ Some of her songs attested to the problems she had to contend with in a career that is male dominated and where female musicians are easily mistaken for prostitutes.

“…The future of Kikuyu music seems to belong to those artistes who can retain the essence of Kikuyu rhythm and idiom while at the same time welding these sounds to global music forms,” Ketebul Music suggests.

March 06, 2011

3:07

5th Kids for Kids Africa Festival Call for Films

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By Lola Kenya Screen Publicity
Published March 6, 2011

The Nairobi-based Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-developmen mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa initiative for children and youth in eastern Africa is calling for film entry from children in Africa. The films are for the 5th annual Kids for Kids Africa Festival Competition that has since 2007 been organised and presented in the framework of Africa’s premier audiovisual media initiative specifically and exclusively designed for children abd youth.

“The films we are looking for must be made by children and youth in 2010 and 2011 only; any film made by adults masquerading as children or youth are unacceptable,” Lola Kenya Screen director Ogova Ondego says. “We define a child as any one aged 18 years and under. And such people need not be citizens of Africa but can be resident in the mother continent at the time the film was made.”

Ondego clarifies that films made by children under the guidance of adults are eligible for the Kids For Kids Africa but that the contribution of adults should be confined to training or facilitating the process but should not be extended to areas such as scripting, shooting, story-boarding or animating that disqualify the production.

“Eligible films are those made by children resident in any part of Africa. All kinds of moving images-—animation, experimental, documentary, fiction—-will be considered,” Ondego says.

Like all entries to Lola Kenya Screen, any film in a language other than English must be sub-titled in English.

“All entries will be received, processed, assessed and awarded by a film selection committee and jury comprising children. Winning entries will represent Africa at the international Kids for Kids Festival,” Ondego adds.

The deadline for receiving entries at the Lola Kenya Screen directorate is April 15,2011.

Films for the 4th Kids For Kids Africa are to be submitted to:
Lola Kenya Screen, PCEA Enchoro Emuny Church, Ngong Road, Ngong Hills,
P O Box 20775-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya (EA).

The Kids For Kids Festival (KFKF) is an international community of young filmmakers and media educators; it constitutes a unique, international movement for the promotion and advertisement of audiovisual messages created by children for children.

The International Centre of Film for Children and Youth (CIFEJ) has undertaken the quality control of the Kids For Kids Festival, and up to 2009, has been the main partner of the Global Network of KFKF.

A series of affiliated KFKF have now been operating on regional levels, like the KFKF Balkans, KFKF Africa, KFKF Nordic & Baltic Sea, or on a national level like the KFKF-UK and KFKF Iran.

KFKA was first held in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 5th World Summit on Media for Children in 2007. However since August 2007, KFKA has been organised and presented in the framework of the Kenya-based Lola Kenya Screen.

“We have organised and presented KFKA since 2007 because we share the core values with KFKF and CIFEJ: promoting cinema art by children for children,” Ondego says.

More about Lola Kenya Screen
In 2010, Lola Kenya Screen received entries from 37 countries—Serbia, Nepal, USA, Spain, Namibia, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Italy, India, Iran, Uganda, UK, France, Finland, Romania, Moldova, Singapore, Kenya, The Netherlands, Croatia, Tunisia, Japan, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Slovenia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Norway, Brazil, Tanzania, Uganda, Turkey, Ukraine, Latvia, Argentina—in 33 laguages—Nepali, Tamang, Spanish, English, German, Polish, Danish, Italian, Tamil, Farsi, Karamojong, French, Hokkein, Dutch, Arab, Kannada, Chichewa, Setswana, Slovene, Kiswahili, Albanian, Amharic, Sheng, Somali, Norwegian, Singala, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Malayalam, Gambay, Finnish, Luganda, Turkish, No dialogue—from five continents—Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America.

The highest number of entries came from Spain followed by Kenya and Nigeria. For the first time, films came from Kosovo, Tunisia, Malawi, Moldova and Singapore.

“Animation carried the most entries from almost every country and continent and a good number of experimental films was also registered,” Ondego says.”Our hearts were warmed by the fact that since we started in 2005, 2010 witnessed an upsurge in the number of films made by children and youth, i.e. those under the age of 18 years.”

The Lola Kenya Screen directorate made a provision for pre-schoolers, i.e. 3-6-year-olds in the film programme in 2010.

“We have always catered for children aged 6 and above since 2006 when we held our maiden festival.However the five-year experience has taught us that a large number of our children was missing out on quality content and that is why we must salvage the situation before it gets out of hand,” Ondego says.

In 2010, Lola Kenya Screen showcased films in 10 sections: The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film, The 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film, Films by Students, Films by Children, Films for Youth, Eastern Africa Prism, Television Series, World Panorama, Special Focus, and 4th Kids For Kids Africa.

There was a special focus on experimental films and animation. Also introduced in 2010 was a daily media literacy seminar over the entire six days of the festival for what Ondego described as “sensitising the public, and especially children, on the opportunities and risks inherent in the consumption of modern mass media content.”

March 04, 2011

10:53

South Africa’s International Writers Festival focuses on Freedom of Expression

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Sharlene Versfeld
Published March 4, 2011

Twenty-one writers from a dozen countries are set to converge on Durban for the 14th annual thought-provoking week of literary dialogue and exchange of ideas at the Time of the Writer international writers festival (March 14-19, 2011).

The Opening Night Keynote Address will be delivered by the recently retired South African Constitutional Court judge, esteemed writer and cultural activist, Justice Albie Sachs. The award-winning author of a number of books, including Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter and Justice in South Africa, Sachs was instrumental in the
process of writing the constitution of South Africa and is therefore eminently qualified to speak on the festival theme of Freedom of Expression.

Following the opening night at which all writers present brief introductions, double-bill readings and panel discussions will take place nightly at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, preceded by book launches and live music.

Tuesday, March 15, will feature British-born American Raj Patel, food activist and author of internationally-acclaimed Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, and his most recent offering, The Value of Nothing. Patel has been active in South African affairs and was a visiting scholar at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal in 2009. Joining him in a discussion entitled Ugly/Beautiful, Stuffed and Starved will be South African leading cultural commentator and author of the award-winning Ugly/Beautiful: African and Diaspora Aesthetics, Sarah Nuttall, with her reflections on contemporary society.

Also shining a spotlight on contemporary South Africa on the same night is author and journalist Lauren Beukes, whose novel, Zoo City, has been described as “intelligent and witty urban writing for the 21st century.”
Popular Durban-based author of The Lotus People (which won the 2001 Sanlam Literary Award for an unpublished novel), Aziz Hassim, joins Beukes in a discussion entitled Life in the Inner City.

Leading intellectual and award-winning writer Njabulo Ndebele, author of ‘Fools’ and other Stories, The Cry of Winnie Mandela and others, will, together with provocative post-colonial thinker and academic Achille Mbembe, tackle the heady topic of A Promise Delivered or a Nation Betrayed: Literature as South Africa’s Conscience.
Cameroon-born Mbembe is a profound voice in contesting clichéd Western perspectives of Africa.

Ndebele and Mbembe appear on Wednesday 16 March, the same evening that a foregrounding of African culture will take place in the presentations by Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe) and Ellen Banda-Aaku (Zambia). Gappah’s debut collection of heartfelt short stories, An Elegy for Easterly, poignantly describe the strained everyday living of Zimbabwe’s people, and this award-winning book has already been translated into six languages. Primarily a children’s writer, Ellen Banda-Aaku’s first novel, Patchwork–an emotive tale of a young girl’s journey towards coming to terms with her identity–won the 2010 Penguin Prize for African writing.

French writer Marie Darrieussecq’s best selling debut novel, Truismes (Pig Tales)–a post-modern tale about the gradual transformation of a woman into a sow–explores the human state in the most bizarre and fantastical of ways. Matching her for a session titled ‘Painting the Psyche’ on Thursdayh, Marc 17 is award-winning artist Ondjaki from Angola, whose evocative work as a poet, documentarian, prose-writer and actor posits him a versatile talent.

Writing from the currently tumultuous context of Egypt, Sahar El Mougy, in a feminist perspective, articulates the conflict between the values of the west and traditional gender roles in the Middle East. In what is likely to be a hot topic session on Thursday, El Mougy will pair up with Durban-born Azad Essa in a discussion entitled Writing
Revolution to unpack the role of writers in the scenarios unfolding across the region. Currently working for Al-Jazeera in Qatar, Essa’s provocative 2010 book, Zuma’s Bastard, offers a fresh perspective around South African race politics and religion.

Two highly accomplished immigrants who have made their mark on the UK literary scene and world-wide, will take to the stage on Friday, March 18. Originally from the Caribbean island of St.Kitts and author of numerous award-winning books, Caryl Phillips, whose extensive writing oeuvre ranges from non-fiction and fiction to theatre, radio and television documentaries teams up with prolific Nigerian novelist and playwright, Biyi Bandele, in unpacking Roots and Routes.

Also on March 18, the genre of the ‘crime thrillers’ brings together Sifiso Mzobe and Diale Tlholwe, in a panel titled Muti Noir. Exploring the life of a young car hijacker in KwaMashu, Mzobe’s Young Blood offers a glimpse into the emotional landscape of someone deemed by society, a ‘criminal’. Recipient of the 2010 South African Literary Award and described by South African established thriller-writer, Deon Meyer as “superb”, Tlholwe’s Ancient Rites, within the frame of a detective story, navigates the contrasting worlds of the real and the spirit; the urban and the rural.

Prolific Senegalese writer Boubacar Boris Diop and German writer and filmmaker Torsten Schulz will discuss The Pen as a Weapon against War on the closing night of the Time of the Writer. Diop’s work of fiction, Murambi, the Book of Bones, deals powerfully with the issue of memory around the Rwandan genocide, while Schulz’s novel Boxhagener Square, which won numerous awards and was made into a film, is set in the context of post-war Germany.

Chris van Wyk and Etienne van Heerden will culminate this year’s festival with a discussion on Re-Inventing Memory Through Literature. Van Wyk has an extraordinary knack for telling heartwarming stories of often comical personal experiences against the backdrop of critical periods in South African history. Van Heerden, with his work published in over sixty anthologies in South Africa and overseas, together with an acclaimed string of novels, poetry and essays, is one of the huge icons within Afrikaans literature.

A broad range of day activities in the form of free seminars, workshops, including a full-day Publishing Forum on 17 March, book launches, school visits, and a prison writing programme, take place to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression and broaden access to the participating writers.

Tickets are ZAR25 for the evening sessions, ZAR10 for students on presentation of a student card. Tickets can be booked through Computicket Tel: 27 83 915 8000 or 27 11 340 8000, or purchased at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 18h30.

Hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal,the 14th Time of the Writer festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Durban, the French Institute of South Africa, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), National Arts Council, Adams Campus Books, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

1:54

Seven Africans Appointed to European Union/UNESCO Database of Cultural Policy Experts

» ‎ ArtMatters

February 20, 2011

13:58

6th Lola Kenya Screen Call for Film Submission

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Lola Kenya Screen Publicity
Published February 20, 2011

The Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth (lolakenyascreen.org) is calling upon interested participants to submit quality films to the sixth edition of the annual event that will take place August 8-13, 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Lola Kenya Screen, a Nairobi-based charity specialising in issues related to children, youth, mass media, culture and development, accepts all kinds of moving images made by professionals, students, amateurs, youth and children that focus on children, youth and family.

Experimental films, television series, video games and even creatively packaged music videos tackling issues related to children, youth and family and that provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds are accepted.

Selected films are showcased under various categories with those starring children aged 6-13 years competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film and those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.

While the Golden Mboni has been awarded since 2006, the 14-Plus award was inaugurated in 2009.

All entries submitted must be suitable for children ages 13 and under, youth aged 14-25 years, or family (25+).

The film entry form with regulations is available at [www.lolakenyascreen.org]

The deadline for applications is April 15, 2011.

More information about Lola Kenya Screen, a global movement that was established in October 2005 to explore, identify and nurture talent among children and youth in areas such as journalism, filmmaking, arts appreciation, and organisation and presentation of cultural and creative events, is available online: lolakenyascreen.org, twitter.com/LolaKenyaScreen, facebook.com/Lola-Kenya-Screen-Film-Festival. Email director@lolakenyascreen.org; Cell 254 733 703374, 254 722 486531, 254 752 745423; P O Box 20775-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya (EA).

9:44

Durban Film Mart Focuses on Documentary Films

» ‎ ArtMatters

February 13, 2011

0:04

Hip Hop Switches from Social Issues to the Quest for Money and Fame

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa with Ogova Ondego
Published February 13, 2011

YoungGodSpeaks, a 16-year old American rapper and song-writer, participated in the 2010 Fiesta Jipanguse in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where some 50,000 people are said to have turned up to listen to rapper Lil’ Kim. While in Tanzania, he collaborated with Bongo artists Sugu (Mr II or 2 Proud), G Solo, Mkoloni, Nahreel, and Aika. He speaks to ArtMatters.Info about the evolution of hip hop.

Please introduce yourself.
I was born Miles Jaco Caples but go by the name YoungGodSpeaks. I’m a 16-year-old Hip Hop artist from the Southside of Chicago, Illinois in the USA. I got the name YoungGodSpeaks from my mother. People in the conscious community understand that when people refer to themselves as God or Goddess they are operating on a higher level of energy or conscious thinking

Tell us something about the family you were born into?
There is talent on both sides of my family. On my father’s side, my uncle, Lupe Fiasco, is one of the best emcees in Hip Hop. Lupe is my father’s youngest brother. On my mother’s side, my cousin, Jewell Caples, is an R&B singer who was signed to Death Row. She sang with Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

The year 2010 is said to mark your emergence as a professional artist, but when, exactly, did you venture into singing?
I’ve been performing professionally for two years, but I’ve always participated in community and school events. I love performing before crowds. I’m also a songwriter and have been writing songs since I was five years old.

Recently you participated in the 2010 Fiesta Jipanguse in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. How was it performing alongside Lil’ Kim?
It was an honor to perform at the 2010 Fiesta Jipanguse. There were over 50,000 people there and the energy from the crowd was amazing. It was a wonderful experience to be there with Lil’ Kim. She was headlining the event. Lil’ Kim is one of the most talented and beautiful female rappers I’ve met.

While in Tanzania you collaborated with Bongo artists. Who are some of those artists?
The first song I recorded in Tanzania was “Da Game Done Changed”; it featured Sugu (Mr II or 2 Proud), G Solo, Mkoloni, Nahreel, and Aika. The song is about how Hip Hop has changed from addressing social issues to a commercial art form that’s all about money and fame. The second song was “NWO-New World Order,” which I was featured on with Nahreel. That song is about a change in Hip Hop from an old way of thinking to a new world order with youth taking control.

What social issues do you address through your music?
I don’t preach about wrong or right in my music but explain how I live and what I think about things. For example, I don’t preach about how men should treat women; instead, I talk about how I treat women. Therefore, I am setting an example of how men should treat women. I also talk about growing up without a father in the home and how that affects the entire family. On the other side of the coin, I don’t think that Hip Hop needs to correct and teach all the time. There are things that can be celebrated like just feeling good about yourself and having high self esteem. Sometimes I like to hear songs about people just having a good time hanging out with their crew.

Apart from singing what else do you do?
I’m in my second year of high school and concentrating on completing school and continuing to perfect my craft as an artist. Besides singing, I’m also a songwriter.

What do you wish to achieve through your music?
I want to make hot music that motivates, inspires, and promotes a higher level of consciousness. All of this is reflected in my music. I have so many ideas that I want to present to my fans, and I’m sure they will love it. So people should stay tuned because they will be pleased with my music.

Critics are of the opinion that Hip Hop is devoid of substantial social impact on society; do your think their allegations are well founded?
I can certainly understand why people would think that because there are artists who produce music that makes me say Hip Hop is dead. Then again, you can hear someone like Lupe Fiasco or Kanye West and say, ‘OK, Hip Hop is not dead’. My music has substance and is hot. I also think that if more people supported artists who have substantial content in their music, and then more artists would produce substantial content.

Having been to East Africa what is your opinion of the Hip Hop artists in that region?
Hip Hop artists in East Africa are some of the most talented artists that I’ve met. Big up to all of them. I don’t speak the language, my mother does, but that’s the beauty of music, it’s a universal language. I love the feel of Bongo Flava.

Will you be doing more collaboration with the artists from this region?
I plan to return to Tanzania in 2011 to work with more artists. Specifically, I would like to work with more female artists. Traditionally, women have been excluded from Hip Hop all over the world. I think it is important for women to have a voice in Hip Hop.

Where can people find out more about you and your music?
My website is www.younggodspeaks.com, and I’m on Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter.

February 07, 2011

8:49

Berlin Club Music Interacts with its Nairobi Street Counterpart in New Aesthetic

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Karama Ogova
Published February 7, 2011

Electronica is defined as music created using electronic instruments like synthesisers, samplers, and drums and remains dominated by that electronic sound. It can be further characterised by its emphasis on melodic and harmonic structure, and also on its catchy, danceable rhythms and bass lines. This genre first made its appearance in the uptown areas of Europe and was mainly featured in Dance clubs. Hip-hop, on the other hand, is funky and is accompanied by a vocal style, which is popularly known as rap, along with rhythmic backing beats. It was first introduced in New York City’s Bronx neighbourhood by a Jamaican DJ named Clive Campbell (a.k.a “Kool Herc”).

With just this information one would wonder how, over all other things, these two could be mixed and matched. Well, the answer is not too far away as two pioneering cities have finally made it happen after a year-long project between artists from Germany and Kenya. The project, dubbed BLNRB-NRBLN, has allowed club music from the capital city of Berlin and street music from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to crash and meld together beautifully into a one of a kind masterpiece.

In what is to be an early spring release of their debut album, the collaborating musicians have come up with a sample EP album consisting of five tracks, which are later to culminate into a full CD release. Its live premiere will be at Worldtronics. Featured on the sample album are Kenyan artists Abbas Kubaff (considered to be one of the pioneers of Hip-hop in Kenya and a popular East African celebrity. He raps intelligently and ironically in Sheng, the quickly mutating youth code slang that mixes Kiswahili with English. He uses this on the album to add to the Hip-hop effect and familiarise with the Kenyan youth as well as in relating to both audiences); Necessary Noize (combine Hip-hop with Dancehall and Reggae); Radi (Six percussionists in an ensemble playfully sampling the diversity of Kenyan rhythms. No wonder they travel around with their drums in some of the strangest ways you could imagine); Ukoo Flani (12 MCs form the core of this Hip-hop collective, which enjoys a high profile in East Africa and has its roots in the slums of Mombasa and Nairobi. All told, it has about a hundred members and runs a Hip-hop academy); Just a Band (They play “the most-modern style claviature with a wink”. They produced their first Kenyan House record from their living room in 2008. Since then, they have soared to great heights as cartoon artists-cum-photographers and are now producing music that is ever more convincing as well). These are just but a fraction of all featured artistes on the compilation.

On the extreme end, those in charge of the techno bit are Gebrüder Teichmann (Minimal Techno producers and label managers who initiated the project BLNRB. Music crazy as they are, they formed their first band when they were only nine and 12 years of age); Modeselekto (A hyperactive duo which forced music critics to come up with new terminologies such as Bastard Dancehall, Euro Crunk, Acid Rap, Big Bass Techno, Happy Metal, Psychedelic Electro); Live (They are a force to be reckoned with); Jahcoozi (A multi-national, Berlin-based trio who perform a balancing act of “musical perfection and Dadaistic nonchalance”).

Of the five sample tracks on the EP, two did not specifically hit off on the right key with me. The first track, titled “Madhouse”, is somewhat of an introductory one into the album. It describes what one would expect on entering Nairobi from the “hood” view in addition to the glitz and glamour advertised to tourists. It is a work of Kenyan artists Nazizi Hirji and Abbas in collaboration with Jahcoozi. It is a hype track and gives the listener high expectations of the proceeding tracks in the album. It is a nice club hit and I must say the techno effect is apparent in addition to the Hip-hop rap style. To a keen listener it outlines the cause of the whole project within its rhymes.

The second track that doesn’t connect with me is “Dirty Laundry” by Teichmann, Lon’ Jon, Abbas and Kimya. It is about living honestly as opposed to people who do a lot of wrong things and expect others to take out their “dirty laundry” on their behalf.

The third track, “Zamaney” by Jahcoozi and Ukoo Flani, doesn’t amuse me much. It describes the path Kenya and moreso Nairobi itself has taken since the earlier centuries to its current status as a popular city. It advises the youth to be proud of their heritage. Though it has all the properties of a good track, it is somewhat slow and does not appeal to me as much as the others.

Necessary Noize have once again proved that they are a dominant force on the music scene by producing yet another club banger. In the track, ‘Very Necessary’, they acknowledge the Teichmann Brothers and though I have no further clue what they are rapping about, this is one of the best tracks on the EP.

The fifth track, “Away” by Just A Band, Jahcoozi and Michael Ongaro, emphasises on the fact that one need not fight but rather run away from all the trouble. This emphasises on the peace aspect that has been very rare in the past few years all around the country.

This album has a taste of both Nairobi as well as Berlin as it was recorded at Homeboyz Studio in Nairobi and Villa in Berlin. The collaboration was made possible by Goethe-Institut in Nairobi and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt of Berlin. Look out for the full CD release later in the year.

February 06, 2011

14:04

How Africa Movie Academy Awards Promotes Professionalism in African Filmaking

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published February 6, 2011

As Africa prepares for the unveiling of finalist filmmakers and films selected for the continental 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 25, 2011, Tony Anih, the Executive Secretary of AMAA, speaks not just about the role of AMAA in the promotion of African cinema but also about the state of filmmaking in Africa.

It is yet another time for the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) to announce the films and filmmakers who excelled in 2010 and therefore deserve to be publicly recognised and awarded; what does AMAA promise this year, and how is it going to deliver results?
AMAA has the highest number of film entries this year. Many high quality films were submitted for consideration this year. Filmmakers have come to understand the fact that they have to up the ante in order to play this game. Africans and the world shall see very good films this year, during the nominations and the actual awards ceremony itself. We are working round the clock to ensure a very successful event.

What, exactly, is happening in Nairobi and why this location?
Nairobi will be hosting the Nomination Night on February 25, 2011. The venue is the Laico Regency Hotel in the Nairobi City Centre. There will also be a music concert dubbed Nairobi Rocks with Stars February 26, 2011 at the Carnivore grounds in Lang’ata. P-Square, J Martins, Edge, Kwela Tebza and a couple of other local artists from Kenya shall perform on one stage. Such African movie stars like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji, Aki & Paw Paw, Desmond Elliot, Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, Bond Emeruwa, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ramsey Nouah, Segun Arinze, and Mercy Johnson will also be in attendance. Nairobi is the entry point into Eastern Africa. It is because of her strategic position that we are coming here.

Apart from Nigeria, how has the rest of Africa been involved in this film awards project and what, so far, are the results for African cinema?
The popularity of AMAA is growing every day. African filmmakers have come to embrace AMAA as their own equivalent of the US Oscars and that is why the number of film entries keeps growing every year. For example, AMAA received the highest number of entries this year from Kenya. One film production house alone entered ten films and, in all we have about 27 films entered from Kenya. In Franco-phone countries of Africa, we have more entries this year than ever before. AMAA received more film from South Africa this year than we had in the previous years. More films came from the Diaspora especially, the US, Europe and as far as Australia and Asia. This goes to show that more Africans are getting very involved in.
Every year, the AMAA Nomination Night moves from one African country to the other. This has created huge interest from not only filmmakers but movie fans who want their country to host the event. There is also big pressure from other countries, for instance, South Africa, for AMAA to be based in their country.
Over the last six years AMAA has managed to raise the profile of African cinema. Films that are nominated or win at AMAA are now getting internationally accepted in the world film festival circuits: Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles (USA), and London African Film Festival. Most AMAA-winning films have so far travelled and been screened in more than 26 international film festivals. Furthermore, AMAA winners have also been celebrated in major film festivals. Nigerian Kate Henshaw-Nuttal has walked on the red carpet in Berlinale, Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu got grants from foreign donors to make a short film after winning at AMAA.

In your opinion, where will African cinema be in about 10 years from now?
We are still growing. There is a new phase of African cinema, especially with coming of the digital age, this is what we are trying to tap into so as not to be left behind again. And tor us in AMAA, we are strongly promoting the idea that Africans must begin to tell their own stories using the cinema medium. This is beginning to yield fruits. More young Africans are now making films. These films are travelling places. We are beginning to have cinema culture all over again. Film institutions are being built across Africa. A good example is the brand Nollywood that is influencing many African countries: Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, etc. Nollywood was named by UNICEF as the world’s second largest producer of movie content in the world after India’s Bollywood in terms of content. This is a mile stone and a plus for Africa. In the next ten years or thereabout, Africa will be a force to reckon with in world cinema. Besides creating huge employment opportunities, lost African values and traditions will be restored through this medium.

Its every filmmaker's dream to get a mention at festivals like Cannes and Berlin. When will AMAA get to the league of these festivals?
I must say that not every filmmaker would want to be mentioned on film festival circuits. This is because we have different categories of filmmakers. There are those who make festival films, and those that make commercial films. It is important that this is clarified. However, like I said earlier, AMAA-winning films are travelling all over the place. For example, after winning five AMA Awards, FROM A WHISPER by Kenyan Wanuri Kahiut got enormous visibility. Kahiu was invited and is still being being invited to film events, markets and festivals around world. FROM A WHISPER was screened in Pan African Film festival in Los Angeles where it won an award. It was also screened at Cannes International Film Festival (no connection with the Festival de Cannes), London African Film Festival, was screened in the pan-African Cinetoile African mobile cinema network that was conducted in eight sub-Sahara African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South African, DRC, Mali, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. By winning AMAA as the best director and best film, Kahiu’ s short film, PUMZI, was funded by an American funding agency that support African films. Ugandan Matt Bish, another AMAA winner, got the funding for his short film the following year from the same organisation.

As a Nigerian producer, where do you see Nollywood in ten years and what is going to take it there?
I would want to see Nollywood drastically improve in quality so as to match the volume of content coming out of that industry. Most importantly, I’d like to see it influencing other African countries in making quality films. This will raise employment and in-flow in revenue from other parts of the world. And by implication, position Africa as a power house in the world cinema.

What are the emerging trends in Nollywood?
Nollywood is restructuring as well as injecting professionalism in its work. The guild system is being consolidated so as to improve in the administration of the entire Nigerian film industry; Nollywood now has a central coordinating unit called CONGA (Coalition of Nollywood Guild and Associations) where all the guilds and association in Nollywood belong. This has made the entire industry speak with one voice. By the way, Nollywood is the only film industry in Africa that has a true guild system. Nollywood producers have gone back to the drawing board and quality films are being made. More film schools, including government-run ones, are being put in place. In the area of distribution, a lot restructuring is taking place. New ways of distribution are emerging while traditional ones are modified. Cinema culture is once again coming back to Nigeria as private investors establish new cinema houses.

Who do you consider to be the newcomers of African cinema and what is propelling them foward?
I think there is really no new comer in African cinema. Every country on the continent has its cinema culture. But what happened to most countries as far as cinema is concerned is that economic recession took a heavy toll on their cinema cultures. And what then happened is that well known film houses were taken over by worship centres, mainly churches. Production houses also closed down. Many filmmakers who still want to practice moved over to Europe. But in modern African cinema, it is easy to say that some countries like Nigeria’s Nollywood has created a new consciousness which has greatly encouraged and inspired other African countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. Otherwise, for me, everybody is a newcomer. We are all still learning.

February 02, 2011

15:08

Africa and the Diaspora Converge in Nairobi for the 7th Annual Film Awards

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Ogova Ondego
Published February 2, 2011

Nairobi will come alive on February 25 and 26 2011 when leading film practitioners in Africa and the Diaspora converge on the Kenyan metropilis for the 7th edition of the annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Nomination Night and Music Concert.

According to an AMAA Press Statement issued in Lagos on February 2, 2011, the event–dubbed Nairobi Rocks with Stars–the Nomination Night will take place on Friday night at the Laico Regency Hotel in the Nairobi Central Business District and some of the stars set to attend it include Nollywood greats like Joke Silva, Olu Jacobs, Rita Dominic, Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo, Mike Monsuruye, Jackie Appiah, Lynda Forson, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Mike Ezeronye among others.

Tony Anih, the Administrative Secretary of AMAA, says the two-pronged Nomination Night and Music Concert is aimed at building the brand AMAA and increasing its presence and visibility in the Eastern African region to the extent that participation in the award from the region will double in subsequent years.

The Nairobi event is thus planned as an entry point to eastern Africa that comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, eastern DR Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Southern Sudan.

“Eastern Africa has made very strong showing and presence in AMAA since we started, particularly in the last three editions. Apart from submitting films for the awards filmmakers and allied practitioners from these countries have come to Nigeria to attend the awards," Anih says.

He explains that it was largely because of the region's contribution to Africa's premier film awards that the Secretariat of AMAA "felt it is time to make them have a feel of the award by taking the Nomination Night to them and thereby increasing the AMAA brand's visibility in that region of Africa. Nairobi is central to East Africa and it is the economic hub of the region. It will be easy for people in East Africa to
come to Nairobi. It will be a great Night."

Another feature of this year’s Nomination Night is a concert that is scheduled for Saturday, February 26, at Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi's Lang'ata. The main performers will be Nigerian P-Square and J Martins and yet to be announced musicians from Kenya and South Africa.

January 29, 2011

22:48

African Music Finds a Home in Germany

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa with Ogova Ondego

Published January 29, 2011

The music is stored on vinyl records, audio and video cassettes, and on CDs and DVDs. From Kenya and Tanzania to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Senegal, the collection is being expanded with a view to making it accessible to lovers of African music. Dr Hauke Dorsch, the director of the Africa Music Archive (AMA) at the Institute of Ethnology and African Studies at the University of Mainz, speaks to ArtMatters.Info about this unique project.

What is the scope of The Africa Music Archive?

The African Music Archives (AMA), founded in 1991, contains a collection of modern African music which is unique in Germany. It includes shellacs and vinyl-records, audio- and video tapes, CDs and DVDs. At present, there are approximately 10, 000 records and tapes, some of them dating back to the 1940s. The main aim of the AMA is to continue the collection of recordings of popular African music from the entire continent. However, the collection includes some field recordings and also some non-African recordings. It aims at making these recordings available to an academic public. We use these recordings for teaching. In the future we plan to publish information on these recordings online.

An Africa music archive at a German university; why this specific location yet there is none in Africa itself?

Actually, there are comparable institutions in Africa, the best known may be the International Library of African Music (ILAM) in South Africa (see ru.ac.za/ilam). However, the focus of ILAM is more on field recordings rather than popular music. The founder of the AMA, Dr Wolfgang Bender, was offered space to store his collection of music and an academic position at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. Other Universities were not prepared to offer this. But of course am I aware of the post-colonial implications of your question, wondering why African cultural products should be stored in Europe, after they were taken from African countries. But anyhow this leads us again to one individuals’ enthusiasm, who started collecting African popular music, at a time when few academic individuals and institutions were prepared to appreciate these records. As he started collecting only after the colonial era, items were not stolen or bought at a ridiculously low price as we know it from older collections. Actually, large parts of the collections were bought in Europe, for example from Radio Stations that stopped using vinyl. Who are the people who frequent/make use of the archive? They are mainly scholars and students from various universities, mosty from German-speaking countries. However, some African and European visiting scholars use the archive, too. Furthermore the AMA reaches out to a wider public, offering talks and workshops, inviting school classes, etc.

How can an interested individual access the African Music Archive?

The AMA’s collection is accessible so far only by visiting it personally, as we don’t have the means to present our collections online yet. The opening hours are published on our web site, which offers more detailed information on the AMA (see ama.ifeas.uni-mainz.de/index_ENG.php).

What difference has the archive made since it came into existence in 1991?

As I joined the AMA only in 2010 I will mention some of the activities of my predecessors: It offers regular classes on African music, which is rarely done at anthropology or African studies departments in Germany. AMA has helped attract interest in and enhance knowledge of African Music ; this has been done through the co-operation with the music label “Popular African Music” in publishing CDs. A recoding project in Malawi presented a documentation of musical styles from the different regions of this country – published as a CD on the label Popular African Music. Through the digitisation of the Sierra Leone National Radio Archive, AMA secured this country’s musical treasure – which was quite useful, as the original archive was destroyed during the civil war. The AMA sent digital copies of the archive to Freetown afterwards. The AMA continues to represent different styles of music from the African continent to German audiences, aiming at overcoming existing ignorance and stereotypes.

What kind of African music genres do you store in the archive?

As the founder decided to focus on popular music, genres include Afrobeat, Bongo Flava, Calypso, Chimurenga, Congo Rumba, EthioJazz, Highlife, HipLife, Isicathamiya, Jive, Juju, Kuduro, Kwaito, Makossa, Mbalax, Ngoma, Rai, Reggae, Senerap, Soukous, Taarab, and many more.

So far what African countries are represented at the African Music Archive? Nearly all African countries are represented, but indeed to a varying degree – the Congolese, Cameroonian, Ethiopian, Guinean and South African collections are quite impressive, other countries are well represented, a few countries unfortunately by a handful of records only.

What challenges have you faced in archiving the African music?

The main challenges for any archive or museum include conservationist issues (especially with regard to tapes and shellacs, less so with regard to vinyl), documenting the history of acquisition, finding detailed information about lesser known artists, about some labels and about the circumstances of production. It is of course impossible to cover the wide variety of a continent’s musics, so we ask colleagues coming from Africa or those travelling to Africa to bring records. Therefore we are not able to collect systematically. Consequently our collection somewhat documents the trajectories of our local and visiting colleagues here at Mainz University. Today, the wide variety of styles and the increasing number of productions make impossible to keep track with ongoing musical developments especially on a continent so rich in music as Africa. Actually, the AMA’s scope is way too wide – but then again, it would be sad to resign to this variety, and focus on some countries or regions only.

What is your opinion about the present African Music?

Well, this depends very much on which style or even which artist one would think of. There are exciting recent developments, many in the field of electronic music, which include a style like Kuduro, which was very successfully hyped up internationally. But of course, every hype produces a number of mediocre and simply boring recordings – and this may explain why the excitement about SeneRap, Bongo Flava, HipLife or Kwaito waned after a while, though you may still find exciting tunes among all these styles. But quality notwithstanding, I think it was important that these genres were produced by and spoke to local (mostly urban) youth in Africa. It was important for African music to get away from the grip of World Music marketing that catered too much to Western tastes – although quite a number of artists produced impressive recordings in this context. But, wonderful artistry notwithstanding, World Music’s appeal to the “exotic”, the “different” risked to relegate African music to some “rootsy” curiosity. What struck me as a bit bizarre in contrast, was 2010’s success of white South African Afrikaner bands who were marketed as “white trash”, and successfully brought cheap – but indeed quite funny – Euro dance music (also known as “EuroTrash”) to Western audiences (the most famous of these bands are Die Antwoord). Actually, as a World Cup hype, this music was definitely more fun than “WakaWaka (This Time For Africa)” which was Shakira’s and Freshly Ground’s remake of the song “Zangalewa” by the Camerounian band The Golden Sounds. Some people complained that a Colombian singer represented Africa for the World Cup. However, 2010 was also the year of 50th anniversary of Independence and looking back at the independence era, I think it is striking how much the memory of that time is linked to Latin American, and especially Cuban music – and that only few scholars have worked on this aspect so far. So, maybe not by accident did some famous African musicians record renditions of Cuban music or at least songs with some Caribbean flavour. The more interesting titles were recorded by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. This album was recorded in 2005 and Touré may have been aware that he would die soon, thus I would understand this album as his legacy, and this song as the expression as a memory of the independence era. Touré first heard this song played by Keita Fodeba – so it is a reminder of the great era of Guinean pop music. But it is also a reminder of Keita after directing the Ballets, Africaines, and being appointed minister before he was imprisoned and died in Sekou Touré’s camp Boiro. So one may read some political criticism in the re-recording of this song. A less critical reference to Sékou Touré has been recorded recently by the Malian Griotte Bako Dagnon. Based on a Cuban Guajira, she celebrates Touré as “Guide de la Révolution”. A nostalgic and probably not sufficiently critical “Regard sur le Passé” may be appropriate for the older generation of musicians. It is good, however, that the younger generation faces the disappointments and unfulfilled promises that haunt many countries 50 years after the start of the Independence era. The version of the “Independence ChaCha”, simply called “Indépendance”, by Cameroonian rappers Ak Sans Grave is a good example. But I have to admit, not having travelled to the continent for some three years now, cut me a bit from the most recent developments (although thanks to the web and enthusiastic students I manage to keep track) – so I am looking forward to the next trip that will re-connect me.

Say something about yourself, your studies and work.

I was brought up in Hamburg, Germany and studied Cultural Anthropology, African Studies and Religious Studies at the University of Hamburg. As a student I tried to be a musician. Although this endeavour didn’t get me very far, I was lucky enough to meet Gambian kora players (and griots) at a musicians’ workshop. They invited me to visit them, which I did in 1989. We kept our contact and developed a friendship over the years. I wrote my M.A. thesis on the African Diaspora, published as “Afrikanische Diaspora und Black Atlantic – Einführung in geschichte und aktuelle Diskussion”, Münster 2000. In my PhD (still at Hamburg University) I focused on the role of West African musicians and griots for the Diaspora – working both on African migrants in Europe and on the African American Community in the USA. It was published as “Globale Griots – Performanz in der afrikanischen Diaspora, Münster 2006. Then, rather than working on the music aspect of my academic interests, I followed the migration trajectory: In 2004 I joined a research project at University of Bayreuth on Cuban-African relations. I focused on the experiences of African students in Cuba; research took place in Cuba, Mozambique and South Africa. From 2007 I was part of a research consortium based at the University of Southampton in Britain (sefone.soton.ac.uk). I worked on intercultural encounters and integration policies in small town Germany. Research took place in Bayreuth, which was fascinating for me, because before I knew the town only as a foreign resident, now as an anthropologist working on his own society. However, music did play an important role in all these projects, as I used it methodologically by organizing concerts, and discussing musical memories with interviewees. I joined the Department of Anthropology and African Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz as the director of the African Music Archives on March 1, 2010.

January 22, 2011

14:40

Nairobi Exhibits Short Films with Hard-Hitting Messages

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Karama Ogova
Published January 22, 2011

Conventional wisdom states that short films should be experimental and carry playful, non-serious messages. But that may be so till one sees the second compilation of AFRIQUE TOUS COURTS (Africa’s short films) that focuses on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Compiled by Africalia of Belgium in 2009 with the assistance of African and Belgian film festivals, these 13 films by mainly budding contemporary filmmakers not only bring to the fore the beauty of the African cinema but also contain hard-hitting messages.

The themes of the 13 shorts range from the frustration, torture and murder visited on the trusting and innocent populace by politicians to the importance of preserving African cultures and traditions and to the deep regret encountered by Africans who migrate to the Western world in the hope of finding better prospects in life only to end up with shattered dreams. To their horror, they discover that life in Africa is often better than being out there.

BON VOYAGE , a film by Tanzanian Kapwani Kiwanga, revolves around a woman who reminisces on the better situation back home as she works in a toilet in Paris, France. This particular short can be used to support the idea that one does not have to go abroad to find a good job as they can lead a better life back in their mother continent, Africa.

Rwandan filmmaker Eric Kabera interestingly offers a solution to the situation highlighted by Kiwanga. In the documentary IGARE RYA RUFONSI (Alphonse’s Bicycle) he highlights the creative minds that exist among the youth in Africa. The film makes me wonder how far resourceful people like Alphonse would go if they were to received some decent education, exposure and resources. Most likely, Africa would be strides ahead in terms of technological advancement.

From Kenya, Judy Kibinge addresses the hard-hitting issue of politics. Indirectly, Kibinge questions how Kenya’s first three post-independence Presidents —Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki—deal with dissent or opposition. Narrated creatively by the director, COMING OF AGE is critical of the three regimes of the Kenyan government. The use of a child telling the story further brings about the sense of innocence that the public has and the faith they bestow upon their leaders who unfortunately do not live to the billing. The film has a rather simple storyline that can be followed with ease even by a child; this enhances its ability to drive the message home.

Further on ACQUITTED by Kenya-based Ethiopian Makda Tesfaladet is set in the future—2025. It is about humanity’s attempt to find a humane and less cruel way of dealing with prisoners on death row. The film offers a new meaning to the word ‘acquitted’ as this is a term used by the warden to relate to the punishment to be imposed on criminals. The subject actually is acquitted but into a different world thus eliminating them and ultimately creating more room for other prisoners.

Though the creativity in this Mohamed Amin Foundation Television and Film Training School-produced ACQUITTED is notable, there are a few setbacks in the film. For one, seeing as its setting is 2025, one would expect technological advancements in medicine and not the same old tools found in medical clinics being used in a futuristic film. Secondly, it feels as though one were watching a stage performance as the actors do not act as naturally as they should on screen. The scenes seem disjointed at some points interrupting the fluid flow of the film.

RAS STAR, an M-Net production directed by Kenya’s filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu is about a teenage rapper, who hails from a staunch Muslim family. The film follows her efforts to make money to get into the talent show finals, which include teaming up, with rather interesting sources. The main theme presented is that of encouragement. The youth, who are perceived to be the main audience are motivated to pursue their dreams no matter how hard or far away they may seem at the moment. The film has a few flaws in its script, though. For one, why does Amani need to pay for a talent show’s entrance if she is among one of the performing artistes? Further on, it is a talent show and wouldn’t it have required being free in order to incorporate all people with talents? The scenes are also a bit exaggerated especially the one where Mlandimu uses a breakdown to pull down the door where Amani and her brother have been locked in by their uncle (the door falls down even before the truck has pulled it). Despite this, the message is delivered the clearly.

Two other films, THE DANCING WIZARD by Ugandan Caroline Kamya and SMS by Kenyan Alex Kamau are used to show the effect of the western culture on Africans. The main highlights are on dancing and moral values affected.

THE DANCING WIZARD’s star, Christopher Kato, is an 80-year-old man who, despite of his advanced age, dances in ways Africans would only dream of. But his moves aren’t African but Western.

SMS shows the effect the mobile phone has on today’s generation and how it has contributed to the degenerating state of African moral values. A jury member at Uganda’s Amakula Kampala International Film Festival was once heard commenting that this short would be the ultimate winner if it were to compete at a pornographic film festival!

THE TRIP, by Tanzania’s James Gayo, is an exciting and hilarious short in which director Gayo uses this film to capture the attention of many by basing his story around Pembe and Kaniki who are on their way to a job interview. Along the way, Kaniki cannot resist the allure of a beautiful woman and ends up barging into the bathroom of a woman pledged for marriage. African culture dictates that he is the one to marry her and since he has no dowry he must find a way to escape from the enraged father and get to the bus before it leaves the duo behind. It also helps the audience to understand the importance of preserving African culture and their origin in the process of its humour. Gayo is the creator of a popular Kiswahili cartoon strip, Kingo, that causes awareness on the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

Though the 13 eastern Africa films—whose individual production dates differ—generally appeal to any audience, it appears adults are the targeted audience. Though this compilation may have been produced over the past two years old, it is definitely not outdated; it will not be surprising if you mentioned it to someone from East Africa only to find out that they have no idea that such films even exist.
For those who might not have the opportunity to watch some of these short films from the region, the Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa that holds a monthly film forum—Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum—every last Monday of the month, shall on January 31, 2011 showcase some of these shorts alongside the main show; ZEBU AND THE PHOTO FISH and MAAMA EMERE by Kenyan Zipporah Nyaruri. The 43rd LKSFF shall be held at the auditorium of Goethe-Institut in Nairobi, Kenya.

January 19, 2011

22:37

Africa Movie Academy Awards 2011 Finalists to be Announced in Nairobi

» ‎ ArtMatters

January 18, 2011

14:50

YouTube viewers Say ‘Yes’ for Environment

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Tve
Published January 18, 2011

Television for the Environment and Television Trust for the Environment, a UK-registered company trading as tve, calls upon YouTube viewers across the world to cast their votes for the winner of tve’s biomovies competition that will see the winner walk away with a cool £1000 prize.

The voting is on 12 quirky, hard-hitting, subversive, witty and funny films and animations made by filmmakers and animators of a wide range of ages and nationalities – from a 14-year-old girl in north London to a lawyer in Indonesia – the 2-minute films offer a new take on one of the most critical threats to the planet’s survival, from the lighthearted and hilarious to a gritty Orwellian world.

From the UK, 18-year-old Becca Hyman said: ‘I entered the competition because I’m interested in film and wanted to practise my animation, and when you get the facts you realise oh, this is an actual problem that needs fixing. ‘

‘Plants and animals all over the world are rapidly becoming homeless. One of the main reasons for this is the destruction and degradation of our forests,’ said Danish filmmaker Tim Whyte. ‘The good news is that we can actually do something about it. And that is what our movie is trying to show people in 90 seconds.’

The 12 shortlisted filmmakers and animators in this year’s biomovies competition were selected from 130 submissions by a panel of judges representing WWF, Bioversity International, cult filmmakers Eddsworld and The Inlaks Foundation company chairman Azad Shivdasani.

Now it’s the public’s decision – vote for your favourite by January 31, 2011 by clicking the ‘like’ button www.youtube.com/user/tveinspiringchange , and the winners will be awarded a £1000 prize.

‘We knew from our success with our climate change film that there’s a huge untapped audience on YouTube for films and animations that are different and exciting,’ said one of the judges, Tom of Eddsworld. tve’s first YouTube initiative, for which Eddsworld produced its stunning ‘Climate Change’ animation in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit, gained more than 1 million views.

‘We need these films to wake up the planet,’ said tve executive director Cheryl Campbell. ‘A single species, humans, is determining the fate of the other 14 million – and that fate is looking increasingly bleak as more and more species vanish.

‘‘Our biomovies show that, with humour and verve, passion and creativity, filmmakers and animators worldwide are calling on viewers to take a stand.’

The films include ‘Food Chain’, a funny, tongue-in-cheek animation from a UK competitor, the powerful ‘Traffick Crumbs’ from Namibia, the whimsical ‘Dance of the Woodland Sprite’ and ‘Alternative Solutions’, a black-and-white gritty assault on government by a 14-year-old from north London.

The compilation of the 12 films was shown at the closing ceremony of the UN Year of Biodiversity, in Kanazawa, Japan, on December 18, 2010.

7:50

The Gambia Invests in Tourism and Travel

» ‎ ArtMatters

January 12, 2011

9:31

Ugandans Dominate BBC African Performance Play Writing Competition 2010

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bamuturaki Musinguzi
Published January 12, 2011

Catherine Fellows, a BBC World Service Radio drama producer, was recently in Kampala, Uganda to produce two of the three 2010 BBC African Performance Play Writing Competition stories by Ugandan playwrights. The first, second and third prizes in this year’s competition were won by Ugandan playwrights upstaging the Nigerians for the first time in the 50-year history of the popular annual radio drama event. The top prize went to Will Smith Look Alike, written by Deborah Asiimwe. Joint second prize went to Kitu Kidogo by Atwine Bashir Kenneth and The Coffin Factory by last year’s winner Julia Childs. The third prize went to The Cow Needs A Wife by Angella Emurwon. Fellows talks to BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI about the status of African radio drama.

What do you find interesting in the BBC African drama performance?
The BBC African Performance Play Writing Competition offers the opportunity for unknown, up-and-coming African writing talent to shine. In fact, to my knowledge, it is unique; there is no other play writing competition, radio or otherwise, on the continent.
Not only does the competition give new writers recognition and encouragement but having won the competition they will be taken much more seriously by publishers; they get media exposure. They also get to see their work produced by and broadcast on one of the world’s most famous and most respected media houses, the BBC.
Our judges are also people of great standing in the world of African literature and the performing arts. As you know, this year we were honoured to have one of Africa’s most famous writers, Wole Soyinka, as our judge.
Personally, I find it interesting, as well as humbling and hugely inspiring, to think that every year approximately 500 Africans are finding time to sit in their living rooms, in libraries and in schools and colleges to put pen to paper and create believable characters and gripping or hilarious stories. There is clearly so much imagination, talent and application out there.

What impact has the programme had on radio drama on the African continent since its inception in 1971?
Clearly the picture in terms of how much radio drama exists and whether this has increased or decreased since 1971 varies from country to country.
The positive response we receive from audiences suggests that the BBC African Performance season has kept an appetite for radio drama alive even in countries which produce no radio drama of their own. FM stations that the BBC partners with around the continent have always been keen to broadcast the plays.
In broader terms, the hugely successful Nollywood industry that has grown up since 1971 demonstrates that there is an enormous appetite in Africa for home grown drama. People on the continent want to hear stories about people like them, that they can relate to, written and acted by people like them. BBC African Performance has always offered this experience.

What critical observations have you made over the years as one of the BBC World Service’s Radio drama director in regards to writing skills and the themes of plays submitted in the competition?
I have been involved in reading and short listing entries to the competition for almost ten years now. During that time I have seen a marked improvement in quality. Time was when the majority of offerings were hand written, and poorly written. Now most are professionally presented and many are of a very high standard. When I was first involved in the competition many plays were ‘message driven’ – characters were just vehicles for a rather heavy handed punch line such as ‘girls need education too’ or ‘drink too much and you will lose your job’.

These days, plays are much more subtle and much more entertaining, with, in the case of shortlisted plays, rounded believable characters who have human strengths, weaknesses and individual quirks. This is not to say that plays today do not deal with important issues: they do. In recent years we have had a play that conveyed movingly the impact of domestic violence upon a child, another that used a chicken and a hyena to explore issues of identity and belonging and conformity, and this year’s winners tackle, amongst other things, corruption, and the false promise of a better life in America.
Today’s writers seem to be much better at capturing the natural rhythms of speech. They are also better at structuring a half hour play so that it develops from an engaging opening, through unexpected twists and turns, culminating in a satisfying ending.

In your years as BBC director of drama what play stands out as your best in the African playwright performance competition?
This is another difficult question – you are asking me to choose between my babies! There are two plays I had the pleasure and privilege to direct that really stand out though. The first was called ‘Soldier Boy’. It was written by South African writer Kobus Moolman and it was a fantastically intricate piece of work which exploited the potential of radio to the full. The story centred around a young Afrikaans man who had returned home from fighting in Angola with the South African Defence Force. He was deeply traumatised by his experience and the play involved many flashbacks to fighting and explosions which myself and my sound recordist recreated in the edit suite with layers and layers of sound effects.
The second play I have mentioned already. Called ‘Belonging’ and written by Zimbabwean Mirirai Moyo, it was an unlikely love story between a chicken and a hyena. Once again, this was the perfect play for radio, allowing the listener’s imagination to soar beyond the improbable and engage with the wit and seriousness of the writing. I managed to find actors who brilliantly and hilariously mimicked the animals they were supposed to be, but at the same time were able to convey deep emotion. When the wise hyena died and the poor little chicken who doesn’t want to be a chicken is forced to return to her flock, who care about nothing but eating and preening, many of us were in tears.

Are Africans good writers?
Haven’t I said enough?!

How do you compare them with those from outside Africa?
This is a good subject for a thesis! However, I suspect that the ability to tell a good story in a compelling way doesn’t have anything to do with where in the world you come from.

Are women writers active in this regard?
This year, three of our four winners are women. I haven’t done the maths but my perception is that roughly half of our entries are written by women.

How would you describe the state of radio drama in Africa?
I fear there is not as much radio drama in Africa as there used to be – or as there should be.

What is the future of the industry?
I would hope that radio drama has a vibrant future for the reasons below.

What is the role of radio drama in the continent’s development?
Radio drama can be a very powerful way of communicating. It taps into a tradition and culture of story telling and oral history and brings it up to date. Though of course many Africans are avid readers, many (I am told) would prefer to listen to a story and hear it brought alive by a fellow human being.
Home grown radio dramas such as the African Performance plays are also forming part of the literary and cultural heritage of contemporary Africa. The continent has been flooded for too long by foreign culture – Hollywood movies, British literature, Brazilian soaps etc. Now, Africans are increasingly valuing their own work. Surely pride and self-belief must be the bedrock of development?

What are the challenges of radio drama in Africa?
It is relatively expensive to produce radio drama – but not nearly as expensive as TV or film. You need good actors and good writers, and I know from experience that these exist in Uganda. It helps to have expertise in recording and editing, and up-to-date equipment.

Will theatre performance in Africa survive the other modes of entertainment like television, cinema and sports?
I suspect it will because, in my own country, Britain, theatre is thriving despite the presence of TV, cinema and sports wherever you look. However I was saddened when I was in Kampala last week that a theatre performance I attended drew such a tiny audience. If theatre is to survive it needs to market itself in an increasingly competitive entertainment environment.

January 09, 2011

14:44

New Book Documents Nigeria’s Nollywood Home Video Phenomenon

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Karama Ogova
Published January 9, 2011

“Wow, what a colourful book! What’s it about?” was the first thought that came to my mind after catching my first glimpse of the book, Moviedom… the NollywoodNarratives: Clips on the Pioneers by Shaibu Husseini. But is the book really as interesting as its cover illustration and title suggest? KARAMA OGOVA writes.

The main context of the book was to document the pioneers—directors, producers, marketers, actors/actresses—of Nigeria’s Nollywood home video phenomenon. This was guided by the fact that many of the earliest players usually fade into oblivion, as there is no documentation on their contributions and involvement. What is the problem with this? Writer Shaibu Husseini says that “The danger of this is that not only are the labour of its heroes past trifled with or even unacknowledged, the sector loses the opportunity to exploit this for further growth and development.”

In profiling these players in Nollywood, Husseini has also provided great insight into the history and workings of a burgeoning industry that has in the past two decades taken the world by storm, which I must say is rather true judging by the situation here in our very own country, Kenya. The book thus helps to trace the historical ties to the beginning of the Nollywood film sector featuring the major players and challenges faced as well as advancements made.

Now, I can’t exactly say that the author did or did not have a particular target audience in mind because the book could still, in my opinion, appeal to almost anyone interested in Nollywood, from small household audiences to the large-scale film producers and researchers. The current boom brought on our already weak Riverwood sector by Nollywood–which has infiltrated into any and every household with a television set in Kenya—the book can be used as a reference to familiarise regular viewers of ‘Afro cinema’ on local TV stations to high-end producers looking for actors to feature in their films. Despite the number of pages being 116, this does not affect its readability, as it is a combination of different histories of individual contributors to the Nollywood industry.

What caught my attention most in this book is the fact that writer Shaibu Husseini has included photographs along with the respective details to identify a character. This can also help one identify a face later when the need arises, be it in a publication or maybe even while walking on the city streets.

Despite its mouth-full title—Moviedom… the NollywoodNarratives: Clips on the Pioneers –this is a relatively good book but even perfect gems do have their defects. In this case, I think the black and white photos didn’t hit the right key with me seeing as some of them appear blurred while others still give the book the kind of look that it is older than it actually is (it was published in mid December 2010!).

The publication is also more of a journal than a book. Though it may be dubbed “a celebration of the tenacity and the indomitable Nigerian spirit as reflected in these dominant and the emergent generations of artistes, marketers, producers and directors among other stakeholders” and “a salute to industry in both the literal and metaphoric senses,” Moviedom… the NollywoodNarratives: Clips on the Pioneers appears to be a major disappointment.

The cover designer, John Nwaehike, has done a good job on the illustration. However, the reader might not find the book appealing if they expected to find a full colour edition.

The title is a different story altogether. ‘The Nollywood Narratives’ is what it suggests but not what is delivered in the content. With such a description, one expects to find personal dialogues and reviews of some of the productions and not profiles written in a journalistic manner. With no quotations, the title loses its meaning. It is further watered down by the fact that the sub-topic (Clips on the Pioneers) does not at all suit the book since it does not contain a trace of any movies that have been reviewed.

In spite of all this, the book is long overdue and may be of little or no significance, especially to non-Nigerians, as the sector has already evolved to receive worldwide recognition. It is a rather disappointing one as it displays rather shoddy workmanship. For starters, it has a wrong ISBN and no certain book number begging the question whether the book really is registered and recognised worldwide. The compilation was a bit too hurried perhaps in an attempt to have the book ready for the sake of it. It gives an obvious display that these are newspaper columns compiled to create a book with no effort taken to make it a better and more attractive one. In addition to all this, the publisher, Africa Film Academy (AFA), appears not to be given the full recognition due. It comes out as an after-thought quickly added at the last minute.

The book does try to focus almost exclusively on film by featuring profiles on many of the major players in the industry. The author is a performing artiste, journalist and film critic who writes for Nigeria’s flagship newspaper also being reputed to be one of the most consistent documentarists of the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood).

11:53

Nollywood Documented in New Book

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Karama Ogova
Published January 9, 2011

The cover designer, John Nwaehike, has done a good job on the illustration. However, the reader might not find the book appealing if they expected to find a full colour edition. I guess that is as far as my praise for this book goes.

The main context of the book was to combat the current state of the Nollywood film industry. It came about under certain conditions such as obscurity of the major players in the industry. Some of the earliest players usually happen to fade into oblivion, as there is no documentation on their contributions and involvement. What is the problem with this? Husseini says that “The danger of this is that not only are the labour of its heroes past trifled with or even unacknowledged, the sector loses the opportunity to exploit this for further growth and development…”

In profiling the major players in Nollywood, Husseini has also provided great insight into the history and workings of a burgeoning industry that has in the past two decades taken the world by storm, which I must say is rather true judging by the situation here in our very own country, Kenya. The book thus helps to trace the historical ties to the beginning of the Nollywood film industry featuring the major players and challenges faced as well as advancements made.

In spite of all this, the book is long overdue and may be of little or no significance, especially to non-Nigerians, as the sector has already evolved to receive worldwide recognition. It is a rather disappointing one as it displays rather shoddy workmanship. For starters, it has a wrong ISBN and no certain book number begging the question whether the book really is registered and recognised worldwide. The compilation was a bit too hurried perhaps in an attempt to have the book ready for the sake of it. It gives an obvious display that these are newspaper columns combined to create a book with no effort taken to make it a better and more attractive one. In addition to all this, the publisher, Africa Film Academy (AFA), appears not to be given the full recognition due. It comes out as an after-thought quickly added at the last minute.

The book does try to focus almost exclusively on film by featuring profiles on most of the major players in the industry. The author is a performing artiste, journalist and film critic who writes for Nigeria’s flagship newspaper also being reputed to be one of the most consistent documentarists of the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood). More information –albeit too much—is given about his history. This does not help, as it seems that he was writing in order to get recognition other than promoting the book. The blurb is also overstretched though written in a smaller font to manipulate the readers’ eye. From being an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus press; former National chairman of the Dance Guild of Nigeria; pioneer member of the National Troupe of Nigeria to current secretary of the Nigerian section of the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Federation of African Film Critic (FAFC)…. These details would have done better if he were to write a blog specifically on his biography and just add a lot of unnecessary clutter to the back page of the book.

Now, I can’t exactly say that the author did or did not have a particular target audience in mind because the book could still, in my opinion, appeal to almost anyone intending to associate with it from small household audiences to the large-scale film producers and documentarists. Like I stated before, the current boom brought on our already weak Riverwood sector by the Nollywood industry –which has infiltrated into any and every household with a television set—the book can be used as a reference to familiarise regular viewers of ‘Afro cinema’ on local TV stations to high-end producers looking for actors to use in their films. Despite the number of pages being 116, this does not affect its readability, as it is a combination of different histories of individual contributors to the Nollywood industry.

What caught my attention most in this book is the fact that writer Shaibu Husseini has included photographs along with the respective details to identify a character. This can also help one identify a face later when the need arises be it in a publication or maybe even while walking in the city streets.

As I said before, it is a relatively good book but even perfect gems do have their defects. In this case, I think the black and white photos didn’t hit the right key with me seeing as some of them appear blurred while others still give the book the kind of look that it is older than it actually is (it was published in mid December 2010!).

The publication is also more of a journal than a book to me. Though it may be dubbed “a celebration of the tenacity and the indomitable Nigerian spirit as reflected in these dominant and the emergent generations of artistes, marketers, producers and directors among other stakeholders” and “a salute to industry in both the literal and metaphoric senses,” Moviedom… the NollywoodNarratives: Clips on the Pioneers is a major disappointment to me.

January 07, 2011

21:30

New Anthology Uses Life’s Encounters to Caution, Educate and Celebrate Humanity

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published January 7, 2011

Everyone, it is said, has a story to tell about life’s experiences. This appears to be the premise on which a new collection of stories and poems by Ogova Ondego, a creative and cultural entrepreneur in Kenya, is based. The book, an anthology of 19 short stories and poems released by ComMattersKenya of Nairobi in 2011, reads like real life’s joys and disappointments in the life of the author who specialises in issues related to children, youth, mass media, culture and development.

In this fast-paced collection, the author appears to be sharing the stories of his life with the aim of warning and educating the reader, a fete he highly achieves with his accounts that are both moving and depressing.

Ondego argues the stories are not biographical at all. History, he says, is written not to justify anything but to inform, to educate and to caution society. “These stories are not any different. Besides informing, educating and cautioning, these stories and poems are meant to entertain and celebrate humanity.”

The 56-page anthology paints a diametrically different picture of women. In Africa, where women are believed to be subserviently submissive, Stories from Life that is set in both urban and rural areas brings out macho-like feminine characters that are crafty, bold and daring and who always get what they set their minds on.

While these female characters are at first portrayed as shy and reserved, at the end of most stories they are the ones luring their timid and apparently reticent male counterparts into the dingy lodging houses in the back streets of Nairobi to rob them of their valuables or to engage in illicit sexual activities with them as is the case in stories like ‘Beware, that Lady could be Dangerous’ and ‘It Could Happen to You’, respectively.

The writer employs both journalistic and creative writing styles, making the tales presented not just believable and educative but also effectively carries out the role of warning without imposing the lessons on the reader; the author, instead, gives readers the chance to identify the lessons themselves.

Apart from short stories the compilation also contains poems that serve to ease tension created by some of the stories as the reader reflects on the characters and themes encountered as they read along.

The book, that also carries three moving stories from budding writers aged 12-17 years—Fadhili L Ogova, Karama K Ogova and Mina N Ogova—is likely to appeal to anyone of any age as long as they are able to read English. Written movingly in simple language, this book is especially of great value to young pupils and students. Two of the stories were in fact written by the Ogova children as part of their English composition assignments!

Though the youngsters have always contributed to the writing of Ondego since their toddler years, it is only now that their writing has been published under their own names.

With stories of different age groups put together, I think it would be very difficult for one to recommend Stories from Life for people below the age of 18. This is because some stories are about relationships that reserved parents would deem inappropriate for children.

The author’s attitude towards the feminine gender cannot escape the reader’s inquisitiveness. While what he depicts in his stories is a true reflection of what has become of this gender and sex, one wonders why the masculine gender has been portrayed as victim throughout the book. Is the male sex threatened by the emergence of strong-willed female who knows what she wants and will not stop till she gets it?

All in all, the book—that also tackles what happens in the villages on important occasions such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day—is quite an interesting read. It remains important to teenagers who are faced with the duties to develop their language skills and writing prowess during school assignments as this would provide them with better examples of good writing. In the same breathe adults and anyone who cares to learn would draw important lessons from the book and avoid troubles that would leave them disappointed.

Stories from Life is an invaluable addition to the literary world.

January 06, 2011

20:14

Why Emergency Management Should be Integrated in Tourism

» ‎ ArtMatters

By David Beirman
Published January 6, 2010
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has undertaken to fund a major project for 2011 to develop a programme to integrate emergency management and tourism, one of the key missing links in tourism crisis and recovery management. Although there is considerable informal linkage between the tourism industry and emergency management authorities, there is very little in terms of a formal relationship with the notable exception of airlines and airports.
Most airports in the world, and especially international gateway airports, feature strong links between the airlines, the airport authorities, and emergency management agencies such as the military , ambulance, fire fighting, customs, border protection, and police services. The outbreak of SARS in 2003 and the more recent incidence of H1N1 in 2009/2010 resulted in screening processes being introduced at most major gateway airports throughout the world.
However, the integration between these sectors of the tourism industry and emergency management has not been replicated in other sectors of the tourism industry. The recent spate of terrorist attacks against hotels in Pakistan, Indonesia, and India have not resulted in the formalisation of an integrated approach between hotel chains and emergency management agencies who have been reactive in their response rather than proactive.
The biggest threats to tourism over the past year have come from natural disasters rather than made disasters. Tsunamis, storms, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and flooding have all impacted on tourism infrastructure and the movement and safety of tourism. The domestic holiday season in Queensland Australia has been heavily disrupted by floods, which cover an area equivalent to France and Germany.
Emergency management and disaster planning need to address the issue of safe locations for tourism infrastructure. Does it really make sense to locate a resort on the water or even over the water in areas, which may be vulnerable to tsunamis and sea surges? Having an ocean view is great, but being swallowed up by the ocean does not make for an ideal tourist experience. The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the Samoan tsunami of 2009, and the 2010 tsunamis in Sumatra and Chile dramatically illustrated this point. Yet after a hurricane or tsunami, many of the resorts, which have been destroyed, are rebuilt in exactly the same vulnerable sites. Effective planning regulations would prevent this sort of greed or market-driven madness.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland in 2010 was arguably the most disruptive event for world tourism in 2010. The prolonged closure of many airports and the airspace of a number of European countries disrupted tourism movements globally. Although the airline industry had a contingency plan for an event of this sort, the remainder of the tourism industry was confused and sluggish in response. There was no linkage with emergency management agencies to establish emergency accommodation and transport arrangements for stranded travelers. Many travelers affected by the eruption had little or no recourse to insurance coverage and financial compensation.
The dissonance between emergency management and tourism was brought home to me when I attended a conference organised by the Australian Emergency Management Institute in December 2010. This highly professional organisation coordinates emergency management policy for Australia and has trained emergency management professionals from all over the world. It is currently playing an important role in managing the flood crisis in Queensland. At the conference, I presented a paper, which dealt with the integration of tourism and emergency management, and as many of the delegates (among them world respected authorities in emergency management) admitted, it was a linkage that had never occurred to them. In fairness it is a linkage, which until recently, had never occurred to many leading professionals in the tourism industry, which is why the UNWTO deserves a great deal of credit for addressing it.
One of the points I sought to communicate at the conference is that developing integration between emergency management agencies and tourism involved a mutuality of benefit. Tourism infrastructure has the potential to offer both tourist and local residents emergency accommodation and evacuation transportation in the event of a disaster. Accommodation providers and tour operators have the capacity to identify victim and survivors registered with them in the event of an emergency. On the other hand, areas with high concentrations of tourists need to be assured they have adequate medical facilities, police resources, and access to emergency services to cater for the local resident population, as well as the transient population of tourists.
There are international implications attached to such integration. Criminal or terrorist acts against tourists, unchecked health problems, and inadequate responses to natural disasters can greatly damage the reputation of a tourism destination in key source markets. Many articles in eTurboNews have indicated the perceptual damage caused to destinations, which result from inadequate security and protective measure afforded to tourists. While the integration between tourism and emergency management is not in itself going to prevent tourists getting into trouble, it is an important step in advancing risk management in the tourism industry.
David Beirman, is a Senior Lecturer in tourism at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
An eTN article

January 05, 2011

10:43

How Kenyan Digital Natives Define Themselves

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Wairimu Njage
Published January 5, 2011

Most Kenyan youth are unemployed, inactive and face the real threat of poverty, according to reasearch. Up to 800,000 young people leave school every year to take up non-existent jobs in this eastern Africa country that is ranked by the UNDP and the National Economic and Social Council as one of the most unequal societies in the world.

PwC launched a Generation Y A survey seeking to understand how young people view issues was launched in Kenya by PWH in August 2010. The survey defined Generation Y or Millennials as people born between 1979 and 1991 and Generation Z as those born between 1992 and 2008.

Both groups, known as the e-Generation or digital natives, are the main users of new Information Communications Technology (ICT) such as the internet and short text messaging service (SMS).

The e-Generation has been brought up with the internet and displays an ability to sort information and accomplish several tasks at the same time. Research has shown that the youth have formed a great capacity to skim read and to take out only the bits and pieces they are interested in little wonder they are also called the “copy-paste” generation!

The findings are that factual issues are often more important than the combined, general information offered by authorities.

When looking for information about a political issue, they start by posing a question in a search engine, such as Google, which leads to Wikipedia and then to an authority’s homepage.

The youth simply phrase a question about their very specific field of interest. For a young person, pages of interest would be those that answer the question quickly and accurately.

Survey results tell us that the most common way for the youth to express an opinion is through “new social media” such as Twitter, blogs and online articles. The youth use social media as a means of defining themselves to others and also because it is time efficient.

However, paradoxically, they believe the effect of these actions, is small, in comparison to traditional ways of taking action, such as demonstrating in the streets.

Maximum impact is gained through traditional fora involving face to face meetings with decision makers in person and contacting mass media.

Although young people’s interest in traditional political parties and organisations is successively decreasing, the internet is also used to mobilise opinion and involvement – sometimes with surprising strength – something which governments, organisations and companies all over the world have experienced.

Surprisingly, the youth consider traditional institutions, in particular politicians and journalists, to have a great impact on society while ‘citizens’ are thought to have limited impact which means that they believe traditional institutions more than new social media when it comes to influence.

The writer is a manager in PwC people and Change

January 01, 2011

21:11

Burkinabe Urban Crime Film Screens to Children and Youth in Nairobi

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Adima Mesa
Published January 1, 2011

SAMBA TRAORE, an 85-minute film from Burkina Faso that combines documentary authenticity and fictional narration styles was in 2010 shown in Kenya to an estimated 6,000 children and youth in primary school, secondary school, university and neighborhoods across the breadth and width of Nairobi. This was one of five films shown in eight countries under the Cinetoile African Cinema Network umbrella. ADIMA MESA writes.

I came across this film that is set in urban and rural Burkina Faso during my participation in a critical writing workshop organuised by the Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in Eastern Africa in November/December 2010. As part of our training as journalists and critics, we had to watch films and file reports on them.

Made in Dioula and sub-titled in English and French, the film revolves around a young man who commits an armed robbery at a petrol filling station in a city and flees with the loot to his rural village where he spends the money lavishly and sets villagers wondering where and how he got so much money. The suspicion from villagers, coupled with guilt, gives the young man, Samba Traore, constant nightmares.

Director Idrissa Ouedraogo has developed several themes that borders on guilt, friendship, love, greed and punishment. Guilt, greed and punishment are recurring themes throughout the film. Even after getting what he wanted from stealing the money, Samba Traore’s guilt disturbs him leading to endless sleepless nights because of nightmares.

Samba Traore is portrayed as a greedy man when he steals the money and builds what is arguably the largest house in the village but his angry father sets the house on fire when it dawns on him that his son had built it from stolen money. Traore is also arrested and this appears to be enough punishment already.

Friendship and love are also major themes highlighted in the story. Through telling Ali stories, Samba maintains a strong bond between the two and in the end only Ali comes to comfort him when he is chased away by the mother of his wife, Saratou. Although the two were different age groups they developed a strong friendship.

From the very start Salif and Samba are portrayed as bosom friends, judging from Samba’s generosity to him. They make great plans and even implement one; building a bar. When Samba is in grave danger, it is Salif who risks his life for him to escape and even gets a gunshot wound on his leg while trying to help Samba escape.

The love between Saratou and Samba is genuine, considering that Saratou leaves Ismael for Samba. She is also worried because of all the money that her husband is spending. This shows genuine love and care of Samba; instead of following his money.

The director of the film portrays Samba’s character as one of arrogance in the city but makes his friend a comical character. This is to neutralise the two characters and give us a nice side of Samba.

What I don’t like about the film is that some subtitles are in French and this disrupts the story for someone like me who does not understand French. I would have liked to understand what the characters are saying in their vernacular but unfortunately this is impossible as I also do not speak Dioula. More so some details are overstretched. Saratou’s period of labour is a case to consider. I felt it was a little too long. A good film should be believable. If the filmmaker overstretches facts the audience will not enjoy the film as it will be a joke to them. However that aside, SAMBA TRAORE is quite relevant in today’s society since it teaches us good morals and the consequence of our actions.

The Cinetoile project was run in Burkina Faso, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, Mali, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Kenyan partner in the project was Lola Kenya Screen of Nairobi. The other four films shown in the programme included FROM A WHISPER by Wanuri Kahiu of Kenya, HERITAGE AFRICA by Kwah P Ansah of Ghana, LUMUMBA by France-based Raoul Peck of Haiti (based on Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Belgian Congo that is now known as Democratic Republic of Congo), and MA SAAH-SAH by Daniel Kamwa of Cameroon.

Adima Mesa, a Form Two student at Precious Blood Secondary School in Riruta, Nairobi, Kenya, wrote this film review as part of her assignment during the Critical Writing mentorship programme at Lola Kenya Screen in Nairobi, November 29-December 4, 2010.

December 28, 2010

21:06

New Book Exposes Flourishing, Deep-Rooted Anti-Semitic Hatred in New Poland

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Karama Ogova
Published December 28, 2010

From the outward appearance of Street of Crocodiles: Photography, Media and Postsocialist Landscapes in Poland by Kamil Turowski (photographs), J Hoberman (introduction) and Katarzyna Marciniak (essays) , the reader can tell it is an expensively manufactured 176-page paperback targeting library keepers and book collectors. Additionally, the illustration on the cover suggests this is the type of book that would be of specific interest to photographers interested in historical and developmental advancement subjects.

The title—Streets of Crocodiles—may not make sense to anyone without an inkling of what this metaphor means. It is only when one starts reading it that one comes to know that it has been borrowed from a Polish-Jewish writer (Bruno Schulz)’s 1934 short story and that the title has a hidden meaning in reference to the content of the book that gives the reader the idea that it just may revolve around street stories.

But judging books by their covers could be quite misleading. Streets of Crocodiles deals with the subjects the human mind may not easily understand, let alone accept: ethnic tensions, xenophobia, racism, sexism and aggressive rhetoric of hate that flourishes against the brisk political and cultural progress in the European Union.

Unlike the Bruno Schulz’s The Streets of Crocodiles short story of 1934 that is set in the East European provinces characterised by “ ‘pseudo-Americanism, grafted on the old, crumbling core of the city [...] in a rich but empty and colourless vegetation of pretentious vulgarity [...]cheap jerry-built houses with facades covered with a monstrous stucco of cracked plaster’”, Kamil Turowski’s Streets of Crocodiles photography shot over a 20-year period and published in November 2010 applies Schulz’s metaphor to the 21st century New European “’hood: the post-socialist, hybridized terrain where the democratic colours of western consumer ism clash with the monochromatic anachronisms of the old socialist reality…beyond the most visible commercial smoke-and-mirrors facade of colourful supersized banners and murals popping up on the grounds of the old socialist black-and-white El Dorado, there are some socially deeply rooted underlying constants…grotesquely scarred urban textures persistently roughed up by the vile bites of the seemingly prehistoric crocodilian deep structures: xenophobia and anti-Semitism.”

The “Nazi Germans may have created Auschwitz and many other death camps to carry out their diabolical plan to exterminate Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, and others deemed by them to be of ‘inferior race’”, writes Katarzyna Marciniak before proceeding to question why Nazi words and images—crematoriums, gas chambers, execution walls, gallows, death—survive on wall graffiti in Lodz 60 years after World War II.

Turowski, whose photographs are mostly taken in Lodz, says the racist graffiti has resisted the economic and political changes and that it is a phenomenon that is ignored by residents and authorities alike. Marciniak observes that this may be a no-go-zone as there are hardly any publications tackling the visual insults. Is it any surprise, Marciniak appears to be asking, that only several hundred Jews live in Lodz—the second largest city in Poland whose Jewish population was the second largest in Europe—with a tiny synagogue and one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe?

The blurbs on the outside book cover provide ample information on the two authors, Kamil Turowski and Katarzyna Marciniak giving in detail the occupational positions and posts they currently hold or held at the time of publishing. Information on these authors points to the idea that they are experts in the book writing industry.

Dr Imogen Taylor describes Streets of Crocodiles that is yet to be released and whose paperback copy sells at £32.50 as “an exceptionally powerful document of the transformations of post-Berlin-wall Eastern Europe and an exposé of the persistent anti-Semitism and other deep-seated hatreds.”

To me, it is an invaluable publication that shows the relationship and transition between the new and old Europe. It gives a combination of diverse thoughts and insights into all major events and appropriate facts from involved parties as well as residents of Poland, leaving the decisive conclusion to the reader’s discretion.

Though a large part of the book consists of colour photos, there are also black-and-white ones most likely meant to bring out the contrast between the old (socialist) and new (capitalist) Europe.
In spite of all this, the book’s readability remains suited for advanced readers as I can’t help but imagine the mental strain it would put on the average reader’s concentration if they were to try and read it all in one sitting.

The overall structure of the book is such that the reader’s attention is captured by the photographs more than anything else. Though the book is a valuable asset to serious collectors, it needs a great amount of care to make it durable as it is not a hard-cover edition. There is also the aspect of the cover putting off potential buyers due to its somewhat plain cover illustration and even though it would appeal to a researcher, that’s about as far as it would go in my opinion; it is much too complicated for the greater audience without any historical interest in Poland, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, European Union or deep-seated racism.

December 24, 2010

9:33

More Beds Needed in Tanzania as Tourism Grows

» ‎ ArtMatters

By Apolinari Tairo
Published December 24, 2010

With the growing number of tourists currently visiting Tanzania, there is a great demand for beds to cope with the visitors in northern, coastal, and southern tourist circuits.

Tanzania president Jakaya Kikwete says his country needs more hotels of high-class calibre to cater to the increasing number of tourists visiting the world-renowned wildlife parks of Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Indian Ocean beaches, the southern and western parts of Tanzania.

Kikwete says thousands of tourists visiting or transiting through Arusha on their way to and from the world renowned game parks and Mount Kilimanjaro need more tourist-class accommodations.

In his remarks to open the 178-room Mount Meru Hotel, which underwent renovation at the cost of US$24 million, President Kikwete said this leading hotel in northern Tanzania would add glory to the area.

The hotel, once owned by the government of Tanzania, was privatised to a local company five years ago. It is located in Arusha town, Tanzania’s tourist hub and a linking centre to other eastern and southern Africa safari destinations.

The president said with the opening of the National College of Tourism in 2011, Tanzania would manage to train hotel and tourism professionals to international service standards to work in hotels and the hospitality industry.

President Kikwete, however, says Tanzania has achieved a tourist growth rate of 12% for the last four years, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors, contributing 17.2% of Tanzania’s gross domestic product and 41.7% of foreign currency earnings in the last five years.

He says Tanzania earned US$4.988 billion from the tourism sector in the last four years.

“There are still great prospects for expansion and growth in this sector. There is a huge demand for more hotels, more trucks, more restaurants, more local and international flights, and more tour operators,” Kikwete told players in the tourist sector.

Tourism minister, Ezekiel Maige, says Tanzania needs more hotels to cope with the growing demands for tourist accommodation and recreational services of competitive standards, as the number of tourists visiting this African destination grows to touch a million mark by end of 2010.

Tanzania needs more hotels in new tourist sites, including cultural tourist spots in villages surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro, the Usambara mountains, Indian Ocean coastal beaches, and the southern Tanzania’s tourist circuit.

Right now, Maige says, Tanzania needs an additional 3,000 rooms in the short term to arrest the current situation.

An eTN article

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