The Economy of Creativity at GoDown

A talk show hosted by John Sibi Okumu where renowned business personalities, artists and public funders from government and donor world, had an interactive discussion on the opportunities and challenges encountered by investors and creators in the arts and culture field, in attempting "to do business together". For the talk show, business moguls and well known industrialists such as Manu Chandaria and Pete Ondeng engaged with comedians - Churchill and Nyambane; great musicians - Joseph Kamaru, Nameless; and public funders - the Director of Culture in the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the Swedish Institute, in lively debate, in front of a live audience.

The talk show was followed by a two-day workshop where selected private and public investors and people in the creative industry engage, in-depth exploration to identify practical common tools and strategies between them, for mutual business benefit. A first in the country, the Economy of Creativity initiative was extremely well received; the next steps of the same programme are being plotted :- to hold a separate workshop for the Kenyan business & investment sector; to introduce them to the idea of bridging business and creators and to learn from them where they see the gaps are in forging this relationship and possible solutions; and to continue to develop materials and tools to help ready artists to engage more knowledgeably with the economy.

The Money and Meaning workshop provided 15 participants with tools, techniques and structured reflection that would assist creative individuals in developing their ideas, projects and businesses. The facilitators for this were from N�tverkstan in Sweden, who shared the tools based on experiences made at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts' Creative Pioneer Programme in the UK. The participants who attended this workshop were mainly visual artists from The GoDown arts studios as well as independent contemporary dancers and writers.

From: http://www.thegodownartscentre.com/recent-progs/e-creativity.html

Stories from Mali

With the support of Mimeta three books are now published at the La Salihenne publishing - inspired from the rich and diversified well of Malien stories. From everyday life - to kings.  

TOUAREG 1973-1997
By Sidi Alamine Ag Doho

This book is the story of the long walk experienced by nomadic Tuaregs impoverished by successive droughts. Confronted with the harsh laws of wandering ( at  home and outside), the hard living conditions and  also the  thinning of solidarity and friendship too briefly lived,  a young boy crosses the borders of neighboring countries, without ever reaching a normal childhood. Become adult now, he witnessed the turbid of the political leaders and the rebellions that resulted from.
Going through the undecided lines of this book, the reader feels heartily very touched since so great is the injury of this child and his will to survive.  

The Author of the book:
Sidi Ag Alamine Doho is director of the school of  Tarkint, north of Gao. In early 1990 he was a typing agent to the “éditions de sahélienne”. He took the  advantage of this very short time of his busy life to start writing short stories about the Tuareg and tell his years of wandering.

IL N’YA QU’UN SOLEIL SUR TERRE (There is only one sun on the earth)!
(Kel-Adagh  Touaregs’ tales, proverbs and riddles) 
By Mohamed Ag Erless

The Kel-Adagh people live in the "Adrar Iforas" in the Kidal region, city of the same name located about 1,600 km from Bamako, the capital of Mali.
The Adagh-which means "mountain", is renowned for the abundance and quality of its oral literature. This literature is the backbone of the traditional education which aims to build the child in the image of typical Haman being.
In Adagh, tales, proverbs, riddles, poetry, music ... do not belong to any particular social stratum, but to all of them.

The Author of the book:
Mohamed Ag Erless was born and raised in Adagh. Social scientist, currently director of the Cultural Mission of Kidal Es Souk, Ag Erless is a pure product of the Institute of Social Sciences of Mali, where he started his career thirty years ago.

ABUBAKARI  II (EXPLORATEUR MANDINQUE)
(ABUBAKARI  II,  AN EXPLORER FROM MANDE)
By Gaoussou Diawara

The author achieves in this book the synthesis of more than twenty years of research on the Mandingo emperor Abubakari II, who, in 1312, voluntarily relinquished the power and then explored the limits of ocean. His fleet would have anchored on the coast of Brazil.

Abubakari II was one of the pioneers of the era of great discoveries ... Before Christopher Columbus, Magellan and Vasco de Gama.

The Author of the book:
Gaoussou Diawara was born in Ouelessebougou, some 80km in the south of Bamako. He completed his primary and secondary schools in the country before obtaining a doctorate (PH. D Specialty Drama) in Soviet Union. He is author of several award-winning work created for the stage or studied in schools and universities in Mali. Gaoussou Diawara is a Knight of the National Order of Merit in France, Knight of the National Order of Merit of Mali, UNESCO Prize for poetry and Cross-African drama prize.

Suzanna Owiyo, promo in Norway

Suzanna Owiyo - Photo: Linda LieThe celebrated Kenyan singer, Suzanna Owiyo, visits Norway for the Mimeta launch. Last time on Norwegian soil - she at attended the Nobel Peace Prize Concert - for laurate Wangari Maathai. Main reason for Suzanna coming this time is to present her work to the music industry, festivals and press. She is also part of the Imagine Africa CD with the track "Tich en Tish".

For more information, see Imagineafrica website
And buy directly on the web: For sale here!

First Imagine Africa CD on the market

In cooperation with Mimeta the Norwegian record company Kirkelig Kulturverksted has produced a CD which is the first in a series that, put together, will offer a piece of the musical picture of the African continent.
It presents music by artists and music producers in East Africa. These are artists who continue to live in their own countries, seeking their artistic identity and inspiration there. They mix traditional African elements of style, rhythm and tonality with European and American popular music, keenly aware that the music that has developed in the West has travelled a long and circuitous route.

For more information, see Imagineafrica website
And buy directly on the web: For sale here!

CinemAfrica industry Filmforum

Pratik Vithlani, MimetaDuring the CinemAfrica Filmfestival in Stockholm, starting 24th February, Mimetas head of the Business Development Program - Pratik Vithlani - will moderate the Industry Filmforum session, focusing production and distribution of African Cinema.

Pratik has during the past year worked closely with the GoDown Arts Centre in Kenya, supporting the development of the creative industries in the region, to strengthen entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of businesses within arts, culture, film, music. Pratik has a background from management consulting and private equity industries.

Imagine Africa, the campaign

Mimeta has taken onboard the Imagine Africa campaign from the former Culture Initiative of Strømme Foundation. We coordinate activities, web-based communities and run the website. Imagine Africa is a campaign to Promote and Strenghten African Arts. It contributes to the communication of African Arts, expressions of reasoning and creative industries.

The starting point was the opening remarks Imagine Africa by Breyten Breytenbach at the ARTerial, Conference on Vitalizing African Cultural Assets, on Gorée Island, Senegal, in March 2007. (See the full text on www.imagineafrica.org).

How to use the stamp? See: The Culture Resource website