AMA is pleased to announce the grantees of Session 26 (October 2014) of its mobility grants programme. Of the thirty-eight grant applicants, twenty-two were awarded grants:
• Mr. Vincent Bezuidenhout (photographer and educator, South Africa): Mr. Bezuidenhout will be travelling to Buea, Cameroon to participate in the African Photography Initiatives conference (January 26 – February 3, 2015). * Update February 9: M. Bezuidenhout’s grant and trip were cancelled as AMA did not receive his documents in time for the grant to be issued.
• Mr. Peter Churu and Ms. Makavani Tendai Tshakisani (cultural operators, theatre, Complete Arts Project, Zimbabwe): Harare-based Peter Churu and Makavani Tendai Tshakisani will travel to Gaborone, Botswana from December 10 to 13, 2014 to conduct meetings with the Maitisong Theatre regarding the upcoming Women and Development Theatre for Development project, to be hosted in Harare in February 2015.
• Ms. Marie Florine Demosthene (visual artist, Ghana): Ms. Demosthene will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, to complete a residency at Gallery MOMO between January 2 and February 2, 2015. She will be preparing her performance and installation project Get Azzmatized!, which investigates the representation of the black female body in contemporary visual culture.
• Mr. Bonaya Doti Ibrahim, Ms. Fatima Jarso Guyo and Mr. Salad Diba Duba (musicians, Kenya): Vocalist Bonaya Doti will travel to Zanzibar, Tanzania with backup singer Fatima Jarso Guyo and guitarist Salad Diba Duba to participate in the 12th edition of the Sauti za Busara music festival, hosted from February 12-15, 2015. The group will be performing Borana/Konso music from Northern Kenya.
• Mr. Wajdi Gagui (dancer, Morocco): Mr. Gagui will travel to Dakar, Senegal to participate in the Rythmes et Formes du Monde festival, to be held between December 28, 2014 and January 3, 2015. He will be performing his dance solo SKETT.
• Mr. Hamza Oualid Khelifi, Mr. Mostepha Amine Lehchili and Mr. Labib Benslama (Collective Afreekyama, music, Algeria): The collective will travel to Accra, Ghana between January 20 and February 20, 2015 for an immersion in Accra’s High Life and Afrobeat scenes. They will be creating fusion music and short films in collaboration with local artists.
• Ms. Segawa Nakisanze (writer, Uganda): Ms. Nakisanze will be travelling to Iseyi, Nigeria to participate in the Ebedi International Residency, taking place between January 10 and February 24, 2015. She will be completing her second novel, The Yellow Ghetto, while also conducting creative writing workshops for students in the Iseyi community.
• Mr. Emeru Melaku Belay, Mr. Misale Legesse Muleta and Ms. Zinash Tsegaye Tadesse (musicians, Fendika, Ethiopia): The Addis Ababa-based dance group will be travelling to Zanzibar, Tanzania to participate in the Sauti za Busara music festival, hosted from February 12 to 15, 2015. They will hold performances of traditional Ethiopian dance and participate in workshops. Update December 9: Fendika have declined the award due to unavailability to travel in 2015.
• Ms. Victoria Chyniere Ndubuaku, Ms. Osinachi Blessing Uzondu and Mr. Frank Ifogbe Okiemute (dancers, Ijodee Dance Company, Nigeria): Ms. Ndubuaku, Mr. Uzondu and Mr. Okiemute will travel to Durban, South Africa for the one-week Summer Intensive Training Programme hosted by Flat Foot Dance Company between December 14 and 22, 2014.
• Ms. Kiki Ngog (dancer and choreographer, Kenya): Ms. Ngog will travel to Ghana to conduct research on traditional and popular Ghanaian dance from December 18, 2015 to January 20, 2015. She aims to understand the context in which dance occurs and its ritual and cathartic functions in local communities.
• Ms. Achiro Patricia Olwoch (writer, Uganda): Ms. Olwoch will travel to Cape Town to participate in the International Women Playwrights Conference, to be held between June 28 and July 3, 2015. Ms. Olwoch’s play On Time will be read and performed during the conference.
• Ms. Majate Katia Catarina Tomas (dancer and choreographer, Mozambique): Ms. Tomas will travel to Dakar, Senegal, for a residency hosted by the Association Premier Temps on behalf of Pamoja Programme from February 12 to 14, 2015. She will be collaborating with visual artist Walter Zandamela, Madagascar-based dancer Judith Olivia Manantenasoa and Dakar-based choreographer Andréya Ouamba to prepare new showings of their collaborative piece Casa.
• Mr. Cremildo Walter Zandamela (visual artist and performer, Mozambique): Mr. Zandamela will travel to Dakar, Senegal for a residency hosted by the Association Premier Temps on behalf of Pamoja Programme from February 7 to 28, 2015. He will be collaborating with dancer/choreographer Majate Katia Catarina Tomas, Madagascar-based dancer Judith Olivia Manantenasoa and Dakar-based choreographer Andréya Ouamba to prepare new showings of their collaborative piece Casa.
AMA received grants from practitioners and cultural operators hailing from all five geographical regions of Africa and working across disciplines. Here is some further information regarding the distribution of the 38 applications received:
– Provenance: 12 from Southern Africa; 10 from Northern Africa; 9 from East Africa; 5 from West Africa; and 2 from Central Africa.
– Destination: 19 for East Africa; 9 for West Africa; 9 for Southern Africa; and 1 for Northern Africa.
– Discipline: 18 in music; 9 in dance; 4 in visual arts; 4 in theatre; 1 for filmmaking; 1 for literature; and 1 for multi-disciplinary creation.
– Type of project: 22 for festivals; 4 for workshops/master classes; 4 for residencies; 4 for meetings/conferences; and 4 for creative projects.
Here is some further information regarding the distribution of the 22 successful applications:
– Provenance: 9 from East Africa; 5 from Southern Africa; 4 from West Africa; and 4 from North Africa.
– Destination: 8 for West Africa; 7 for Southern Africa; and 7 for Eastern Africa. – Discipline: 9 in dance; 6 in music; 3 in visual arts; 3 in theatre; and 1 in literature.
– Type of project: 7 for festivals; 4 for workshops/master classes; 4 for residencies; 4 for meetings/conferences; and 3 for creative projects.
Congratulations to the grantees!
AMA would like to take this opportunity to thank the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Stichting Doen for their support for the relaunch of the AMA grants program.