What’s Not to Love? Seven African Arts and Creative Economy initiatives that I am loving on…
Love is in the air and so I want to give some flowers to some people, places, platforms, and programmes in the African Creative Economy that I am loving on…
AfroCharts founded by Burundi born web developer, Leonard Novati, is a free global music platform created to connect music lovers with the colorful sounds of African music by allowing them to stream, download and share high quality African music (both old and new) through the AfroCharts website or mobile app for Android and IOS devices. Through their blog Gazeti, they profile music makers from around the continent. Some hollyhocks for you Afrocharts!
Black Rock is a multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program founded by renowned artist Kehinde Wiley in 2019. The residency brings together international artists to live and work in Dakar, Senegal for 1–3 month stays. The complex includes a residence and studio space for Wiley along with three single-occupancy residency apartments with adjacent studio spaces. The Blackrock mission is to support new artistic creation through collaborative exchange and to incite change in the global discourse about what Africa means today. These forget -me-nots are a tribute to all Diaspora African artists who give back to the continent in meaningful, lasting ways.
Founded by OUAFA BELGACEM and VALERIA MENEGHELLI Culture Funding Watch collects and disseminates data about funding resources and financial support for the cultural sector. They originally focused only the MENA region but increasingly sharing opportunities across Africa as well. For providing such a needed resource for the Cultural sector (and Creative Economy), a lotus for you.
Established in 2015 by Moses Turahirwa, they describe their brand as inspired by and dedicated to local craftsmanship and artisanry. They collaborate with local and continental suppliers to empower a new generation of creative and champion premium quality, 100% Made in Africa fashion. Their protective, breathable face mask launched in 2020 was fashionable and much needed! Some Tansies for the great work you do alongside other fashion brands in the country to put Rwanda on the global fashion map.
Nollydata is a one-stop website for all things Nollywood, a community for filmmakers to display their projects, talents and creativity to the world. Their mission is to create a space that makes it easier to find information on all things Nollywood. It was announced this February 2022 by its co-founders filmmakers Chidinma Igbokweuche and Ibrahim Suleiman.
For your courage and devotion in taking this step to address what is a massive information asymmetry issue in such an important ecosystem within the African Creative Economy, please take these Edelweiss.
The Wesgro Film and Media Unit uses its network of relationships with stakeholders along the entire film and media supply chain to help local and international film crews create world-class films, commercials, and animation and gaming productions in Cape Town and the Western Cape. For being the film and media support organization that other public sector film and media support organizations want to be when they grow up, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, have these Irises.
Createch Accelerator 1.0 by The Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB
Of course, I am biased being a co-founder and Managing Partner of this practice which has just launched to enhance job and wealth creation, and opportunities for creative expression for Africans through the African Creative Economy. We do this by supporting the use of innovation and the application of technology to enhance Creative Economy Value Chains and ecosystems. We have just launched our first Createch Accelerator to support start-ups using innovation and technology-based solutions to address gaps or capture opportunities in the African Creative Economy. Through the accelerator, we will offer these start-ups access to networks, distribution and equity funding. You can read more and apply at this link . We are excited by the new freedoms and good fortune that these exciting start-ups represent… so a Strelitzia for them…
