The challenge that the project addresses
Access to arts spaces and opportunities for marginalized communities.
What is your project doing to respond to this challenge?
I started Wimbo Projects, which is a group of artists from South Africa as well as neighboring countries. While we work mostly with artists from South African townships and rural areas, some members of the core team come from Lesotho and DRC. Wimbo Projects recruits talent from communities that are not likely (unfortunately) to make it in the professional arts industry. The talent we work with comprises music, dance, poetry and theatre. We then work with the talent and incorporate them in more professional spaces such as theatres, television, radio and online media. What we hope is that these creatives will get increased recognition and in turn get booked and paid for their talents.
Wimbo Projects has enabled some beneficiaries to have travel opportunities (within SA) so that they get to work with other creatives. We have a strong principle that as an organization we mainly use our arts to uplift, educate, encourage and make socially constructive commentary. As a result, the other benefit from this initiative is that participants get to use the arts to express themselves as active citizens.
Describe the project's impact
- Decentralizing access to creative facilities
- Offer marginalized creatives some platform to make a living through their arts
- Contributing to the quest to have the arts industry respected as important aspect of society
- Dignifying artists
VIEW
- Mdantsane Groves https://youtu.be/YapVz4mjGNU
- Sawubona Music Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iA1Pj1PnSE
- Rehearsal: https://web.facebook.com/watch/?v=1916034305127305
- Article (bio): https://www.sheerpublishing.co.za/introducing-msakha-mona/