African artists on cultural exchange programme initiate seed fund for young artists |14 June 2018

A group of artists and cultural entrepreneurs from different African countries are taking part, this week, in an art creative workshop as part of a cultural exchange programme initiated by the Seychelles Art Project Foundation.

The workshop is taking place at local artist Georges Camille’s art studio at Le Rocher. Mr Camille is the chairperson of Seychelles Art Project Foundation (SAPF).

It is the third time that artists have travelled from the African continent to the beautiful islands of Seychelles to exchange creative ideas and art skills for cultural rapprochement.

This year, the programme made a breakthrough on one particular subject – the African Culture Fund (ACF), a newly created body which aims to provide seed funding to young talents in the creative sector from the African continent. The Fund's mission is to support creativity, production and professionalisation along the cultural and creative industries value chain, thereby contributing to decent work and improving the living conditions for artists, professionals and their immediate environment sustainably. This new concept of an African Culture Fund, with the involvement and support of major visual artists from the African continent, was initiated and implemented by the 2015-2017 steering committee of Arterial Network Seychelles in accordance with the mission of this continental network, which is to contribute to the professionalisation of the creative sector.

Through the different contacts he established and networking he conducted through Arterial Network Seychelles which he founded here seven years ago, Mr Camille, who is also a former president of the grouping of artists, said that with other former member artists from the African continent they initiated the setting up of the ACF to help young African artists in different ways.

“In order to raise money for the fund, artists from different countries hosted two exhibitions ‒ one at Eden Art Space in Seychelles last year and one in Mali in February this year ‒ and the art works were sold and the proceeds went into the fund,” Mr Camille explained.

He added that the outcome of the initiative was good and all the artists agreed to come together in art workshops to create new art pieces which again will be sold for the fund.

“This is what we are doing here this week,” Camille pointed out.  

He added that together with that, financial support from sponsors is also being sought to raise capital in the fund.  

A committee has been set up to manage the ACF.

Mr Mamou Daffe, a cultural entrepreneur and festival director from Mali, is the president and Mr Camille is the treasurer of the ACF which will be based in Seychelles.

“I believe that with the seed money from the fund, young artists will have a good start because in Africa there is a great lack of support for young artists to help them acquire the necessary skills and competence, develop their art, access international market so they can subsequently earn a living from their art,” Mr Daffe said.

Other than Mr Daffe, the other distinguished personalities who are well known in their respective fields and are here for the workshop are Gbati Sonhaye, a cultural operator and producer from Togo; Ghita Khaldi Ghita Khaldi, a cultural projects manager from Morocco; Abdoulaye Konaté, an installation artist also from Mali; François Mbuyamba, an artist and cultural entrepreneur from Congo; Wadi Mhiri and Houda Ghorbel, two visual artists from Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Mr Camille said all the different aspects relating to the proper organisation, operation and function of the fund are being finalised including a website through which young artists will have all the information they need.

Mr Camille said they hope to launch the fund in September.

M-A. L.