This project will provide local artists with a platform to promote themselves, their work and their creative process to a greater local and international public. Artists will be given a camera and laptop for 3 weeks each to record their inspirations, creative processes, challenges, successes, and photos of artwork. They will be assisted in creating & managing a blog (and parent project website) and accounts with facebook, twitter, and pinterest.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Ezulwini
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
The project will involve visual artists working and living in Swaziland. Many of the artists do not have internet access, nor equipment like computers or cameras. Much of their representation as artists is still in its infancy stages with few means to make themselves or their work publicized and known on any sort of international stage. This initiative, through ArtReach, will link them to a far larger community via strong online participation.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
In Swaziland fine art is seen as exclusive and elite. By documenting their personal creative processes, their daily inspirations, challenges and successes surrounding their art (through photos, narratives, thoughts, introspections), the Swazi artists will be able to demystify the worlds of artists, making the world of the arts more accessible to the Swazi public. It will also broaden international awareness of the artists and art in Swaziland.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
This project will partner with the established Swazi NGO Yebo ArtReach. ArtReach aims to promote the arts, innovative skills-training and creative freedom of expression in Swaziland through various grassroots initiatives and development workâ¨. This project will be a continuation of a current ArtReach project entitled Art Goes Public, promoting the engagement of the Swazi public with the arts through public performances and collaborative creations
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
This project will train and promote a minimum of 12 local artists (one per month). The artists will each have 3-4 weeks of intensive use of equipment and attentive training in social networking and self-promotion through media. After this intensive time, Yebo ArtReach will provide a computer and camera on site for further documentation. The participants will be expected to keep their blogs updated with recent developments, thoughts, and photos.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
Rising Voices can assist by providing information and learning tools for beginners using and benefitting from an online presence and social networking. You can also help by promoting the artists blogs, websites, entries, photos and other content through your own online platforms and channels, creating more traffic and expanded attention to the artists, their work and the project as a whole.
Contact name
Dane Armstrong
Organization
Yebo! ArtReach