A collaborative digital content creation project with breakthrough Zimbabwean and UK artists, an enhanced mentorship programme featuring renowned Zimbabwean influencers and an exclusive mentorship program for storytellers, these are some of the next level projects that have taken place during the second phase of the Scripts and Bars project.
The exclusive content produced under these projects was showcased to local and international audiences during the Arthows Creative Hustle.
About Arthows
Arthows is a creative hustle where collaborative digital content produced under the Scripts and Bars project was presented and showcased. ArtHows Creative hustle features insightful panel discussions and presentations from participating content creators as well as a few remarks from project stakeholders.
Delivered by Kay Media Africa and UK-based Reprezent (UK), Scripts and Bars is a digital content creation programme that brings together 100 creatives from Zimbabwe and UK to deliver collaborative artwork across the Music and Literature sectors.
The project is supported by British Council in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).Working with creative organisations including Comexposed, Khura Agency and Page Poetry Alive, the project seeks to enhance the digital content creation capacity and enterprise skills of creatives and arts organisations in Zimbabwe whilst strengthening their livelihoods, supporting job creation and increasing their access to networks.
What Went Down
Arthows Creative Hustle took place on Tuesday, 21 June 2022 at Eight2Five Innovation Hub, Harare. Multimedia Designer and Creative Director at Kay Media Africa, Eugene Mapondera was the event’s Master of Ceremonies. The event was livestreamed on the Comexposed Facebook Page giving local and international audiences who could not attend the opportunity to view the work produced.
The 12 creatives that took part in the Digital Conclave mentorship programme and acclaimed writer, Musekiwa Samuriwo took part in a panel discussion where they shared their experience during the program.
The group gave insight into their experience with collaborating digitally and across sectors and the challenges in producing digital content creation in a short space of time.
Attendees of the event got a glimpse of the work produced during the digital content creation workshops, Vocal Vinyl Vortex, Forge to Foundry and Digital Conclave. The content included a moving song and music video titled, Desperate, a thought provoking audiobook called Spring, a humorously crafted animated video titled COVID Basking and a song called, Autumn.
Vocalist, Tahle We Nzinza, spoken word artist, Kuda Rice and music producer, Innocent Masamba also treated the audience with a riveting live performance of their song, Famba which was produced under Vocal Vinyl Vortex.
If the response of those in attendance was anything to go by, the performances and work produced by these creatives has proved that there is potential in the local industry, as long as creatives continue to collaborate and create.
About Comexposed
Comexposed is the organisation behind the Zimbabwean Digital Arts, Technology and Innovation Convention, Converge. Comexposed is the collective effort of digital artists and creators in Zimbabwe showcasing their work, progress, and dreams and aims to bring together Zimbabwean digital creators under one banner to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing and growth in skills. To this end, Comexposed has built a community of digital creators breaking the boundaries in Zimbabwe, Africa and the World.
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. http://www.britishcouncil.org/
About Khura Agency
Khura Agency is an A2B AGENCY – ARTIST TO BUSINESS agency helping artists do business creatively & efficiently. Khura provides the final connection with their audience, the smarter approach in the creative hustle.
About Reprezent
Broadcasting since 2011, and now from 3 shipping containers in Brixton, Reprezent Radio prides itself on its forward-thinking underground music. Reprezent’ s DJ’s and presenters all work in the music industry; produce their own music, run their own labels and club nights- meaning the station’s sound is always on the cutting edge of music- across every single genre imaginable.
About Page Poetry Alive
Page Poetry Alive (PPA) is a poetry collective that nurtures storytellers from page poets to Spoken Word artists with a focus on Youth Development and explorative work.
Founded in March 2017, PPA has become a hub for the growth of brands within the arts and culture sectors. It started as a hub serving a community of creatives from in and around Harare, but it has now spread to areas outside Zimbabwe and beyond: working with artists from Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, UK, Barbados, Malawi, USA, Mauritius and Zambia. The main aim being to practice art coexistence and encourage experimental work while facilitating exchange across art forms.