shapeshifters tag feed: africa

African Intellectual Property news

Rory — tue, 01 apr 2008 23:09:26 +0000

A friend of mine is involved with an interesting blog that provides Intellectual Property news, information and comment covering Africa.

http://www.afro-ip.blogspot.com/

All African Image Library

ericpoe — sun, 30 mar 2008 22:10:34 +0000

http://www.africanpictures.net is the only online marketplace I know of that features exclusively African photographers. I have found amazing work on their site. Here is what they say about themselves in their mission statement: "AfricanPictures has a vision to enable picture buyers and photographers to have access to each other so that African photographers can tell Africa´s story on the international stage."

Send Easter Greetings as a Personalised Film

josimon — tue, 18 mar 2008 16:40:30 +0000

Dear all, if you would like to send a beautiful personalised film to your friends and loved ones check out our new soulhood easter greeting-project here:

http://soulhood.gingco.net/ostern2008/

By spreading the word about it and sending many films we will again collect some important donations for our children house and our Multi Purpose Education Center in Dar, Tanzania.

The text in the film says "Frohe Ostern" which is german and means "Happy Easter".

http://www.soulhood.org

creative industries in Africa

JohnHowkins — wed, 09 jan 2008 19:28:36 +0000

Hi,
I am working on a great project to develop creative businesses in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding RSA). We are looking for businesses that already are, or have the potential, to export their products outside Africa. We're focussing on crafts, film, animation and arts, but are willing to look at other sectors. The project is run by the same company that worked on the Ethiopian coffee initiative whereby the Ethiopians started to trademark and brand their coffee, thereby increasing their share of the consumer price, and alleviating poverty. We are looking for individuals or businesses that would similarly benefit from some IP management to increase the value of their exports. If you know of people or businesses who fit this description, please let me know. Thanks! John

Australia/New Zealand/Africa/South Am.+London

manu — fri, 23 nov 2007 11:16:14 +0000

Hey there from Berlin again,

my request on Shapeshifters, looking for people and places to join BCN was quite useful and successful (Setting up a BCN-port in your city. requested on 10 aug 2007, 13:43). Only two months later we could announce the opening of the second plug & play office this time in the Mojave-desert! (Mojave meets Berlin news provided on 12 oct 2007, 11:31)

Now we are looking for the next location better for the next person who is interested to join the BCN-network and setting up the next global plug&play office in her/his city. Again Cities as well as Drop-out zones are very interesting for us!

This time our focus is on the southern hemisphere. Australia and New Zealand, Africa and of cause South and Latin America. But if you are from somewhere else and interested, please dont hesitate our current aim is to set up at least one plug&play office for global nomads on each continent within the next year lets see if well make it that fast ;)

Everything in detail on my first posting or on our website http://www.TheBusinessClass.Net under IDEA and FAIRCHISE.

I am thankful for every feedback, ideas, connections & contacts, links ...
Cheers Manu

One more thing: Many of our Members asking when well open the next office in London. We dont have any direct (better say helpful) contact to people in London who might be interested joining our office-network.

Exploring Gambia

bab — tue, 20 nov 2007 22:53:02 +0000

I will be travelling to Banjul by the end of the month and would be very happy to learn about the local arts scene - interesting places, people, contacts in the field of visual or any kind of contemporary arts - probably with regard to a collaboration on a kind of exchange project that I just start working on.
Is there anyone who could help me with some recommendation or contact ?
thx & all the best !

design indaba contact?

flofo — mon, 01 oct 2007 18:56:57 +0000

hi,

i think the conference desdign indaba in cap town would be a perfect place to present my last photoproject ( http://evolutionlab.net/gods.htm there some of the pictures).
do anyone know somebody there, i could contact?

thanks,
florian

Exhibition in Public Space

flofo — thu, 06 sep 2007 09:08:11 +0000

YOU ARE GODS is a photo-project I have produced earlier this year in Ghana. It is a series of portraits and deals with western asserted values and sanctimoniousness. Part of the idea is that it has to be shown on public places, on billboards etc, to get a discussion going.
You will understand why when you see the pictures, I have put some of them in here:
http://evolutionlab.net/gods.htm

I am not experienced in organising thinks like this, neither in getting sponsors or checking the places, getting the permits, partners and so on.
So I'm asking for someone who could help me with these things.

Every western city would be good for this project!
(Peters place in front of the Vatican would be perfect, but that might be asked too much)

The whole set consists of 80 portraits, respectively 25 different text-boards.
Not all of them has to be shown, but 25 would be great.

It would be great if anyone likes the idea and would like to help to realise it.

florian fossel

Here is a text Stefan Ortis wrote on the project:

At first glance this serial of portraits seems to be a random compilation of people of all ages, social classes and different ethnics. There is not even a prevalent mood to be seen in their facial expression. They appear serious or smiling, some doubting or shy and others looking offensive or even hostile.
However, what serves as a link between them all are those gaudily painted signs. We recognise quotes from the New Testament but they seem modified, somehow manipulated. Some arrangements correlate perfectly with the content while others seem to be totally out of sense. Some do have a nice calligraphy while others are giving us the impression of having been done on computers long outdated. Is there a connection between the attendees and the signs they are holding? We are compelled to look for a link between the face we see and the message we read. In a few cases the expression is corresponding with the lines. But in others what we might see are the innocent eyes of a child heralding hell on earth.

What the artist is showing us is an ironic perspective on the ambivalence of our existence. Islamic leaders interpret the Koran and manipulate its suras in order to drive their disciples into a holy war. The leader of the mightiest Christian nation generalizes the word of Jesus when saying Who that is not with us, is against us in order to start a worldwide conflict beyond compare. But we dont seem to notice this schizophrenia within our civilisations. The pope is on best terms with that American warlord. Together they spread salvation and so called western values in their Christian terminology.

In Ghana in West Africa anyone who has his own little shop puts a bible quote in front of it. God will provide Supermarket. Higher Authority Beauty Parlour, Holy Spirit in Charge Communication Centre, Innocent Blood - Chop Bar. What becomes obvious is the omnipresence of Christian terminology in everyday life. But the gap between words and action cannot be neglected. So we may find a devote churchman unscrupulously having sex with his neighbours wife. May he be the one holding the sign, Love thy neighbour as thyself? This is when the present work turns into a bewildering dialogue of contradiction.

This serial of photos can therefore be seen as highly amalgamated impression of one country. Beyond that, seen in the artists ironical way however, it is a metaphysical depiction of the world we live in.

ortis

Looking for Nollywood contacts

MarkF — wed, 08 aug 2007 16:30:50 +0000

Nigeria has the third largest film industry in the world. It has established itself in less than thirty years. Where has it come from? How has it grown so quickly? I know that this is a small budget quick turn around business, budgets per film are around $10,000 and films completed in three weeks.

Does anyone have any contacts from Nollywood who might be able to explain the history and operations of the industry?

Rebranding of Africa...

mojisola — thu, 07 jun 2007 15:22:04 +0000

Hi there,

I'm trying to find people/design/companies/orgs/trade shows/events etc who are involved in Africa's contemporary culture and design industries.

I've come accross a couple of new mags (www.bhfmagazine.com) and someone here recommended Design Indaba which was a great find, thanks for that!

Any other recommendations on what's going on in Africa that I should know about?

Contact: rachel@mojisola.co.uk

Music Programs Around the World

Noortje — mon, 28 may 2007 10:47:46 +0000

Hi All,

After I'm graduated, I would like to work for a couple of music programs from February 2008 and on around the world? I don't have a particular area in mind for this program, so I'm open for all suggestions....
Is there anyone who can help me?

Cheers,
Nora

Tha Ant I

antiklok — thu, 24 may 2007 13:59:11 +0000

Greetings All,

am seeking an opportunity to travel thru the EU and ultimately the world in its width, making new acquaintances. Any socialists out there, please send some help my way. I write/rap (poetry/hiphop) and make friends for a living.

let's break parametres, sharing info.
The world is a smaller place and shrinking.

peace.

intro

radical — sun, 13 may 2007 05:52:31 +0000

* Freelance hair and make-up
* Stills and commercials
* Special events (e.g. weddings)

http://enrique.iblog.com

Great Graphic Designer from Cape Town

muesli — wed, 11 apr 2007 13:01:15 +0000

I'd like to introduce a young graphic designer from Cape Town: Ruan Deyzel. I stumbled across Ruan via the Smashing Magazine Logo Contest which he won with a simplistic yet impact-strong design (see below). The logo contest page features interesting designs from other designers, too.

So if you're looking for a great graphic designer who does the web2.0 touch, Ruan might be your man.

Ideas that Matter

milo — wed, 28 mar 2007 16:44:23 +0000

for those beyond you, who are involved into graphic-design or editorial design, the "sappi ideas that matter" programm is worth to go for. they fund creative community-relevant projects around the world with a whole of USD 1 million for 2007.
http://www.sappi.com/ideasthatmatter