[spectre] Artist Exchange Initiative with Sculptors in Zimbabwe

[Rini Hartman]

To: "nettime-l at bbs.thing.net" <nettime-l at bbs.thing.net>
Subject: <nettime> Artist Exchange Initiative
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 12:29:38 +0100
From: "Rini Hartman" <rini at artforsocialchange.net>


From: David Jamali <mavamboartistspace at yahoo.com>


Dear friends,

I am the founder of Mavambo Artist Space a community based organisation
in Harare, Zimbabwe. I am currently based in Melbourne Australia. I am
supporting a collective of Stone Sculptors in Zimbabwe, who are also
providing training to Aids Orphans through the Mavambo Artist Space
which is currently housed at my motherˆÇ¬ís place in Tafara a township
located 20km east of Harare.

I was wondering if there are any artists collective particularly in South
Africa or anywhere that could host some of the artists in a residency
program for a period of time. I can contribute transport costs to and
fro South Africa for two artists from Harare to spend some time working
with a collective or more in South Africa. The Artist are prepared to
share their skills with interested groups and at the same time would
love to work in a different environment and organise an exhibition
together with the local artists to highlight some of the challenges
being faced by Zimbabwean Artists. The artist will need help with
accommodation, food for the duration of their stay in South Africa and
in return can also do some volunteer work to compensate any organisation
that would love to host them.

If there are any interested organisations please send me an expression of
interest and together we can develop the Terms of Reference for the
exchange program. In future we can also organise artist from other
places to come and spend some time in Zimbabwe working with local
sculptors through the Mavambo Artist Space.

I am looking forward to hearing from you


David Jamali
Founder/International Relations
mavamboartistspace at yahoo.com

PS: Perhaps people in the Southern Africa region we could develop a
regional Artist Exchange Initiative to facilitate an skills exchange
program. Anyone love to develop this idea?





ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
a belief in cultural, creative and integral expression as a means to
affecting deep and lasting social change

Art for Social Change is creative expression that emerges from artists to
improve individual and collective circumstances. Art for Social Change
involves an understanding of creation that includes not only objects,
but also geographic locations, groups of people and collective
consciousness.

Social artists are concerned with the many ways art can function, like
community development, the environment, education, intergenerational
communication, healthcare, technology, politics, conflict resolution,
community regeneration and cultural citizenship. They are working in all
media, in all disciplines, in all locations.

Social artists are committed to bringing the arts to bear on the widest
possible range of social conditions and challenges facing our society.
These efforts seek to create social change at every level of society,
from personal to political.

At the heart of this social vision is a belief in cultural and creative
expression as a means to affecting deep and lasting social change. Art
becomes a political act, a conscious effort to facilitate and
participate in social change.

Art for Social Change is an expression of both individual and group
identity. All creative expression is an expression of both individual
and group life. Instead of an isolated individual, the artist serves as
a cultural catalyst of social intervention and transformation.

Through art, we can challenge many of our society's deepest assumptions,
such as the boundaries between self and other, 'artist' and
'non-artist', present and past, male and female, young and old,
'normal'
and 'abnormal'. The social artist builds upon the power of artistic
creation and expression to spark new ideas, catalyze critical thinking,
elicit new actions, inspire individuals and create visions.

If the majority of the people do not believe in the possibility and the
rightness of their common cause, nothing long-lasting will be changed.
This is where art and artists play an essential role. If we want
freedom, we must promote free expression. If we want equity, we must
have equal access and support in expressing ourselves.

If we want respect, love and beauty among us and others, we must actively
promote it through our art.

http://www.artforsocialchange.net
http://www.digicarefoundation.org
http://www.chequedelarealidad.org


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