Nkabom 2019: Cultural Slums and Sanctuaries

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NKABOM LITERARY ART FESTIVAL in its fourth year will be spread out in a 7 day all-round  experience where literature meets art with society in focus; with panel discussions, book readings, poetry slams, workshops, mobile artist residencies, performances, exhibitions, a grand concert, etc in two West African cities- Accra and Lomé.

Nkabom 2019 Curatorial Statement

“Cultural Slums and Sanctuaries”

Cultural Slum is a term borrowed from the artist, poet, mathematician and scholar Dr. kąrî’kạchä seid’ou. From the historical standpoint and the emotive elements of geopolitics, to the layered material cultures and theories of climatic determinism. How are we designing potential futures around the rubrics of infrastructure with awareness about the historical relationship between global North and global South? Sanctuaries on the other hand, echoes the Sankofa feeling across board as emboldened by the “Year of Return” pronouncement in Ghana and Togo’s elaborate diasporic relations. Cultural Slums and Sanctuaries is an anatomical visitation into the decay of a body which was originally engineered to spark self-sustenance in multiple interconnected points. A haven and a hoax? Knotted together with other threads of oxymorons; crave of class and culture vultures, royal restitution and toxic commodification of culture, wider projects of urban transformation and cultural diffusion where assertion and stakes are granted or barred by gate keepers and ‘slum lords’. Processes elevating the slum and others which propel [its] decay. In seid’ou’s own words: “My over-identification with the cultural slum is an optimistic rather than a cynical one, constructive rather than resistance politics. It is to affirm and thereby help invent an alternative to the global mainstream.”

Collaborations and Inclusive Programming

Since its establishment in 2013, Inkfluent has become a vital force in the African literary and art scenes with a global appeal due to its many collaborations and inclusive programs.

With a cutting edge and refreshing approach to festival production, Nkabom has grown to be the home of a broadening and rich discourse that connects two capital cities in West Africa; Accra and Lome, with diverse and focused contexts aiming at building sustainable frameworks with interactive and inclusive community-based concepts. We invite you to join Inkfluent and Nkabom in a partnership that will meet the exclusive needs of your organization.

Participating Artists

In the context of Nkabom, pan- Africanism has constantly been the ideological rubric, creating the centre for intellectual, artistic and social awareness programming. Nkabom produces and promotes contemporary cultural production and discourse of artists, curators, writers, film makers, poets or slammers, students and performers, etc be it solo, collabs or collectives, who live in/have ties to/work on subjects about Africa. A space station enforcing cultural solidarity based on local, national, transnational, and international frameworks, spanning across multiple geographical spaces and projecting marginalised voices.

We work with the Togolese registered non-profits “Kekeli Lab”  and “Tsale Lekema” for this dual country production. With participants from over 20 countries showing interest, we are still confirming those who can make it to either or both locations: Accra and Lomé. Below are some of these artists…

Hind Meddeb- Film Screening + Panel (France), Break Ya Bones (France/Cameroon/Madagascar/Ghana), Mariusz Smiejek (Italy), Limbo by  Dominique Petit-Frère and Emil Grip (Denmark/Ghana), Christine Jean Blain: Workshop + Panel- (USA), Kate Savage Workshop + Conversation- Freedom Creating: Contemporary  Understandings of Art and Life Amongst The Ghanaian Creative Community (USA), Elom 20CE- Workshop + Performance (Togo), Julio Teko- Panel (Togo), Balims 1er (Burkina Faso), Raquel Lima (Portugal), Winnie Nketia and SASAA (Denmark), Tanya Evanson (Canada), Marie Mamonia and We Make Peace- Kids Workshop (Denmark), Felix, Sophia, Sahba and The Ashanti Vibe- Theatre Residency, Performance + Talk (Germany/Ghana), Slam: Vos de Levante. Roberta Estrela D’Alva + Tatiana Lohmann (Brasil), NYU Creative Writing Class (USA), Martial Panucci (Congo), Iro of Niamey du Rire (Niger), Malika la Slameuse (Burkina Faso), Kamal Radji (Benin), Aziz Kone of Festival International du Slam et de l’Humour (Mali), Amee- Slam (Cote d’Ivoire), Kumut Imesh- Film Screening (Italy), Alya Sirelkhatim (Sudan), Naomi Tekeste (Eritrea), Phoebe Boswell (Kenya/UK), Poetry Potion (South Africa), Mathew Oyedele (Nigeria), Lisa Greenaway AKA DJ Lapkat (Australia), Mind Art Recordings (Kenya), Kekeli Lab (Togo), Tsale Lekema (Togo), etc.

PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS. COURTESY INFLUENT

 

The Write Experience 4 Concert

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Inkfluent brings you The Write Experience 4 concert featuring some genuinely outspoken word artists: Akotowaa, Kwadjo Spiri, 86madeit and Beloved Boahemaa (Ghana/Canada). Special guest is Detroit’s finest Jessica Care Moore. Hosted by kwame write and powered by The Republic Bar & Grill.  “To unite poetry with music is to open a portal in human consciousness.

Bio of Guest:

jessica Care moore is the CEO of Moore Black Press, Executive Producer of Black WOMEN Rock!, and founder of the literacy-driven, Jess Care Moore Foundation. An internationally renowned poet, playwright, performance artist and producer, she is the 2013 Alain Locke Award Recipient from the Detroit Institute of Arts. moore is the author of The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, Sunlight Through Bullet Holes, and a memoir, Love is Not The Enemy and founder of publication company Moore Black Press. moore’s poetry is featured on Nas’ Nastradamus album, Talib Kweli’s Attack The Block Mixtape, Silent Poets track This Is Not An Instrumental, and she is a returning star of Russell Simmons’ HBO series, Def Poetry Jam. Her album Black Tea: The Legend of Jessi James is produced by herself and pianist Jon Dixon, and features Imani Uzuri, Roy Ayers, Talib Kweli, Jose James, One Belo and Ursula Rucker. jessica Care moore currently lives, writes and plays in downtown Detroit, where she is proud to be raising her 12-year old poet, visual artist, baseball loving, drums and hockey playing son, King Moore.  

 

Venue: The Republic Bar & Grill, 3rd Lane Kuku Hill Osu RE, C484 Accra, Ghana

Time: 8-11 PM

Free Admission   

 

Reading: Jessica Care Moore

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Detroit-based writer and poet Jessica Care Moore is visiting Ghana so it’s only right that Inkfluent partners with Libreria to organize a reading on the 30th of December. End the year well with Jessica she reads from her books Sunlight through bullet holes and God is not an American. Book signing and networking are in line! RSVP: info@libreriagh.com (Free – Limited Space). Find more info about the writer and poet on her site: jessicacaremoore.com/  

 

Venue: Libreria Gh,  PAMA House, Westlands Blvd, WEST LEGON, Accra, Ghana

Time: 6-8 PM

Free Admission  

 

Buzanga Books Launch + Workshop & Open Mic

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Buzanga Books is a non-profit organization spearheaded by writers, Claudia Owusu and Kwame Aidoo, with a mission to increase child literacy and creativity in Ghana. Buzanga Books collaborates with Jess Care Moore Foundation and Boxed Kids to put together a kids workshop led by Jessica Care Moore, Akotowaa, Claudia Owusu, Kwame Write and Kuukua/Prince Gyesi of Boxed Kids.  The 12 and Under Super Cool Poetry Open Mic hosted by King Moore is a Knights Art Award Winning Open Mic founded by 12 year old poet King Thomas Moore. Please save a spot by emailing your child’s name and age to supercoolpoetry@gmail.com or inkfluentgroup@gmail.com

Powered by Inkfluent and Jess Care Moore Foundation with support from Buzanga Books, Brazil House and Boxed Kids.

Slam Ghana

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Slam Ghana is the Ghana national outlet for poets to read or recite their original work without props, costumes, or music. Our events incite the creation and performance of poetry that engages communities and provides a platform for voices to be heard beyond social, cultural, political, and economic barriers. We have two types targeted at two different age ranges:

 

TEEN SLAM GHANA is our open welcoming space for teenagers to freely express themselves. Check out young people speaking to the most important issues of our time. Our events are in conjunction with National Theatre of Ghana. We are passionate about critical literacy, youth development and advancing interest in creativity and its potential for social change by engaging the youth with preparation and performance opportunities.

 

 

GRAND SLAM GHANA

Spoken verses are beautiful art forms that engage audiences directly and intimately. Our grand slam is open to poets and spoken word artists above 18. The splendor of word art on diverse themes and topics has got ours peaked every time. Come share with us.

 

2019 updates will be uploaded. Follow Slam Ghana on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Categories: Non classé

Says Her Ink

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In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we’re inviting women/girl poets of all ages worldwide to share their poems and stories with us. Get involved by tweeting at us or via Instagram (@inkfluent) using the #SaysHerInk tag.

Says Her Ink is produced by Inkfluent and features womxn poets. This video features Crystal Tettey, a Malagasy-Ghanaian poet and artist who uses performance art to inspire positive social change and whose performances often incorporate Malagasy folk music and organic instrumentation.

Concept:
Womxn poets on unlearning sexism, ending rape culture and disrupting patriarchal norms, practices and ideology.​

Details:
Accra- Continuing in its mission to positively impact the social fabric of African society through creative expression, artist platform Inkfluent has begun production of a spoken word film project dubbed Says Her Ink. The project, which features female poets from Ghana and the U.S., aims to be an audio/visual creative work geared toward ending rape culture and Ghana’s harmful patriarchal behavioral tendencies.

Sexual assault in Ghana is an inherently difficult topic to discuss, though it’s a topic that bears discussing. Advocate group Gender Centre Ghana reports that 27% of Ghanaian women have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and 1 and 3 women having been fondled or touched against their will. The Says Her Ink project was born out of a desire for women to have a voice on this topic in a largely male-dominated society. Inkfluent is hoping to communicate a serious topic in a colorful, expressive way that will shed a personal, relatable light on a complex topic. Inkfluent is a platform that works with artists to expand on oral history, literature and performance art intersecting with social commentary in contemporary times. Please contact inkfluentgroup@gmail.com for more information.

[Words by Tiffany Duafe Howard]

Categories: Non classé