Youth Empowerment Through Contemporary Art (YECA)
YECA is an outreach program, targeting the student population of selected public secondary schools in Lagos through art courses, mentorship, and exhibition opportunities. The pilot of this intervention program was initiated by Ford Foundation and African Artists’ Foundation to train 120 students in art in several public secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria in 2014 and 2015 with the aim of providing opportunities for the acquisition of livelihood by young people.
The aim of YECA is to provide vocational training, the acquisition of livelihood skills, a solid extracurricular outlet for youths in secondary schools and to position art as a viable career path.
YECA empowers the youth with an outlet for creative expression through exhibition of their works in public spaces such as galleries and festivals, and to promote the use of contemporary art to highlight the experiences of the youth in Nigerian society. With past support from organisations such as the Ford Foundation, AAF has collaborated with several schools within Lagos, offering their students art classes and revising the visual art curriculum.
Talk Your Own Open Mic
Express yourself at the African Artists’ Foundation Open Mic event titled “Talk Your Own.” This gathering invites individuals to share their stories, poetry, music, or any form of creative expression in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.
At “Talk Your Own,” participants can take the stage and showcase their creativity. This event celebrates individual voices and perspectives, fostering community through artistic storytelling and performance.
Future Nostalgia Fashion Workshop
African Artists’ Foundation is delighted to announce “Future Nostalgia”, a fashion workshop and talk designed for creatives passionate about fashion.
Through this event, we invite creatives to step into the world of Africa’s rich fashion history in a talk led by renowned fashion photographers Adedolapo Salako and Morgan Otagburuagu, and fashion consultant Laisa McGrath. This talk will challenge perspectives, spark conversation, and open the doorway for the discussion of the nuances and traditional inspirations of the fashion of past and present Africa. Together, we will explore how emerging technologies will shape the future of African fashion, and the ties that interweave them all together, while opening the path towards a more inclusive and sustainable fashion industry.
