- 20 hours ago
This episode of Afrimaxx is dedicated to the continent's voices of reinvention. From the Accra Arts Center in Osu, host KMJ offers insights into Rwanda's music scene, amazing tennis balls, and lost wax art.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00This is Accra Arts District in Osu.
00:10More than just art and craft.
00:13A creative space that connects you to Ghana's heritage in fresh, meaningful ways.
00:20But before we dive in, let's take a look at what is coming up on the show.
00:24We see how Amazeballs is giving old tennis and pedal balls a new life in Cape Town.
00:29South Africa.
00:30From masquerades to masterpieces, discover the captivating story behind Valerie Fab Uche's vibrant arts.
00:37Then we move to Ghana to meet Kwekubediakon, the Ghanaian who wants to build the world's biggest sustainable clothing brand.
00:44I am KMJ and you're watching Art3Mag.
00:59Accra Art District is more than just a creative app.
01:04It is becoming the center of the city's growing creative scene.
01:07Joining me now is the co-founder, Flip Ejapon.
01:11How do spaces like this help young people to connect with their roots?
01:14We're very intentional about the experiences that we offer here.
01:17For each class, we take you through the history of adding craft symbols.
01:21We take you through the history of fabric making.
01:24We don't only teach Ghanaian dances.
01:27We teach a combination of dances from all across Africa.
01:32Music has a wonderful way of connecting us.
01:34In Rwanda, this power is being used in a new way to inspire change and support communities in a meaningful way.
01:44Music is considered the universal language of mankind.
01:48People meet, celebrate and connect through rhythm and melody.
01:51In Rwanda, music is now being used in a targeted way to drive social change.
01:59I'm on my way to Nyabihu District in a place called Bigogwe.
02:04This trip is part of the Isangona Musika Awards.
02:08And today we are expecting to welcome around 5,000 villagers.
02:13Radio journalist Alex Kabukere is the driving force behind the Isangona Musika Tour,
02:18an initiative that brings concerts to more remote parts of the country.
02:23It's three hours to drive to the western region of Rwanda,
02:26where he's preparing today's show in Bigogwe.
02:29The distance hurdle isn't unusual in itself.
02:32After all, the festival celebrated its fifth year in 2024.
02:36But the fact that the concert will take place outdoors is.
02:40And that in the rainy season.
02:43To be honest, it's a tough situation for us.
02:46But we are praying.
02:47Praying that God provides us with favourable weather.
02:54Despite the uncertainty of the weather,
02:56Alex feels confident it will all go well.
02:59Supporting him is a young professional team
03:01committed to making the show a success.
03:03They all travel hundreds of kilometres across the country
03:06to organise a concert that inspires meaningful change in Rwandan society.
03:11Why is music making a difference?
03:12Baby, give me your love.
03:16Music plays multiple roles.
03:20Entertaining people comes first,
03:22but it also advises and transforms people.
03:25This is one of the reasons why Isangau and its partners organise concerts at various venues,
03:32many of them at universities.
03:35The concerts are aimed at young people and go far beyond mere entertainment.
03:39They become an educational platform and convey important health messages such as AIDS prevention.
03:44But why the whole effort during the holiday season?
03:51The festive season often encourages people to seek more entertainment and enjoyment,
03:56which can sometimes lead to risky behaviours like unprotected sex.
04:01Alex and his team have hit a nerve with their educational concerts.
04:08The residents of Big Ogwe are still going about their daily business,
04:11but are eagerly awaiting the evening spectacle.
04:15Alex and his team only have a few hours left to set up the stage and sound system.
04:20The local authorities are supporting the concert as one of the rare opportunities
04:24for the locals to come together for a big festive event.
04:27Very soon, as young people say, this place will be on fire.
04:33This field will be full of people, and that's a big win for us.
04:37But just as the first spectators arrive and the show is finally about to start,
04:42it begins to rain.
04:43Will everything fall through now?
04:50Fortunately, things look very different on the other side of the country.
04:53At Niigatara University, another stop on the Isangona Musika Tour,
04:58the indoor event goes off without a hitch.
05:02Here, the audience not only dances, but can also get involved in a completely different way.
05:07The event encourages students to donate blood,
05:10allowing them to contribute to a life-saving cause right at the event.
05:15No factory manufactures blood.
05:17Therefore, it's our responsibility to advocate for and donate blood to those who need it.
05:22Interested donors are informed about HIV-AIDS and tested before donating.
05:27The mobile booth at the concert is part of the success of the campaign.
05:32It would be very difficult to go door-to-door convincing people to donate blood.
05:39But when there is an event like this, it becomes much easier to spread the message.
05:44Now I feel good.
05:45I have no problem.
05:48I'm happy.
05:50Back in Begogwe, where late at night, Alex sets off on the long journey home.
05:54After a rainy event, a rained-out concert, had all his efforts been in vain?
05:59We are confident that our message was well delivered to those who came.
06:06So, all in all, how did the whole event turn out?
06:11While some musical talents rocked the stage,
06:14the police also took part and gave advice on avoiding drug use,
06:21as well as promoting road safety.
06:23Always walk on the left side of the road,
06:30facing the direction of oncoming traffic.
06:33At the end of the show, not only did the rain stop,
06:36but the well-known singer Bouchali captivated the crowd with his performance.
06:40For him, music is more than just entertainment.
06:43It's an essential part of life.
06:45There is no one in the world who doesn't need music,
06:49whether it is a president, a medical doctor or a patient.
06:54The Isangona Musica Tour in Rwanda uses the positive power of music
06:58to get young people interested in social issues,
07:01such as health promotion and risk management.
07:04Because music is simply the best way to bring about change.
07:08Now, back to you, Philip.
07:15At what moment did you realize that Akra needed a space like this,
07:19which goes beyond traditional galleries?
07:21There was a gap in the markets for people that actually enjoy doing things in the daytime, right?
07:25People that want to get their hands dirty,
07:27people that want to create stuff.
07:29Realize that we're not really reinventing the wheel.
07:32What we're doing is we're putting immersive art experiences all on the same roof.
07:38Can you walk us through the typical activities and workshops
07:42that takes place here at the district?
07:44How about pottery, which is a hands-on pottery maker?
07:47It's actually in two parts.
07:48So it's time on the wheel, the pottery wheel, and then hand molding as well.
07:53Then there's my favorite, the splatter painting.
07:56Thank you very much, Philip.
07:57Thank you so much.
07:57We're going to have a dirty a bit later.
07:59Okay.
08:00What began as a simple idea to reuse old tennis and paddle balls
08:04has grown into an inspiring design movement in Cape Town.
08:07Now, this is Amuseballs.
08:20Paddle is booming in popularity
08:22and is the fastest growing sport in South Africa and globally.
08:26I've been playing paddle for 18 months now.
08:31It definitely is a new passion.
08:32I absolutely love it.
08:33It's a sense of community.
08:35So many new friendships.
08:36It's just been really great.
08:37And pretty quickly, Leslie Vatica noticed how many old paddle balls were lying around her house.
08:48But what do you do with them?
08:49And where do they go to die?
08:50So when I saw that a paddle ball only lasts two to three games, I did some research on how many paddle balls the world is using.
08:59And between tennis and paddle, we are going through almost 40 million balls a year.
09:04And in South Africa alone, over 100,000 people are playing paddle.
09:08So that's about 1.8 million balls and growing.
09:11And this became a sustainability issue for me.
09:15That's a heavy one.
09:18With background in advertising and training of young entrepreneurs, she was bursting with ideas.
09:25In December last year, we put in our first bin at one of the clubs in Cape Town.
09:29And from there, it really has exploded.
09:32We are now at 65 clubs across the country.
09:37And her garage is bursting with balls.
09:39Now what?
09:40We're making furniture and we really want to engage with the creative community and see what the creative industry can come up with.
09:48We want to really create some beautiful, interesting, creative pieces with these used tennis balls.
10:02Young designer Vusi from Native Decor came up with these incredible concepts.
10:10He jumped on board with the opportunity to create something and this is what we've created.
10:14He's also created some mirrors and some other items.
10:18But the possibilities are endless.
10:19But it was when she approached artist, designer and lecturer, Sandile Puzuku, that things took off.
10:28Sandile!
10:29Hi ladies, how are you?
10:30How are you?
10:31Oh my word, you finished it?
10:33Yes, so this is one of the products that we've been working on, using these pedophiles to recycle them and make sure that, you know, we put them to some good use.
10:42Sandile said his second year design students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to work.
10:47So at CPT we have what we call a will policy, which is work-integrated learning.
10:53This really is a mission that we have to allow students to start partaking in work while they're still studying.
11:02And so doing this, they gain this confidence we're talking about, they gain the entrepreneurship and mindset.
11:06So even when they do graduate, they still have a way to generate some revenue for themselves.
11:12So the reason why we went for a bench was because you wanted something that was usable for more than one person.
11:19The excitement and the love and the joy that they had for this material was so fun.
11:25And they were really creating beautiful designs and that just gave me so much pleasure.
11:31And they have really created some beautiful products.
11:36But she's most excited about making a change in these kids' lives.
11:45The idea is to crush the balls and turn them into like an astroturf or five-a-side soccer fields.
11:51So we really want to partner with companies that can help us crush these balls, mix them with a resin and turn them into fields and playgrounds for underserviced communities, underdeveloped communities.
12:06The first recipient will be the school.
12:10Headmaster Anthony Mayer says the kids are crazy about five-a-side soccer.
12:15Wow!
12:17Yo!
12:17As you can see, this pitch is all sand and clay.
12:21Astroturf will see that the sand doesn't dissipate or erode any further than where it goes.
12:27They will enjoy it here more.
12:29As you can see, they play with school shoes and now they can, if they have an astroturf, they can even play bare feet.
12:34The possibilities are endless and the balls are running in from around the country.
12:48The adoption of this Amazeballs program across the country has just given me so much pleasure and so much happiness.
12:56And when I see the joy that it's giving other people as well, you know, to make a difference, to create change, to let people start thinking differently about waste and, you know, creating something beautiful with things that we would normally just throw.
13:18Now, back to you, Philip.
13:20Which workshop is secretly your favorite here?
13:23Can you show me?
13:24Um, I'll give it to the splatter painter.
13:26We call it a mini-therapy.
13:28We'll give you, like, a red coat, a poncho.
13:30So, with this class, you don't have to have any experience, nothing like that.
13:34We give you some water guns.
13:35We give you some paintbrushes.
13:37We give you a water balloon as well.
13:39And then we put a canvas in front of you.
13:42And then, literally, you can just spray paint on it.
13:45And beautiful work of art comes.
13:48Next up, we meet Nigerian artist Valerie Fab-Uche to find out what makes a work.
13:53So significant.
13:56Imagine if the lost wax process used to cast the Binid bronzes simply didn't lose the wax.
14:02Would it still be a lost wax process at all?
14:05I'm exploring the ancient lost wax method of bronze casting from Binid and Anambra, using drawing as my method.
14:16I'm basically reversing the technique and making wax the primary material and piece of my work.
14:22Valerie's found wax draws inspiration from the ancient Binid Kingdom's bronze artifacts and the rich cultural heritage of the Iboku artifacts from southeastern Nigeria.
14:34Once upon a time, there were artifacts created here in Nigeria, in Anambra State, called Iboku.
14:40You know, and even though these artifacts were taken away, I mean, it still sort of influences the kind of work that is produced here in Nigeria.
14:49I mean, myself included.
14:51To this day, the bronze sculptures are still produced in Nigeria, following the casting method that is over seven centuries old and unique in Africa.
15:01At the end of the 19th century, the German Empire purchased over 1,000 of these statues from English colonialists.
15:09The artifacts were plundered by British forces during the raid on the city in present-day Nigeria.
15:15The Binid Bronzes, famed for their intricate details, were made using the lost wax method, sculpting in wax, coating in clay, melting the wax, and casting in metal.
15:26But how does Valerie translate these historical influences into her contemporary creations?
15:32Let's take a closer look at Valerie's approach to art and her so-called transformation of this ancient craft of lost wax casting into a contemporary form of expression.
15:43I love culture. I've always been a fan. I'm an Igbo girl from O'Hafia. And in O'Hafia, we have N'CBD.
15:50N'CBD is like iconography. And that is where my artifacts, biography, and investigation started.
15:57From there, I tried to make drawings using N'CBD as my take-off point.
16:02And then I discovered the lost wax method of bronze casting.
16:08And because I'm investigating material, I found wax to be a very malleable material.
16:14For the lost wax method, the wax in itself is lost.
16:18But in this found wax, we are keeping the wax. We are preserving it.
16:22So one of the ways in which I produce is I go and I buy wax.
16:28I'm experimenting with different types of wax.
16:30Currently, I'm using gum wax.
16:33With this, I then dye it with some wax crayons.
16:37And then I begin to sculpt.
16:39And one of the things that informs the way that I sculpt these pieces is the artifacts that I've seen.
16:46So the major influence would be the Boku arts.
16:50How intricate it is.
16:52How detailed it is.
16:53So those are the things that I try to incorporate into my sculpting, or would I say drawing, because it is drawing at the end of the day.
17:02By experimenting with unconventional tools and materials, Valerie pushes the boundaries of drawing and sculpting, redefining it as a dynamic and versatile art form.
17:14As much as possible, I try not to change definitions of things.
17:18I'm only adding to the definition of certain things, like drawing.
17:22In contemporary times, art can be everything and anything.
17:25But then there are still principles and elements that guide the sort of art that I produce.
17:30So those are my ways of balancing.
17:33There's a way art is supposed to look.
17:35There are certain elements that are supposed to be there.
17:37I try to make sure they're there or as manipulated, well-manipulated, as much as possible.
17:43So it keeps that palette.
17:45Wax is more than a medium.
17:47It's a bridge between generations, shaping the future through the past, especially for Valerie, to whom it is important to keeping history alive.
17:56I am an Igbo girl, and I'm very proud of my culture.
18:00And in any way I see to push both my ideologies, my creativity, and my belief systems through culture, I am always up for it.
18:10One message that I'm very particular about is the fact that drawing can be everything and anything.
18:15As long as there's movement, there is a drawing being created.
18:19And then again, because I speak about human experiences and the human essence, I want everybody to know that regardless of labels, regardless of gender, whatever it is that you use in an attempt to decipher yourself, we are all one and the same at the end of the day.
18:37We are all human beings, and this is our essence that matters.
18:40Valerie expands the possibilities of drawing and sculpting by using unconventional tools and materials, challenging traditional techniques, and exploring new creative expressions.
18:57So where are we and what are we going to do?
18:59So this is the hand-molding section where you get to make your own thing freestyle, then when you come onto the wheel, we guide you to make some pots, some vases, and yeah, people love it.
19:13Philip, what do you think of my masterpiece?
19:18I give it a 10 over 10.
19:20Great work, great work.
19:22You know what I mean?
19:22You put in a lot of effort.
19:24Thank you so much for the experience, Philip.
19:27Thank you so much for coming.
19:28Can I have it?
19:28Yes, sir.
19:31Can all clothes really be new again?
19:34Well, let's find out from Ghana's fashion visionary.
19:38This is the Ghanaian who wants to build the world's biggest sustainable clothing brand.
19:45Sustainability for me is...
19:49I mean, so many different things in one.
19:50How do we minimize wish?
19:52In fact, we are so particular about it, we actually built a brand around it.
19:56And we realized that if we are going to join forces with other organizations, we will use that to project the word sustainability.
20:05We will use that to reinvent, to reimagine, rethink what it means to be sustainable.
20:11Kweku Bediyaku today is officially partnering with the Basketball African League.
20:17And his eco-friendly sports apparel is loved by presidents and pop stars.
20:22But for him, this is still not enough.
20:25It feels more appreciated when you have influential people that have more of a say in terms of influencing culture, endorse your product.
20:35It's important we use this opportunity to celebrate everyone who has been part of our key success, to reward our African-centric culture, lack of excellence.
20:46And so, you know, it's not just about celebrities for me.
20:49I think everyone who wears chocolate, everyone who appreciates cacao is, in his own right, a celebrity.
20:57But Kweku's vision did not start as easy as it seems today, as growing up in an environment that has struggled with the remnants of overproduction since his childhood.
21:07What did it take for him to develop his own approach to sustainable design?
21:11I mean, to be in Africa alone, to be a black person, that in itself is a challenge in our industry, right?
21:21Although I might say that it's also, you know, very interesting to find out that, you know, our culture is now being more appreciated worldwide.
21:30You know, we had a lot of families pretty much have house elves and house boys.
21:35And maybe after a couple of years, you're then put into what they called Addisonia, which is go and learn the trade, you know.
21:41So a lot of the industry is full of a lot of OGs, solid, solid, solid people who know everything about the skill.
21:52What I've found to be a bit challenging is how to add the educational aspect to it.
21:59For us as a business and with our future plans and with what we've already started doing, we want to be able to offer employment.
22:07We want to be able to offer a sustainable skill training and a sustainable model that will go a long way in empowering our youth, informing their own businesses eventually.
22:19If there are a lot of offcuts from all the luxury pieces we make, we are part of the problem.
22:23And for me, I think that over the past five years, we've been very intentional in gathering all these wastes.
22:29Little did we know that we're going to create this new empire such as cacao.
22:34With Kanta Mantu Market being one of the largest secondhand clothing hubs, Ghanaian creators like Kweku Bediako are helping reduce the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills or clogged drainage systems.
22:49There's no one particular creative process.
22:51I think for me, I'm heavy on learning from my team, my environment, my community, different cultures, learning from the industry as it is.
23:00I tend to have a great, great, great network as well that I'm able to meet up with different people.
23:06So I learn a lot from them as well.
23:08All these goes a long way in influencing my creative process.
23:11Every single piece has a story.
23:14Every single outfit.
23:15Today, you decided to wear this denim.
23:17In the next 10 years, you might not wear this denim.
23:19Maybe you made your first million wearing this denim.
23:23That's the story your denim carry.
23:25These are the little, little things that go a long way in shaping all of us and making this world as exciting as it is.
23:32So this is for a client who is heading out to Afro Nation.
23:35So Europe, get ready.
23:39And so we live in a system where culture is now diffusive.
23:44Do we have African elements?
23:48Clearly.
23:48The idea behind the eventual cut, the eventual stitching is all African.
23:55Aiming to be the world's biggest sustainable fashion designer, what does that mean for Kweku and his team?
24:02And how can that solve the second-hand clothing crisis Ghana is in?
24:06I'm who I am because of people.
24:08And so we don't discriminate on whether or not, oh, because the president is ordering this, we need to stop everything we are doing to get that done.
24:15No.
24:15We are able to manage the process.
24:18So, yes, every brief is different and we will go ahead and attach a necessary process to it.
24:26But the most important thing for me is our approach.
24:28And our approach is usually the same.
24:30And we're constantly building a practice that will be generic to the business.
24:35So we are currently buying.
24:36We are not stopping.
24:38And definitely we are assembling old clothes into stylish and Afro-centric clothing.
24:43We want to be able to show that sustainable fashion could be modern, could be elegant, and could be also authentic, proudly African.
24:53Also, we are expanding into other facets, furniture, arts, other accessories, bags, leatherware.
25:00So as we don't forget to wear clothes, we shouldn't forget that the world is also depending on us.
25:05So we should be very deliberate and bring your stories mixed with our stories.
25:10And let's blend it all up and have great stories that the world will feel proud of.
25:15As Kweku Bediakou sets his mind on becoming the world's biggest sustainable fashion designer,
25:21one thing is certain, the world is watching and following Ghana's lead.
25:26From Osu in Accra, Ghana, we hope you enjoyed this touch of artistic expression.
25:33Don't forget to head on to dw.com forward slash Afrimax for more.
25:38Till next time, goodbye.
25:40Transcription by ESO. Translation by —
26:10Transcription by —
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