A Nigerian, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, an industrial designer, and 11 others have been chosen to participate in reimagining the future of their cities through design and creative problem-solving in a mentorship programme titled Building Beyond.
Building Beyond Mentorship is an alternative educational programme aimed at fostering thought leadership, promoting criticality, and reframing design-based practices.
The mentorship programme is organized by the Prince Claus Fund, in partnership with the Creative Industries Fund in the Netherlands.
The recipients were drawn from 9 African countries, their creative works are in a wide range of design fields that include architecture, urbanism, digital design, visual arts, photography, research, and performance.
The recipients are Hana Tefrati, a performer, choreographer, curator, and visual artist (Morocco), Russel Hlongwane, a cultural producer and creative industries consultant, (South Africa), Flavia Gwiza; architect and urbanist, (Rwanda), Ikram Hamdi Mansour, eco-architect and cultural project manager, (Algeria), Inam Kula, a storyteller from South Africa, Katesi Jacqueline Kalange, a visual artist from Uganda and Kwasi Darko, a fine arts photographer, digital artist and curator living from Ghana.
Others are Salma Belal, an architect, and urbanist (Egypt), Youssef El Idrissi, an artist, researcher, and cultural worker from Morocco, Mohamed Sirra, artist, designer, and researcher from Morocco and Yishak Teklegiorgis, an architect and founder of Zorit Architects from Ethiopia.
According to a statement from the organizers, the recipients will come together to jointly reflect on the future of cities and communities, while developing individual concepts that fit into their wider practice.
During the programme, the creatives will work on projects that reimagine the future of public spaces, community and functionality in their own contexts.
They will be guided programme mentors Ola Hassanain (Sudan), Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou (Togo), Khensani de Klerk (South Africa), and Selly Raby Kane (Senegal).
“We are excited to announce the 12 artists who will be reimagining the future of their cities through design and creative problem solving … With this programme, we aim to contribute to an ongoing conversation on how creative practices rooted in locality and community can lead to new perspectives and promote transformative urban agendas that change how we inhabit our world,” the Prince Claus Fund said.
