Affirmative Art

New friends. My wish is to learn more about using art as a tool for change. Having worked in East Africa for almost 15 years, I have wanted to understand how we can use creativity to determine our direction in life. I have called it affirmative art, my wish is to work with people who have experience in using art as a tool for development. I am working on a web site www.affirmativeart.com and there is info on fb affirmative art. In August 2015 I will be a SPURS fellow at MIT and will use my year at MIT to learn more about using art for change. We are also developing the concept at a art school in Uganda www.niaadacademy.com. Please let me know if you know of anybody with this interest!!!

Hello,

I am interested in specifically creativity as a means of reconceptualising development and engendering new development in those countries that are being supressed in a global system.

I have only just begun a Masters in Development Studies, but this has been an interest of mine for a while. I don't think I will be able to contribute much information for you at the moment, but I would love to keep up with your movements and as I begin to form a better understanding of the interaction between education, creativity and development, share my ideas and practical implementations.

Dear Tessa
Sounds interesting, and I have worked with a ghetto art group called Masai mbilli in Kenya that may be interesting in this context. Most of the artists I have worked with is focusing more on the local corruption. The leaders in these countries are doing wrong, and they know it and show it (the artists). As for Affirmative art it is more about ordinary people, and art students identifying what they want, what they want it and what it looks like. Their purpose. But Dr. Kizito at Makerer may be a good person for you to talk to on this issues! Where are you going to do your MA?

Dear Tessa
I got the web site ready with more info www,affirmativeart.org

The site looks great. And I'm extremely excited by what you've got up there.

I'm doing my MA at the University of Sydney. Although the Masters is focused on a different concept, my interests and thinking are very much linked with what you've described as Affirmative Art.

Hopefully I can collaborate with you in some way. Are you still based in Kenya?

I am glad you like the site! I am based in Oslo now, will be going to Kenya in June and July, but will be based at MIT in Boston USA for one year from Aug 15 to May 16. I hope to continue working on this concept, but would like to understand more of how to use this tool optimally. That is looking at the best way for Aff Art to have an impact. I would love to collaborate with people like you! I understand you are looking at a different aspect, but I think finding a practical way to help people with direction using art as a tool is much more meaningful than look at why we are not working together.

I agree. I can definitely see how what I'll be studying can inform the application of Affirmative Art. Alongside my masters, I'm aiming to take up artistic endeavours, including theatre/drama, which I also think is an incredible way to help people understand themselves and conceive of their direction. I'm going to email you at the address on your website and hopefully we can keep in contact as we continue our studies and collaborate on this initiative. I'm very excited for you project, and how it will help me in my interests.

Dear Tessa, please have a look at the new web site for affirmative art www.affirmativeart.org
We plan to do a workshop here 6th and 7th of Sept. I know you are far, but will try to send you some pictures. How is the MA moving along!