Authentic Voices Africa (AVA) is a cultural connectivity and artistically collaborative movement that
brings arts practitioners from different communities across Africa and the Diaspora to collaborate on
arts projects, dialogues, exchanges, and gatherings (festival). Our focus is on identity, telling our stories,
inclusion and reconnection to our ancestral roots through arts & culture. AVA embarks on a journey to
share knowledge, preserve culture, and to celebrate our voices.
MISSION:
To provide an authentic experience that explores new approaches to artistic, mental health, social,
environmental, economic and inclusion issues with a focus on the struggles and challenges that
surround our communities through partnerships and collaborations.
Major Achievements 2021-2022
Authentic voices Africa carried out a number of activities in the time period 2021/2022 as summarized
below.
1. Created an online survey across Africa building a network of 80 artists from 32 countries in
Africa having regular online whatsapp meetings discussing on collaborations.
2. Hosted online discussions and podcasts featuring 12 artists from Africa & Diaspora focused on
identity, professional development and reconnection to our roots.
3. Organized an artist in residence program in February 14th -19th 2022 hosting 24 artists from 6
countries ( Africa and the UK) gathered in Kampala , Uganda for a creation process including music
collaborations producing a full album , drum circles and podcasts.
4. Organized a full week moving festival in May -15th -21st 2022, the international Hip Hop
appreciation week which focused on celebrations of our ancestry in different communities of Nakivale
refugee settlement (in western Uganda), lira district (in Northern Uganda) and the finale at Kitintale
skate park (in central Uganda).
5. Hosted a Culture connectivity symposium in November 2022, “Hip Hop history month” which
was inspired by the initiative to explore the elements of Hip Hop beyond entertainment where a
number of over 60 creative leaders attended and 7 creative facilitators trained in the different fields of
expertise on a weekly basis.
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