THE AFRICA PRIME INITIATIVE – SUPPORTING CREATIVES WORKING IN THE VISUAL ARTS IN AFRICA



Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic the creative industry around the world has suffered. Actors and other performers, writers, producers, technical crew, and the whole host of talented people involved in putting on the TV shows, films, plays and other art forms we love so much have found themselves out of work and struggling. This is even more true in developing economies, such as in Africa, where governments simply do not have the resources to fund the furlough schemes we have seen rolled out in advanced economies.
 
Helping creatives in Africa to get back on their feet and producing new work is not just good for creating employment and helping to drive economic growth, but it is good for the soul of a nation and is vital work.
 
The challenges of the past year have been one of the main motivations for launching the ‘Africa Prime Initiative’ (API), the new philanthropic arm of Africa Prime, the video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform curating pan-African content for a global audience.
 
Africa Prime’s main objective is to provide African content creators with a platform to showcase their talent around the world and take control of Africa’s narrative. API will look to support creatives in the visual arts on an individual basis with grants and prizes – this will ensure we are nurturing local talent and helping to develop the African storytellers of the future. Only in doing so do we believe that in the future Africans will be able to take sovereignty over the continent’s narrative and create content that is authentic and will resonate around the world.
 
By providing aspiring creatives in the visual arts space across the continent with tangible resources, we are empowering them to take ownership of their stories and shape how they want Africa, and Africans, to be perceived.  Across the African continent, the talent is present, and so is the hunger to learn, perfect their craft and become self-reliant. Focusing on knowledge as a resource by funding training and mentorship programmes, and equipping creatives with the necessary tools to thrive, will bear fruit.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. I am confident that the more we invest locally, the more we’ll harvest globally.
 
As API’s work grows and develops, more information, including on eligibility and how to apply for support, will be made available on our website. Further announcements will be made in due course.
 
To find out more about API, please visit: https://africaprimeinitiative.com/
 
To find out more about Africa Prime, please visit: https://africaprime.com/

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