Promoting artistic expressions by vulnerable groups

This project of the National Art Gallery of Namibia aims to deliver cultural services to disadvantaged communities with no access to cultural facilities (in particular, rural youth, women and people living with HIV/AIDS) and to promote artistic expressions as tools for generating income. This will be achieved with the help of a mobile exhibition system and will involve training in modern and traditional artistic techniques through workshops.

• Organized the ‘Mobile System Exhibition’ programme to extend cultural services to young people and teachers living in rural communities in 13 regions.
• Carried out training sessions to boost beneficiaries’ self-esteem and confidence.
• Organized 13 training workshops in each of the regions of Namibia on different art forms, techniques and methods of production.

• Preparing and organizing a regional arts and crafts mobile exhibition;
• Holding workshops in the four identified regions (Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati) for twenty artists and two schools;
• Organizing a study trip with a group of regional artists;
• Reviewing and mapping out successes and failures of arts and crafts projects to create a best practice template;
• Providing feedback reports from participating stakeholders and beneficiaries, including on the environmental aspects of arts and crafts production; and
• Promoting the creation of a network for teachers and artists and setting up a database to facilitate exchanges.