ANF January 2023 Newsletter

Hello Reader, 

Find out what Burna Boy and Tems did next, what influences African youth and what our narrative champions did next.

What’s Happening at Africa No Filter

1. We investigated influence in Africa: Who influences African youth and what do the youth think about Africa’s influence globally and stereotypical narratives? The Who is Influencing Who? Unpacking Youth and Influence in Africa report interviewed 4500 people aged between 18 and 35 in 9 African countries to find out. 57% of respondents said pop culture has the biggest influence, followed by the US and Europe (45%), and politicians (31%).  Read more.

2. We celebrated 10 new African artists to watch in 2023: After a year-long program where ANF provided space, funds and support to hone their talent, the second cohort of ANF emerging artists are ready to take on the art world. The participating artists worked on career-defining projects that showcase their various talents, from cookbooks, emojis and films to art exhibitions, documentaries, and photo essays.  Read more.

3. The ANF Academy has a makeover: The 2023 season of the Africa No Filter Academy has lined-up a series of 10 masterclasses. They’ll be delivered by world-class creative talent who’ll share their knowledge and expertise on various aspects of storytelling; from personal branding and mastering TikTok to successfully pitching a TV show. We kick off on 8 Feb with ANF Academy Presents: Produce an Oscar Award-Winning Documentary with Pippa Ehrlich. The director of Netflix’s My Octopus Teacher will share insider knowledge on the dos and don’ts of documentary production, coming up with local ideas that have global appeal, creating a winning pitch, building a gripping narrative and networking for success. Time: 2pm WAT | 3pm SAST | 4pm EAT. Register. Join the ANF Academy list here, and be the first to get news and updates.

4. And the winners are: We asked emerging visual artists to show us artwork that celebrates Africa’s creative power for the ANF art competition. We’re proud to introduce you to the winners; Tapiwa Mlinga, Lilian Cosmas Munuo, Emeka Goodness, Vincent Mbingo, and Emmanuel Ignatius Bwibo. Their artwork will be featured on our notebooks. More.

Keeping up with ANF Narrative Champions

1. The kind of stories that end up as critical news agendas are also influenced by ownership and representation - diverse voices lead to diverse stories. With this in mind, HEVA Fund piloted a project called Ascend Program to set up a cohort of 15 young women, queer, trans and gender non-conforming media practitioners to increase representation in Kenyan media.

2. There’s no doubt that pop culture is influential, but what happens to art and culture in the aftermath of a global pandemic, when lockdowns shut down physical spaces? The Jahazi on Popular Culture edition of Jahazi Journal has more than essays inspired by meme culture, hip hop, spoken word, film and children’s songs and rhymes, with Kenya and Nairobi as the backdrop.  Download.

3. Take a tantalizing journey through Abidjan with Afro Foodie, the food blog and vlog platform by Yasmine Fofana. Our partnership culminated in a series that explored Lagos, Dakar and Abidjan through food.  Tune in here for a taste of Ivorian street food.

Shifting Narratives
- documenting the narrative progress we’re seeing

Rolling Stone, one of the world’s leading music publications platforms, kicked off 2023 by updating its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Eight African artists made the list. They are Sade Adu (51), Miriam Makeba (53), Umm Kulthum (61), Youssou N’Dour (69), Simon “Mahlathini” Nkabinde (153), Tabu Ley Rochereau (178), Fela Kuti (188) and Burna Boy (197).

Hollywood is going to Ghana. Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish are re-uniting for Girls Trip 2. The sequel to the hit comedy will be shot in Ghana.

Tems’ winning streak continues. The latest feat is becoming the first Nigerian artist to bag an Oscar award nomination, for Lift Me Up, which she co-wrote with Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson in honour of Chadwick Boseman. It’s from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

That’s it. Remember to follow us on social media at @Africanofilter.

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