ANF July 2023 Newsletter
![]() Hello Reader, Find out how we celebrated African fashion and dance, check out the fabulous textile design inspired by gbegiri and ewedu soups, and meet Netflix’s first animated African superheroes. What’s Happening at Africa No Filter![]() We’re celebrating Africa, as we are: Mark your calendars, because the ANF Summit is back. The two-day event, in Nairobi, Kenya is all about celebrating the diverse and dynamic stories that are reshaping the narrative of Africa. We'll be bringing together our community of change-makers, storytellers, and trailblazers for an immersive experience filled with creativity, energy, and inspiration. The ANF Summit will feature workshops, art, discussions, performances and opportunities to connect with experts from the media, arts, and cultural sectors. We’re helping development communicators tell better stories: The Ethical Storytelling: How to write about Africa course provides tips and tools to help communicators undo the stereotypes that persist in many of the storytelling outputs of local and international NGOs, donors and foundations working on the continent. The course introduces ethical storytelling through four sections that feature examples, case studies and quizzes to test your knowledge. It addresses privilege and bias, highlights the importance of consent and context, and the need for investing time to build relationships with people and projects. Register here. We curated a list of young Africans who are showing their agency and urgency: For a long time, young people have been told that they are the future. But in Africa, they have decided to be the present. Today’s young people are taking up space, making changes, and doing incredibly interesting and daring things — From setting Guinness World Records to turning plastic into high fashion—or creating personal AI chatbots. Read more. We have a message for African storytellers: Why are we advocating for better representation of Africa by telling better stories about the continent, and telling stories about the continent better? Moky Makura was at the Cannes Film Festival, where she spoke about the power of film in shaping perceptions about Africa. Tune in. We’re helping you understand the business of filmmaking: What does it take to make it in the global film industry? Join the Africa No Filter Academy Presents: The Business of Filmmaking masterclass. Award-winning casting director Victoria Thomas will be sharing expert tips and tools on the fundamentals of filmmaking, from concept and the industry's value chain, to networking and branding yourself. Date: 24 August. Time: 2pm WAT, 3pm SAST, 4pm EAT. Register here. We celebrated African cultures: What comes to mind when you see the word ‘African’? The tribal and exotic or vibrant and modern? African cultures are a combination of values, beliefs, practices, art, music, food, and so much more. "African" is more than a single concept. We juxtaposed some traditional and contemporary expressions of African cultures through fashion and dance. Join us to expand the definition of ‘African’ by showcasing your African reality, using the hashtag #AsWeAre. Tag us @Africanofilter on your posts and photos and we’ll repost you. Keeping up with ANF Narrative Champions ![]() 1. Can African food inspire fashion and textiles? Haneefah Adam, who created a Google Doodle inspired by jollof rice, believes so, so she turned Gbegiri and Ewedu soups into a fabric. The result is as stunning as the soups are delicious. 2. What happens to a language when its last speaker ages? Gregory Mohale’s Language of My Soul follows the story of Ouma Katrina Esau, the last speaker of the N|uu language, as she embarks on a remarkable journey of self-discovery while grappling with the question of what will happen to her language when she dies. Watch the trailer. 3. African women are often depicted as powerless and lacking agency, a narrative that the KaBrazenpodcastis changing through content that introduces “brazen African women” to audiences. Check out this episode about sisters Fatima and Maryam al-Fihri. They dealt with the grief of their father’s death by using their inheritance to create the world’s first university in Fez, Morocco. The University of Al-Qarawiyyin is still operational. Shifting Narratives Netflix has premiered its first original African animation series. The Supa Team 4 follows the adventures of four undercover teen superheroes as they use their powers to fight crime in a futuristic Lusaka. The series is created by Malenga Mulendema. The world’s best destination is in Africa. The Telegraph newspaper recently asked readers to vote for their best destinations. South Africa topped the list as the world's best tourist destination. Kenya and Botswana also made the cut at number Kenya and Botswana, ranking at number seven and number 10. Nigerian novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ has been long-listed for the Booker Prize. It’s for her second novel, A Spell of Good Things, which examines class in modern-day Nigeria. She is the fifth Nigerian novelist to be nominated for the Booker. Mali removed French as its official language in a referendum that had 96.91% approval for the move to distance the country from its colonial history and identity. The country now has 13 national languages including Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fula, Hassaniya, Kassonke, Maninke, Minyanka, Senufo, Songhay languages, Soninke, Tamasheq Breaking one world record is an incredible feat but for Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon, one was not enough. This month, she ran in the 1500M Florence Diamond League, the 5000M Paris Diamond League and the Mile Monaco Diamond League - and set new records in all the races. Her records stand at 3:49:11 for the 1500M for the Florence Diamond League, 4:07:64 for the Monaco Diamond League and 14:05:20 for the Paris Diamond League. That’s it. Remember to follow us on social media at @Africanofilter. Want to receive this newsletter in French? Subscribe here. |