Bubblegum Club

Tag: storyteller

  • Visual artist and storyteller Saaiqa unpacks the mind as a theatre in her series ‘The Fourth Wall’

    Visual artist and storyteller Saaiqa unpacks the mind as a theatre in her series ‘The Fourth Wall’

    “The day of birth for every human being is the start of a lifelong battle to adapt himself to an ever-changing environment. He is usually victorious and adjusts himself without pain. However, in one case out of 20 he does not adjust himself. In U.S. hospitals, behind walls like [those] shown here, are currently 500 000 men, women and children whose minds have broken in the conflict of life.”

    (Excerpt from LIFE Magazine’s 1939 article and photo essay, “Strangers to Reason: LIFE Inside a Psychiatric Hospital. The beginning of Saaiqa’s artist statement)

     

    Saaiqa is a Durban-based visual artist, writer and storyteller expressing herself through film, photography, installation and mixed media works. Plunged into the world of artistic evocation from childhood, her creativity was fuelled by a desire to understand, learn and observe from the world.

    From a young age, Saaiqa was involved in theatre and the dramatic arts which she took part in until the end of her high school career.

    “It’s interesting in retrospect, acting and learning how to inhabit another character from such a young age; I think you start to get a handle on how human psychology, experience and conditioning is translated and manifested in how we as individuals exist in the world.”

    Saaiqa’s fascination with the mind stems from a deep-seated interest in mental health. “I believe we all suffer from some form of neurosis; it’s just an inevitability. Even if you are not mentally ill we all have been marked by life in some way.”

    She continues to open up by saying that members of her immediate family are afflicted by mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Her first-hand experience with this has shown her how difficult it is not only for the person afflicted by the illness but for the person’s loved ones to navigate the world living with this illness. She expresses that it is difficult to help someone in this position within a system that is broken and not very forgiving or understanding when it comes to mental health issues.

    ‘Neurosis’ – Rorschach

    In unpacking her series Saaiqa explains that The Fourth Wall acts as a study of the psychological arena of the modern day human being. Through observation she has concluded that we are cognizant beings continuously attuning ourselves to an environment that is characterized by rapid change, causing both feelings of joy and of pain. Her aim with this body of work is to investigate this negation with life. This is achieved by witnessing the human condition as well as states of existentialism.

    “I was motivated to explore a project like this because there is still a great amount of stigma, discrimination and a lack of education and discussion regarding mental illness and health in society. This often prevents people from seeking help and, particularly in under-resourced communities, this often leads to unfair criminal incarceration, homelessness, substance abuse and even suicide.”

    Saaiqa continues to express that she feels that people have become more aware and are speaking about self-care but that she isn’t sure of the seriousness of people’s convictions. “I mean it can’t be this surface level thing; this romanticised tumblr type shit is not going to help people.”

    ‘The Tear’

    She explains the link that she made between the theatre and the mind by stating that to her it feels like the perfect metaphor. She sees the mind as a space where performances manifest. “It’s this place where we literally stage our fantasies, suppress trauma, where we interpret reality, create and destroy identity – it is a performance in constant flux. The theatre of the mind is where one continually finds and loses oneself over and over again, through the course of life.”

    To create this body of work Saaiqa’s process was research heavy. She emphasises the importance of research to her practice regardless of how a project conceptually or visually manifests. She had come to the decision that to approach this subject matter she would use alternative visual approaches that include a variety of mediums such as scans, photomontages, Rorschach prints and an installation work.

    “I observed space a lot; I also look at objects and still lives. I think that spaces and objects hold such power within narratives and can often be the centre of the most compelling images. It can also be important to consider, especially when certain ethical decisions need to be made when tackling complex visual stories.”

    ‘The Mad Scene’

    While creating this body of work Saaiqa was volunteering at a psychiatric hospital working in art therapy within the hospital. She regards volunteering as something that was very important for her to do. Although her series does not reflect issues surrounding mental health in a literal way, her experience in volunteering helped her gain a deeper understanding of different people who exist within alternative states.

    “And because this also hits so close to home it was both an opportunity for experiential learning and a way for me to give back/ improve the lives (even if in some small way) of these people who are all too often forgotten by society.  I worked in quite an intense unit, where a lot of patients had severe cases. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, even for me. The combination of poverty, economic strife, social stigma, lack of education, the exacerbation of some situations created by religion and culture –   all form an immense barrier and lead to disastrous outcomes for most individuals. I learnt a great deal about mental health and the state of healthcare in South Africa. I also learnt a lot about myself during this time as well as the lives of women, which was interesting. In that environment, you realise how fragile we all are and how we all undermine our own and each other’s mental health.”

    ‘Suffer Well’
    ‘Restless Chafing’
    ‘Penance I’ & ‘Penance II’

  • Transdisciplinary conversations on the realities of urbanness // Dr Njoki Ngumi to take part in the African Mobilities’ Johannesburg Exchange

    Transdisciplinary conversations on the realities of urbanness // Dr Njoki Ngumi to take part in the African Mobilities’ Johannesburg Exchange

    Dr Njoki Ngumi wears many hats in roles that stretch across various fields. As a result the word she uses to describe herself is “maker”, emphasising that her work transcends genre and medium. Her background in healthcare has helped her to cultivate her curiosity and care for small details, and this has continued to be useful to her in the arts space.

    As a storyteller, she is currently obsessed with what can be obtained through collaboration and collective effort. “It’s been played to its tired cliché end on SO many mediocre TV programs, but truly? Groups of unlikely people achieving unlikely things is the whole entire wave. Nothing gimmicky – just mapping how people build bridges to each other and love and fight and love again, as they set large fires and take many names. I did an odd little thread once on Twitter that was about an elite cadre of femme/fem assassins, and a surprising number of people really loved it, and it was about just that – odd, fierce, unexpected togethernesses.”

    Her storytelling style is in constant evolution. She loves drama, distance and spectacle, but is also wary of how this can sometimes privilege the story over allowing audiences to engage. On the other hand, she also enjoys more intimate weavings that require the audience’s participation in some way, resulting in a new energy or story at the end. Through this reflection, Njoki tries to find the balance in her storytelling to invite audiences into the worlds she creates or mirrors.

    Another one of Njoki ‘s endeavors is her position as Head of Learning and Development at HEVA, an East African fund that invests in the transformative social and economic potential of the creative economy within the region. The development of HEVA Capital and HEVA Forum address the questions of how creative enterprises can get access to credit and how an enabling, progressive environment can be created for these businesses to grow. Within these two spaces, Njoki identifies knowledge gaps and interesting possibilities, and figures out ways in which creative enterprises can access them.

    Working across disciplines is an important part of how Njoki frames her practice. Therefore, co-founding the Nest Collective was a no-brainer. She did  this in collaboration with 11 other  members, namely Olivia Ambani, Hope Bii, Jim Chuchu, Sunny Dolat, George Gachara, Njeri Gitungo, Kendi Kamwambia, Noel Kasyoka, Akati Khasiani, Mars and Wakiuru Njuguna. As a collective they are “a making, building multidisciplinary arts squad based in Nairobi that drops cultural bombs and then wears overalls to sort through the debris.” The collective was formed in reaction to the fact that mainstream spaces did not have room for audiences who were craving an engagement with work that is risky, quirky and odd. Since its inception in 2012 the collective has made films, visual art, music, work in fashion and write books. Each member of the collective has their area of expertise, but together they have built a think tank and creative melting pot for themselves. Through their collective they explore modern identities, re-imagine their pasts and remix their futures. Connected to this is how they unpack what it means to be young, contemporary and urban, as well as the possibilities of casting away existing scripts and design new outcomes.

    Njoki has been invited to be one of the hosts for the Johannesburg Exchange under African Mobilities. This has an organic connection to the other projects and roles that she takes on. “AM [African Mobilities] is about transdisciplinary conversations, negotiating the vagaries and glories of urbanness and challenging realities with communities and collaboration, and this is already a huge part of the Nest’s – and my own – practice.” Her work fits so seamlessly into the agenda for the Johannesburg Exchange, and African Mobilities as a whole, that Njoki will be doing a public performance reading at the Exchange.

    Reflecting on the importance of African Mobilities and the Exchanges they have hosted in multiple cities, Njoki stated that, “One of the most magic things about it is its determination to break knowledge and data out of ivory towers and bring it out directly to the people. We’re at a time now when knowledge sharing is possible in new and unprecedented ways because of the internet, but in many ways guides and people to open out and explore and explain new things in new ways are still so essential. That’s what AM is building, together with prioritizing multiple African perspectives.”

    The Johannesburg Exchange is taking place from 22-24 February at Wits University and African Flavour Books in Braamfontein.

     

     

  • Kampire Bahana // ColabNowNow Storyteller

    Kampire Bahana is a DJ, writer, art organizer and storyteller from Uganda, and part of the ColabNowNow residency. I had an interview with her to discuss her background, practice and the ColabNowNow project

    The various aspects of Kampire’s work have a tendency to overflow and interlink. “I started out writing about festivals and events that I enjoyed going to, art I thought people should see.” Kampire tells me that her travels to Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar in 2014 introduced her to Santuri Safari as well as some East African DJs and producers. She expresses that the people she met and the experience of it all seduced her with music – “the sound of a good party”. In 2015 Kampire assisted her friends in organizing and hosting the first Nyege Nyege Festival. She felt connected to a community of people she found who create beautiful art outside of the mainstream. “Now, more so, I am compelled to help make the art I want to see and hear, and the events I want to attend.”

    With regards to being a dj Kampire says that “I am not the best musician and I have no desire to perform for other people.  I just found something fun that other people seem to find fun. In the end, I only aspire to make my friends dance anytime I’m playing.” Kampire is a resident DJ at the Boutiq Electroniq and explains that they host underground parties that are out of this world. By being a resident DJ, Kampire has been able to connect with many inspiring underground acts and scenes across the continent such as Africa Bass Cultures in Burkina Faso and Amani Festival in Goma, Congo.

    In her practice as a writer Kampire has done work for publications such as Okayafrica, Jalada Magazine, Afripop Mag and Dynamic Africa to name a few. She writes on the arts in Uganda and other countries in Africa with a keen focus on cultures and music that she believes are carrying a strong message that people should know about. “I write to organise my own thoughts and participate in a community of like-minded young Africans who may feel like their values and opinions make them minorities in their own countries.”

    Kampire has worked with aid organizations such as the Maisha Foundation. She expressed that she has received some remarkable opportunities through her association with them such as working on the film Queen of Katwe and curating the art garden/Maisha Garden. “I got to showcase my favourite parts of the Kampala art scene in a non-typical location and one of the city’s few green spaces. Events there like the live performance of Doreen Baingaina’s ‘Tropical Fish’ have been a definite highlight.”

    The Salooni is a pop-up hair salon project that Kampire and her friends came up which began as a proposal for the Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Ghana that they wanted to partake in. The Salooni created an installation that has visited 5 countries on the continent as well as the United Kingdom and will be on display in Rwanda in either October or November of this year. “It’s our attempt to create a judgement free space in which black women can enjoy whatever hair they have, interrogate it as a history, culture and science and imagine futures in which it is a source of strength and not a site of politics and trauma.”

    When asked why she applied to be a part of ColabNowNow, Kampire expressed that she has always aspired to work with Jepchumba, the curator of the project organized by British Council Connect ZA. For her it seemed like a unique open-ended prospect to collaborate with some interesting people. Kampire’s objective for the residency is to “make some cool work with some people!”.

  • Nikky Norton Shafau // ColabNowNow Storyteller

    “My vision of the future is lead by a feeling”

    For Nikky Norton Shafau storytelling is about taking ownership of the past and the personal, as a way to create joy in the future.

    She does not identify as an Afrofuturist but finds that certain artists, aesthetics and ideas attached to Afrofutursim resonate with her. She is part of the collective Afrofutures_UK where she has, “delivered creative workshops, blogged and an aggregated some of the event as a whole. We created a tradition where each event ends with a plenary poem that sums up all of the discoveries made, which I create and share.”

    Nikky expressed that she sees all people as storytellers. For her, telling stories in nature in front of a group of people feels like the truest way to express herself. The point at which she starts to create something verbally begins with an image, so her relationship with writing has become more aural and visual.

    Taking this as a point of departure for how she sees the power of language, she mentioned that she would like to transform herself into a storybook. This started as an artistic experiment in 2015 when she wrote down the statement, ‘My name is Nikky I’m a little bit strange I want to become a Storybook’. Over the past two years this statement has come to mean more than she originally thought. “It is collaborative in its evolution, and it’s personal. It has become a statement about job titles, fitting in and personal transformation. At its heart I suppose I’m exploring ownership and the imagination.”

    The meaning of this statement has allowed the world to become her canvas. From discovering a ‘secret garden’ where she tells stories, to social media and blogging becoming spaces where she can present her journey visually as well as archive the stories of people in her network.

    Nikky has continued to create digital footprints through her involvement in mini experiments in digital spaces. “I created a simple online portal for a theatre experience I created called ‘The Adventures Of Sky The Reluctant Hero’…There were four ‘rabbit holes’ that people could ‘fall down’ to become more immersed in the character’s world before they came to the theatre experience. This included creative challenges, QR coded, a Pinterest board, a blog and a character Facebook page. Some people were seduced into the experience with letters that I planted in different locations  – park benches, bus seats, cafes. In the end those who interacted the most were invited to a VIP night time storytelling walk.” This combination of online and offline interaction made the character feel real to those who watched the production.

    Reflecting on being part of ColabNowNow, Nikky expressed that she is, “excited about starting in the unknown, the bloc party and having conversations that may breed collaboration in the future.”

    The final outcomes of the residents’ individual and collective ideas that have been fermenting throughout the residency will be presented at the Fak’ugesi Bloc Party on the 16th of September.

     

  • Lindokuhle Nkosi // ColabNowNow storyteller

    ColabNowNow resident Lindokuhle Nkosi shared with me how she views herself as a storyteller. She explained that there isn’t a specific point at which she decided to become a writer and to grow her relationship with writing. She adds that her writing has matured by being more honest and playful, and knowing that she has always been writing outwards regardless of that the fact that she wasn’t sure who was reading her work.

    “I’ve found that the things I’m writing of late are personal missives. To myself. To the people I love past, present and future,” Lindokuhle explains. For her writing has also become a container of memories, a way for her to remember all that she never wants to allow herself forget. She also sees her work as map-making and piecing fragments together; she is no longer interested in being coherent or right. “I’m more willing to be understood. I don’t know if that’s growth or petulance but I know it sits better between skin and spirit,” she adds.

    Lindokuhle is also excited about the idea of a re-imagined future, or what she clarifies further as “futurelessness”. “Time is a strange thing for me, even this idea of the future as this fixed point in time that we can arrive at and be, and become is weird to me,” she explains. Continuing from this she highlights how she has been thinking about loopholes and wormholes this year and what these mean for thinking about ideas around chronology. This ties into her MA in Creative Writing that she is working on at the moment, where she explores intergenerational trauma – the idea that pain gets passed on genetically. It’s a creative thesis, a fictionalized body of work that looks how violence folds into the body. She asks the question, “If I can accept this idea, the idea that my grandmothers experiences live in my body and affect who and how I am in the present…then what is the purpose of time? What promise does the future hold and who dictates it?”

    “I have a feeling that what white sci-fi has always described as dystopia is actually a shrinking of their privilege and a destruction of white supremacy. All the things we’re seeing now; increases militarization, the re-emergence of the Neo-Nazi, climate change – this is the world systems caving in on themselves, this is them working. This is what they’re designed to do. So things like shutdowns, like resistance and protest, the ability to arrest the future and bring it to a standstill, that’s what excites me. I don’t know that I’m the architect of any kind of future. All I have is a knowledge of how things are, the system that maintains it and allows it to exist; and an imagination. The ability to create new weapons, weapons that can not only resist but create.”

    Through all of this, Lindokuhle realizes the weight that words can hold, and that her primary economy is language. ” I hope to break things, to unburden meanings, to fuck around. To open spaces in the meanings, spaces in which we can inject ourselves so that sentences are not prison terms of definitions.”

    As part of the ColabNowNow residency, she is open to the ideas that will come to be through interacting with people from Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and the UK.

    The final outcomes of their individual and collective ideas that have been fermenting throughout the residency will be presented at the Fak’ugesi Bloc Party on the 16th of September.