BAAF 2016

Festival Report

Bergen Afro Arts Festival

2016

Postboks 89 5803 Sentrum Bergen,Norway

Org.no 812411152

Tel: +47 91842878 +47 96826995 Email: info@baafest.org baaf@baafest.org  www.baafest.org

Creator of BAAF “Diversity is the one true thing we have in common.� Now that’s something to embrace.

And something we keen to contribute with in Bergen,Norway cultural life. Therefore funding this event is vital for cultural development; hope to get positive responses from your generous support in time such that we can use all our energy on promoting the event and hold educational forums and workshops.

Simbarashe Norman Fulukia

Bergen Afro Arts Festival(BAAF) celebrated its third edition in 2016, consolidating the presence of the BAAF in Bergen,Hordaland. The Bergen Afro Arts Festival presented a unique combination of free and ticketed events, both indoor and outdoor.The 3rd edition of BAAF attracted 875+ audience from Bergen,Hordaland & international visitors including her honorable mayor of the Bergen city; Marte Mjøs Persen who officially opened the festival.

BAAF festival is growing as one of the most important initiative to promote intergration & collaboration in Bergen and Hordaland region with a very high quality international programme, open to all audiences.

During the third edition the festival showcased educational forum combined with a intergration dinner were African food and drink was served and there were also entertaining dance, music, theatre and poetry performances by artists from Norway,Cape Verde, Uganda,Namibia,Sierra Leonne, Liberia, Kenya,Ivory coast,Chile,Venezuela,UK and Zimbabwe.

The biggest success of the 3rd edition of BAAF festival 2016 was the festival’s first African professional dance ensemble ;Simba Dans Ensemble ft. Bømlo Kulturksule students presented a new contemporary dance creation namely Shinga/Perserve in a fully packed Kulturhus in Bømlo then in front of the crowd gathered at festplassen in Bergen. And also the festival’s closing,the family day during the day were music,dance,art workshops,market plus a great lineup of the guest performers from Zimbabwe,Namibia, Cape Verde who presented their outstanding performances at Festplassen.In the evening the Ivory Coast multi award winning African pop star who was the headline artist for the closing concert gave an outstanding performance at Det Akademiske Kvarter.The festival introduced Det Akademiske Kvarter as the new venue for the festival due to its location; a fully equipped, facilities a diverse audience and being the Bergen University’s student center in the middle of the city. Since our birth in 2014 - present,BAAF have collaborated with 60+ artists from diffeferent walks of life and arts in the efforts to promote togetherness guided by our ongoing annual theme,UBUNTU(humanity to others/I am because you are).Plans for the 4th Edition of the Festival are already underway!

Recently in early 2016, BAAF in-partnership with Bømlo Kommune has estlablished a newly dance/arts & culture residency namely Bømlo DansLab in Bømlo, 2hrs 50mins drive away Bergen.The pre-BAAF will be coodinated/produced by Bømlo DansLab before the vibrant BAAF package is exported to Bergen for the festival week which have been running in Bergen city since 2014.

BAAF has also initiated outreach programs in southern region of Africa in Zimbabwe (Simba Arts Turst since 2015),in South Africa (Ubuntu Arts since 2015) to promote young dancers,to keep young people out of crime,drugs and gangsterism using the performing arts as a powerful tool to fight these scurges.BAAF has also introduced a Zimbabwean marimba,mbira music programe in Bergen & Bømlo culture schools that will see the festival engaging the youths in attempt of cultural exchange.Our short term objective is to supply and teach Zimbabwean marimba,mbira instruments in Bergen,Hordaland schools.Our long term objective is to establish a African Information Culture Center namely UP(UBUNTU PROJECT) to enrich African arts and culture and the same time provides counseling and reception to African immigrants in Bergen promoting social integration, equal rights and duties of everyone regardless of origin, sex, race, religion or social group.We keen to launch UBUNTU PROJECT in 2018 during our 5th anniversary.

“My goal is for Bergen to continue to be a city with room for everyone. I hope for and work for a Bergen that is inclusive and open, with room for different perspectives on life, but that in the end we can all share the value of Ubuntu: “I am because you are”. BAAF (Bergen Afro Arts Festival) plays an important role in promoting collaboration and integration. I firmly believe that it is a valuable resource for our city to have so many people with different nationalities and different backgrounds living in Bergen.

Regardless of where you are from, Bergen shall be lucky if you consider our city as “home”..”

– Marte Mjøs Persen Mayor of Bergen City in Norway

– Marte Mjøs Persen Mayor of Bergen City in Norway Simbarashe Norman Fulukia Creator of BAAF

1 forum

4 venues 1 Dinner

4 concerts

4 worshops

875+ audience

3 days of events

12 countries

1 dans kompani

4 exhibitions 12 Artists

Thank you, Simba, for making Bergen more interesting, fun, happy, diverse and remarkable! BAAF was great, I look foreward to fourth edition! !

Marte Mjøs Persen (mayor of Bergen city).

‘BAAF Festival, one of the most prestigious intergration & collaboration events in Hordaland.’

Arvid Sigmund Steinsvåg ‘BAAF Festival is a meeting of human beings as equals regarding which part of earth you were born and raised Deana Weeks but also readers who want to be physically close to these message-bearers who use literature to share and live together and pay attention to the things that really matter.’

Noe Cardenas, Blog: Wole Soyinka y el aguacate ‘It is a true jewel of culture and a celebration of African arts and culture.’

Natacha Isabel Velasquez Sæhle ‘ That respect, unthinkable in other parts of the world, will be my enduring image of BAAF Festival. I believe that it is the best of all images: that of harmony, complicity and respect, so that we all understand each other. So that there is no accent, no barriers of difference, and arts and culture continue to dispense dreams. The organisers should be very satisfied.’

Edvard Mjanger

4.

Artwell Neusu That sadza nenatemba and meeting Richard Bamusa na sekuru gora Simba Norman Fulukia and i wish i had to take Marley with hahaha cool kid and lastly Natacha Isabel Velasquez Sæhle's kids are the best " thanks baaf for inviting me to come that side Chigwida Phill All the performances where on point,and it wasn't easy to pick the best moment but I have to go with that moment the energetic Norwegian sekuru joined in the Simba arts dance performance at Festplassen Natacha Isabel Velasquez Sæhle To meet new people and get the privilege to host and get to know Daena Weeks and Artwell Neusu ❤ Preeyar Dangklub Preeyar Dangklub I feel family, and I love all music, I saw all smiling and happiness through out my camera.

Best of Bless for BAAF family Irine Lavik Meeting a lovely bunch of happy people full of warm energy. Thank you for the musics, danses, shows and for having me there with Minuttest. Much love ! $ Elizabeth Vatle Helgesen Meeting all the people, sharing a nice and creative weekend. Having a more or less open house at home. The song and dance performances, food, checking out the fashion collection from Natacha Isabel Velasquez Sæhle. And watching the elderly Norwegian guy very enthusiastically enter the dance at Festplassen. : 5.

– 4 positive editorial mentions in national & international media – More than 3 mentions generated in regional media – Free press worth 25000 NOK in regional & local media – 2 published interviews with various participants and spokespeople for the festival – 1 press conference preceding the festival, with more than 2 press representatives – 2000 programmes,flayers & poster hand delivered to the main cultural venues in Bergen & regional – 1 press conference held during the festival itself – 22 press releases sent to the major PR and news agencies – 4 press accreditations issued for coverage of the festival – 1 dedicated radio broadcast (NKR Hordaland)

6.

Bergen Danssenter Cafe Sanaa Bergensphere Bømlo Kulturskule Bømlo Kulturhus Kirkens Bymisjon i Bergen Batteriet Vest "Leve med hiv" Det Felles Innvandrerråd i Hordaland Bergen Kultureskule Cuba-Norge Dans Det Akademiske Kvarter