Artists & Projects Directory
The Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium
Founded in 2004, The Africa Contemporary Arts
Consortium is a landmark program designed to initiate, develop and sustain
a dynamic exchange of arts and ideas between artists, arts organizations and
public communities throughout the United States and the African
continent, through experiential opportunities that nurture dialogue and
exchange, allowing for organic connections to evolve.
TACAC
members have undertaken 25 projects with 30 artists from 15 African
countries - hosting residencies that give African artists creative time and
exposure to U.S. audiences and the performing arts field; producing work in
partnership with each other and with others in the U.S. and abroad; and
introducing African artists to U.S. audiences through national tours that
include performances and contextual activities. We have also taken 19 trips
abroad to see African artists' works and to strategize partnerships with
artists, cultural and community groups, and funders. Collectively, TACAC's
members have invested $2.5 million in our work to date.
At the heart of these ongoing activities is the Consortium's long-term goal to build a
lasting structure for equitable, bi-lateral partnerships across two continents.
To that end, members are participating in extended residencies with an
African artist or organization to conduct immersive research into the
circumstances for creating art in a particular location in Africa
and into the challenges these artists or organizations face, and to discover
mutually agreed upon pathways for future collaboration. Crucial support for
this initiative is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Fund for
National Projects.
Current immersive research trips include:
- Marjorie Neset, VSA Arts/North Fourth Art Center (Albuquerque) hosted by Panaibra Gabriel and Culturarte, Maputo, Mozambique
- Ken Foster, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco) hosted by the GoDown Arts Center, Nairobi, Kenya
- Cathy Zimmerman, MAPP International Productions (NYC) hosted by Faustin Linyekula/Les Studios Kabako, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Shay Wafer, August Wilson Center (Pittsburgh) to Toubab Dialaw, Senegal
- Philip Bither, Walker Art Center (Minneapolis) to Johannesburg, South Africa