Welcome to
Africanize
“If you want to go fast, go alone,
if you want to go far, go together”.
African proverb
Overview
‘Africanize’ is a forward-looking initiative aimed at challenging the colonial-collector mindset by encouraging discussions around collected objects and art, all tailored to captivate a diverse audience.
We aim to centre creative and engaging interpretations of the collection, whilst concurrently providing space for meaningful dialogues through workshops based on research conducted. Embracing a community-driven ethos, we are committed to addressing the modern consequences of historical power imbalances through artist residencies, community engagement workshops and collaborations with heritage institutions.
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Africanize
Our project targets a diverse community, including locals and academics connected by a shared interest in the historical and cultural significance of the artefacts.
We aim to engage this audience, fostering connections, igniting dialogue, and creating a project that resonates personally and impactfully.
Within this rendition of ‘Africanize’, Artist in Residence, Sipho Eric Ndlovu, has drawn inspiration from the University of Birmingham’s Research and Cultural Collection (RCC) to facilitate collective interpretations of African artefacts.
Ndlovu is a performance artist and writer with an avid interest in making art accessible to all communities.
‘I have always been passionate about community engagement and delivering quality, accessible art. My goal is to create pieces that inspire people in the community to explore their own stories through the arts.
I have been dedicated to this work for over a decade. What started as a personal interest during my teenage years has evolved into my professional career. The arts have been instrumental in helping me cope with my neurodivergence and speech impediment, allowing me to find my voice and express both my artistic and academic interests.’ – Sipho Eric Ndlovu
APPROACH
AND INTENTIONS
We hope ‘Africanize’ will serve as an exemplary collaboration between artists, communities and the academy.
We intend to share interpretation in a creative, engaging and well-consolidated manner, with space for discussions in workshops and open-invitation research days. Our approach is driven by our communities, who speak to us about the current consequences of historically unbalanced power structures.
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We hope this model will serve well as an example for community-focused, creative engagements of decolonial work between arts organisations, academic & heritage institutions It can provide a model of working between artists and communities and students/researchers from UoB.
The three stages of the project
Research
Artist in Residence engaged with academic research with support from the RCC team to interpret their chosen artefacts. Ndlovu’s findings informed the community workshops and creative outputs. You can find the full catalog of the African Collection housed at the RCC on their collections page.
Responding to Artefacts
Articles responding to the Research
Community Engagement
Community workshops saw local Brummies and wider national identities creatively interpreting the Artist in Residence’s chosen artefacts through poetry, dance, drama and roundtable discussions.
CREATIVE INTERPRETATION
Findings from research and community engagement workshops have informed Ndlovu’s ideation phase to create the following poems and short films.
Final output
Sankofa
Embracing the Past, Shaping the Future
“It is not taboo to go back
and fetch what you forgot”
A celebration of all the wonderful insights and artistic expressions Ndlovu has cultivated with communities, artists and academics.
‘Africanize’ is a forward-looking initiative aimed at challenging the colonial-collector mindset by encouraging discussions around collected objects and art, all tailored to captivate a diverse audience. Our approach centres on fostering creative, engaging interpretations of the collection while concurrently providing space for meaningful dialogues through workshops based on research conducted. Embracing a community-driven ethos, we are committed to addressing the modern consequences of historical power imbalances.
Contact us if you would like to Africanize your collection for museums, galleries, academic institutions, archives
Heritage Manifesto
There has been a longstanding disconnect between Young People of Colour and traditional heritage spaces. Our manifesto is a response to that problem. Co-produced with 10 young People of Colour, it details the areas where the sector needs to step up and make a change. Within its pages, you will:
- Understand why People of Colour passionately oppose being seen and grouped as monoliths
- Listen to a youthful perspective of what heritage spaces must do to challenge colonial perspectives, break down barriers, and address the erasure of histories.
- Learn why Young People of Colour believe it is important to tell stories relevant to today’s social, cultural and political climate.
DECOLONISATION-ISH
Decolonisation-ish is a book-lite from the Unlocked research strand on the Don’t Settle project. The book-lite is shaped by the research and interviews conducted by young women within academia. It aims to improve youth engagement and invite heritage institutions to kick the dust off heritage.
- Learn activities in how to engage young People of Colour and identify what heritage means to them
- Understand the difference between transactional engagement and authenticity to challenge tokenism
- Listen to a debate on language from the perspectives of young people, heritage organisations and Don’t Settle staff and consider – what would heritage organisations gain from this ?
Brand & Design by Brava