Foundation for Social, Artistic and Creative Projects
picture taken from ‘African Footprint’ performing sunday at TrailerPark 08. amazing!
We are very very proud to announce that TrailerPark Festival 08 managed to make a profit of 70.000 kr to ‘Art To Action - Social Innovation Ghana’. We would like to thank all the artists, dj´s bands, volunteers and supporters who helped make this possible. We hope everyone wishes to support again next year!
Love from HeartRebels and ArtRebels Crew
The wonderful TRAILERPARK FESTIVAL posters are now available for sale for 200 dkr each at www.ArtRebels.com and This Issue, Blågårdsgade 14, Cph N! All proceeds still go to the ‘Art To Action - Social Innovation Ghana‘ project, so feel free to buy plenty ;o).
The ten posters are made by Theis Wendt, SHFT, Mai Sydendahl, GoAheadRobUs, Mathias Malling Mortensen, Maria Torp, Jacob Tolstrup, Hvass&Hannibal, Anika Lori and Andreas Emenius. Thank you very much for the contributions!
With a background within international relations, development, politics and economy have we, Mia Beyer and Maja Hedin, become very interested in youth, empowerment and development, which thus have become our theme of our final master thesis in African Studies, at the University of Copenhagen. We have both worked with youngsters, among others, in Africa and have since we left, been felt with this urge for coming back to continue work and research.
As we have stated before Heartrebels’ aim is to break down barriers between cultures and people, and it focuses on local micro-processes in an attempt to build global platforms for communal growth through creative cooperation - and by going to Ghana we wish to extent our knowledge to qualify our work, as well as spread the word about social responsibility. Hence this is also one of the reasons for why we contacted the Ghana Friendship Groups.
The approach Ghana Friendship Groups are taking to development is very much in line with how we see and understand development and empowerment, which we regard as a participatory, sound and holistic approach of how to deal with matters, that may be obstacles in the process of making a more flourishing society for all. We have proposed to make/create different workshops in Ghana with the youngsters of the Youth House in Tamale in collaboration with the youngsters and Ghana Friendship Groups, and we are so grateful that this was met with a positive response. We are looking very much forward to start our research and work and meet all the people involved.
In august we will, together with the youngsters of the Youth House and Ghana Friendship Groups, be actively involved with a workshop focusing on youth and employment. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss matters surrounding youngsters and employment, share thoughts and experiences, as well as ideas of how to advance the possibilities, skills and capabilities that already exist. The Africa Commission will be having a conference in Accra the 5th of September 2008 with exactly the theme of youth and employment, and we hope that through our workshop, we will be able to collect material, which can be presented to the Africa Commission. We find that it is important that the African Commission get acknowledged about how youngsters of Ghana view themselves as a part of the work sphere and future economic growth, and we will do our best for the youngsters to get a voice when the African Commission will be talking about future planning of employment.
It is our belief that one must look at which individual and community assets that are present, rather than looking for what there may not be! Furthermore, we believe that the individual and the physical environment are interlinked and that there exist a synergetic effect, with one influencing the other. By combining these ‘spheres’ we regard that it may be possible to maximize existing resources, both on an individual and community level. In addition, from an empowerment research standpoint, which is evaluation focused, then we believe that change is achieved ‘through’ rather than ‘in’ communities.
The next six month we will be based in Ghana, Tamale, and during this period we will be researching for our thesis which overall considers how youngsters see themselves as generators for development, and which socio-economic factors that might influence their position. Workshops will be made in regard to our thesis, however, we will additionally with HeartRebels and the project ‘Art to Action – Social Innovation Ghana’, be making creative workshops that will cover everything from music, design and film workshops to new-media and entrepreneurship courses, as well as coaching. The aim of these workshops is to develop the youngsters’ skills, inter-cultural communication and artistic talents, as well as to showcase and sell their works locally and internationally. We hope that through initiating these creative workshops, which will be taking place over a three years period, export of the arts can expand and thereby help create sustainable growth.
Come and support the ‘Art to Action – Social Innovation Ghana’ project by joining us at this year’s TrailerPark Festival, which will take place from the 22nd - 24th of August 08 (www.tarilerparkfestival.com). All surpluses from this festival will go to the ‘Art to Action – Social Innovation Ghana’ workshops – so come along and spread the word ☺
If you still haven’t heard of the website called MyC4, this is your change to check out this amazing micro finance project developed by the two entrepreneurs Mads Kjaer & Tim Vang. Shortly, MyC4 sees a world without poverty, where everyone has the same access to knowledge, markets and capital. In line with the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating poverty and hunger by 2015, MyC4 aims to help end poverty in Africa through a micro loan system, where you, as an individual or company, can invest in small African entrepreneurial businesses. MyC4 believes that a sustainable prosperity for Africa will develop by raising capital for the many entrepreneurs and not by increasing development aid for the region. Sounds confusing? It’s not! And you will find out much more by visiting their site: www.myc4.com
Photo: Morrinho Project, Rio de Janeiro
Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Early morning and with just a few notes of contacts in my hand, I was standing in front of the Pereirão Favela. Before I left Denmark I was told by the Co-Creation Lap about the Morrinho Project and I became very interested in their preventive approach of how to deal with the problems within the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The sun was slowly beginning to warm the surface of the ground and there Rane approached me with a big smile. As we began to walk through the labyrinths of the Pereirão community Rane, who is one of the guys that started the Morrinho project back in the days, began telling me about how things had begun and about what problems that exists within the favelas.The Morrinho project started in 1998 by the then 14 year-old Nelcirlan Souza. His constructions of favelas and games of the reality, however, soon attracted 7 other youngsters from the Pereirão favela and the Morrinho rapidly grew. It has survived conflicts with police as they among others expected it to be a method of how to plan attacks on other favelas, as well as with local communities who thought they waisted their time playing around.
Today Morrinho is a NGO that aim to set focus on what problems youngsters face within the favelas, and thereby be preventive in eliminating the problems with for instance traficking and violence. With its success and positive response they now wish to extend its capacity to offer film making classes, language courses, skills training and community services, which directly will contribute to the social and economical development of this region and surrounding area.
As we reached the site of the project kids came running from school and began to play and build. The connection between the elder guys and the kids was fascinating. Through the game they shared stories of their daily life - thoughts, perspectives, experiences, history of the present and the past, tragedies, ideas of solutions, failures and future was debated and expressed. Very interesting and I wonder why such generation connection happens so seldom when it seemingly can be so beneficial and enlightening!
Thank you to Henrik Vibskov - For all the very cool shirts, they were all very greatfull :)
Photo: Rane in front of the Morrinho Project office wearing Vibskov shirt
A Foundation for Social, Artistic and Creative Projects.
HeartRebels works towards breaking barriers between cultures, focusing on local micro-processes in an attempt to build global platforms for communal growth through creative cooperation. HeartRebels wants to contribute to the world around us through social innovation and artistic processes. HeartRebels is an independent foundation run by Carla Cammilla Hjort, Maja Hedin & Mia Beyer.
