Cultural Entrepreneurs Tell The Untold Stories At AWCA – Episode II

We are back in session, hope the suspense didn’t leave you bored? You should definitely be at the next event.

Yegwa of Stranger starts. His first love was design. Stranger wasn’t built for the moment but something that would interest people long term. Give people the option to tell their stories through the pieces they get at Stranger, make rhem comfortable to tell their stories through their dress sense and attitude.

Yegwa Ukpo

To Yegwa form and content inspire the push for creativity. As Stranger evolved, Yegwa noticed form /medium is more important than content. The idea of controlling form is more important, Stranger used to be about content  (items found at Stranger) till Yegwa noticed people started coming in for the medium, the space and how Stranger made them feel safe, no judgement, they could express themselves freely. This became more important than the content Stranger was pushing. How about the creatives control, the platform which is built around them? Yegwa asks. Controlling the medium which you are trying to pass a message through. Stranger at the moment is expanding to become that medium that controls it’s content.

The message in essence from Yegwa is  that it is essential to remember the medium you’re in and know how to please those who control it or make a medium that suits you.

Wana Udobong takes the mic. In 2009, she started  Guerilla Basement, an art hub for poets, photographers, visual artists and the like, it didn’t work out so well but it was the foundation.

Wana Udobang

Her radio name ‘Wana Wana’ made her popular and she decided to amalgamate her personalities and her passion. Beyond her work on radio she is a poet a writer and many more, she is the funny girl on radio and she is the insightful, deep and eccentric woman. She made her personalities work for her.

Wana says find out the commercial side of your passion. Be consistent and gather your following. Create products, think of how you can make your creativity a product people can buy. Find a middle ground as an artist, people have to connect with your work, you can’t be on the two extremes and expect you can connect, apply mainstream strategies, your tone. Find your financial pursuits and your artistic pursuits.

African Arts Foundation speaker Yinka who stood in for Wunika Maukan, started off by appreciating AWCA for organizing the panel discussion. AAF started out as a foundation, get artists together, organize workshop and motivate  artists. Over time AAF decided to be a platform where Africans tell their stories by themselves. Heard of Lagos Photo Festival? That’s all them. Yinka says,push out stories people can relate to and use art as a form of social change. A photo can tell a million stories. Lagos photo is a ground which various entrepreneurs can look into.

Yinka

For Yinka as a upcoming cultural entrepreneur, consider the name in relation to what you are doing, find your unique selling point. What makes you stand out are your competitors. The festival is more proof that they are excelling in that sphere.

The panel discussion would be right back………………..