REVEAL! Women’s Comics East Africa-UK
REVEAL! Overview + Outcomes
In 2022 LDC's director Dr Nicola Streeten received a British Council International Collaboration Award to work in partnership with Msanii Kimani wa Wanjiru, director of Kymsnet Media Network, Kenya to deliver REVEAL! Women's Comics East Africa-UK.
The intention was to spotlight the historical and contemporary status of women comic artists in the UK and four East African countries Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and UK artists with family heritage in this region.
REVEAL! celebrated women’s responses through comics to ideas around gender identity located within existing histories. Participants contemporized activity through reflection of Climate Change impact on experiences, especially those living with disability and within marginalized communities. The starting point for the project was to interrogate a masculine history of comics in the UK and East Africa and contribute to wider cross-cultural recognition of women’s experiences historically and currently.
THE 3 STAGES OF REVEAL! ACTIVITY
STAGE 1 REVEAL! WOMEN’S COMICS COMPETITON Open to self identifying women and non-binary people
There were two categories in the REVEAL! competition
Category 1: REVEAL! Women’s Comics East Africa
open to women in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda
Category 2: REVEAL! Women’s Comics UK
open to UK based women with family heritage in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda.
8 artists were selected, each receiving £2500 to participate in an online residency and mentoring towards developing their project.
Marcelline Akinyi, Kenya Insta @marcellines.akinyi
Nancy ArtMusic UK Insta @Nancy.art.music
Gwantwa Lucas Mwakalinga, Tanzania Insta @stories_underthebaobabtree
Charity Atukunda, Uganda Insta @charity.atukunda
Seraphine Umutoni, Rwanda Insta @umubobo
Birungi Kawooya , UK Insta @birungiart
Jennifer Msekwa, Tanzania Insta @jenniferandarts
Chela Yego, Kenya Insta @chelathereader
STAGE 2 August 2022: REVEAL! FINALISTS’ ONLINE RESIDENCY
Artists produced 4 pages each for inclusion in a printed anthology
REVEAL! Stage 3: The REVEAL! Anthology
September – October 2022REVEAL! Festivals to launch REVEAL! Anthology and REVEAL! project activity in UK and Kenya
UK September 2022: A launch of the project and REVEAL! Anthology hosted at The Cartoon Museum, London by LDComics led by Dr Nicola Streeten for an invited public audience.
NAIROBI, KENYA October 2022: A weekend event in Nairobi Kenya, hosted by Kymsnet Media Network led by Msanii Kimani wa Wanjiru, with invited speakers and participating African REVEAL! artists
To view a digital downloadable version of the REVEAL! Anthology click here or click on the image
2023 REVEAL! EXTENSION 2023
In early 2023, LDC was delighted to receive a British Council International Collaboration Extension to continue the REVEAL! Project.
This supported discrete projects in the UK and Kenya.
The UK REVEAL! EXTENSION
LDC commissioned REVEAL! artist Nancy ArtMusic to work with Red Ribbon Living Well CIC.
The outcome was a zine that was published for distribution at Women of the World, London at Southbank in March 2023.
To view a digital downloadable version of the zine click here
or click on the image
To view a digital downloadable version of the zine click here
or click on the image
The KENYA REVEAL! EXTENSION
Kymsnet Media Network commissioned REVEAL! artist Chela Yego to work with Ll’laramatak Community members to tell their stories in comics form.
To view a digital downloadable version of the comic click here
or click on the image
