Bring colors to the community with TAWI

The world we live in can be harsh and demotivating, without color and sometimes without hope. By giving more color and thus the values ​​of a place, and by making it look inspiring, The Artist Way Initiative literally hopes to bring more light and color into the life of another.

Imagine you walk through the gate of your school: you are standing in a green, brightly colored schoolyard surrounded by colorful murals as if you were in a dream. That's how playing outside should feel like! That would be an inspiring place!

Naomi King and Simon Spencer both work as an artist and teacher out of there own dreams to make the wold a better place.

Both want to encourage young people to dare to dream beyond the grim reality of their own neighborhoods/or lives.

Under the heading THE ARTIST WAY INITIATIVE, hereinafter referred to as TAWI, we as an organization want to focus on knowledge transfer, talent development and exchange between both cultures. By organizing a STREET ART FESTIVAL, we want to introduce the Cabo Verdeans to different approaches to art and culture, and bring them from Europe to Cabo Verde. Also, the European artists will be inspired by the Cape Verdean culture. The emphasis is on sharing knowledge and improving the local cultural infrastructure.

Our main focus for this edition is ESCOLA CAPELINHA TIRA CHAPÉU, a large school in a deprived area of ​​Praia, Cape Verde. With the project we want to provide the gray wall with a large wall of almost 75 meters on both sides, turning it into a colorful and inspiring play environment for the students of this school. Subsequently, various specialist teachers, together with international artists, organize a variety of workshops.

The other focus of this project is on the further development of an international cultural collaboration between Europe and Cabo Verde.

TAWI wants to promote talent development, knowledge transfer and mutual discovery, by allowing young people from both cultures to work together and get to know each other's culture.

Through mutual inspiration and exchange, a unique festival will be created in which the art and culture sector is stimulated. The growing tourism sector can also benefit from this. The European artists will have the opportunity to work at an international level, while local entrepreneurship will have the opportunity to grow. In this way, more employment is created in these sectors and the local population also benefits in the long term.

Through this international collaboration, local artists, designers and any other artisans (see musicians or culinary arts practitioners) are given the opportunity to increase their knowledge and gain new inspiration in a completely new environment. They will build international working relationships and learn to perform their work in an unfamiliar environment under different circumstances. Supplemented with the input of international artists and artists, this can lead to inspiring outcomes.

Setting up a major event creatively and professionally will result in significant growth in tourism. Until now there is little or nothing to do on the island, according to European standards. We also heard complaints from various quarters, such as Cabo Verde emigrants from the diaspora and other international tourists. They noticed that the sector needs a boost.

During the festival, we want to introduce visitors to creative aspects of Cape Verdean and European culture, with the aim of promoting talent development, knowledge transfer, discovery and inspiration between cultures. We want to allow European artists to further develop their talents in Cabo Verde and through this Cape Verdean artists will also rediscover their talents within their national identity. We also want to make the diaspora aware of the talent from their country of origin and inspire them to pass on their knowledge to them. This interaction creates cross-pollination. This is important for the development of Cape Verdean youth and artists as well as for European artists.

Art and innovation are central during TAWIFESTIVAL.

In march there is a catchy and educational program. During the festival, creative workshops take place and there are sales stands with art, crafts and local design from various local artists and performers.

During the workshops, the topics of entrepreneurship will be reflected in the program. The exhibition formed by the workshops can be viewed throughout the festival and visitors can admire and participate with painting the mural every day. Some of the artists and the organization will also give lectures and demonstrations, where visitors can ask questions.

The project was set up to bring the European artists in particular into contact with the local artists and the country. And with this also support the local population in the creative sector. Through the events/festivals that we will be organizing with the local population and the increasing interest and visits from tourists, the country comes more into the picture. This will ultimately ensure that more employment is created for the local population under the guidance of European creatives.

With this initiative we hope, in collaboration with ESCOLA CAPELINHA TIRA CHAPEU, to give the neighborhood an impulse for more social cohesion, and to stimulate more involvement in and outside the school and more neighborhood participation and more connection with the residents. Our goal is also to make the street scene more pleasant.

"By experiencing art you become more aware of yourself, others and your environment".

Making a work of art together connects people and encourages them to stay positive. In these difficult times, Simone and Naomi want to be a positive light for residents of the underprivileged neighborhood, especially the children and young people.