A great success for Ke Nako – Africa now!
- © by: ADA/APA-OTS/DeSt
The opening of the exhibition on the 8th of June.
With the final of the Football World Cup 2010 the initiative Ke Nako - Africa now! draws a very positive conclusion. Around 184.000 people attended more than 300 Ke Nako events which were accompanied by performances of 400 musicians and artists. Opportunities for public viewing of the World Cup in a Ke Nako context were set up in Vienna and Innsbruck and festivals took place in Linz, Graz and Salzburg with a special focus on Africa.
Previous to the World Cup discussions, concerts, exhibitions and workshops took place across Austria and portrayed African life. The Austrian radio station Ö1 presented more than 150 broadcasts. The focus on Africa was initiated and coordinated by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Afrika Vernetzungsplattform (avp) and the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) with more than 100 partner initiatives and organisations taking part.
Alexis Neuberg from the avp and Franz Schmidjell from the VIDC stated their great satisfaction and joy with the Ke Nako initiative, as it triggered an enormous interest in the whole of Austria. "We thank everyone who participated and supported this projects and hope that interest for Africa continues for a long time after the World Cup." Brigitte Öppinger-Walchshofer, executive director of the ADA, adds "through the Ke Nako initiative we were able to portray the many faces of Africa in Austria - that is exactly one of the important tasks of development cooperation."
- © by: ADA/Helmrich
Ke Nako Afrika – Africa now! is an initiative across Austria.
Focus on Africa - Linz festival 2010
The annual Linz festival entirely focused on Africa this year. The Black Community in Upper Austria, together with other initiatives, took this opportunity to gain awareness in public life. Ke Nako taxi drivers gave information about football, music and African current topics, public readings, fashion shows and concerts took place on the main square in Linz and a huge map of Africa gave geographical insight. Around 400 pupils attended school projects with special focuses on Africa and cooperation with different museums and institutions were organised.
- © by: ADA/Helmrich
Africa-Container in the Museumsquartier in Vienna.
Africa in Innsbruck
In Innsbruck a public viewing area was designated to football and Africa. Additionally the participation in special workshops was offered and in total more than 70.000 guests visited the Ke Nako area in Innsbruck, a clear sign of the interest people showed in learning more about Africa. "We are very happy and overwhelmed how many people visited us here and we can only hope that this positive, intercultural and antiracist spirit continues long after the Ke Nako initiative and the Football World Cup." concludes Bella Bitugu, the Ke Nako coordinator in Innsbruck.
- © by: ADA/Helmrich
CHIALA` AFRIQAS Ke Nako festival in Graz
Graz was home to a week long festival called "Chiala´s Afriqas" which was a great success with children, adults, young people and families alike. "The public presence of the "African communities" was increased by art und culture projects and the awareness for the work of people of African descent was raised." says Kamdem Mou Poh à Hom, a lead figure in the African network in Graz. Especially the jazz musician and icon Hugh Masekela entertained the crowd and spread enthusiasm with his Township-Jazz. Further networking opportunities among African community were established and the proceedings after the Ke Nako initiative were discussed during a meeting among members of the community.
Many other events across Austria and school projects were met with great interest and succeeded in giving insight into the multifaceted lives in Africa.
- © by: ADA/Helmrich
The active participation of people with a migrant background was one feature of the project.
All eyes on Africa and Football in Vienna
In Vienna the International Conference on Football for Development took place and concluded with a plan of action, which calls upon organisations in the field of development cooperation and football clubs alike to set sustainable measures in the fight against poverty. More than 100 experts from 26 African and European countries attended the conference in April.
The public viewing area in Vienna, which was set up in the Prater, quickly became a hotspot for football fans and was accompanied by a wide selection of cultural and artistic events. Other venues in Vienna also organised special activities and events contributing to the Ke Nako initiative.
The end is only a new beginning
Due to the great interest for the Ke Nako exhibition, which was installed by the Austrian Development Agency in the Museumsquartier in Vienna, the interactive exhibition was extended until July 18th. A list of events and activities continue throughout the summer and extend Ke Nako-Africa now! beyond its official closing.
- Oberwart, Burgenland - Constructions (Konstrukte, Konstruktionen - zum Jahresschwerpunkt)
- „Dunkelschwarz" - European stereotypes of Africa. Well worth a visit.
- Porgy&Bess Vienna - a rare visit form Hugh Maskela (11th to the 13th of August)
- Kap Transmission - online journal with reports from South Africa
- Media Symposium - Africa in the western media (Radio Afrika) (23rd to 24th of September)
- Football for Development
The initiative
Ke Nako Africa - Africa now! is an initiative across Austria to change the picture of Africa. The focus on Africa was initiated and coordinated by the Austrian Development Agency, the Africa Vernetzungsplattform (avp) and the VIDC (Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation) in 2009. The goal of this initiative is to profit from the interest for Africa in the course of the Football World Cup and show the multifaceted sides of Africa. The initiative was supported by the Austrian Devlopment Cooperation, the European Commission, the Austrian Ministry for Education, Art and Culture, the culture and integration departments of the City of Vienna, Vienna Marketing, Basis Kultur Wien, the Austrian Federal Bank, Kulturkontakt Austria, the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, the city of Linz, the city of Innsbruck, the city of Graz, the Federal state of Lower Austria and many regional supporters, municipialities and sponsors.
