Kambani Diaries

Kambani Diaries - 'Voices of the Unheard' is a TV documentary project demonstrating how the recent international focus on African arts and culture has impacted on ordinary Africans and made a practical difference in their lives. Kambani shows this by tracking the lives of six disadvantaged artists, observing their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations. 

The documentary premiered at the Silverbird cinema in Victoria Island, Lagos on 22 June 2006. Despite a nationwide union strike in reaction to high fuel costs and the resultant shutdown of the nation’s infrastructure, the premiere was extremely well attended. There was a lot of coverage in national press and TV. This Day had this to say.  Screenings in the UK  will be announced on the website. The Silverbird Group will be airing the documentary in Nigeria. Negotiations are also taking place with NTA.

At the height of the Africa 2005 season in the UK, Kambani Arts was sponsored by the BBC and hosted two exhibitions with them between August and October and was featured in their Focus on Africa magazine July to October 2005 edition in a feature entitled Image Makers. This feature announced Kambani’s commitment to the positive re-branding of Nigeria and Africa’s image through their children’s creative arts and writing programme.

Africa 2005 and the need for the legacy of Africa to be sustained is the basis for embarking on the Kambani Diaries documentary project to find out if the voices of unknown artists could indeed be heard. Negotiations are taking place with the BBC towards airing the documentary.

A professional camera crew attended the expressions tour and recorded the life of artists, participants, children and sponsors over the entire period. Footage of poverty, hardship, struggles, happiness, smiles, misery, sweat and toil were recorded. The diary shows how lives have been touched, spirits lifted, a people positively changed by the celebration of African arts and culture.

The diary project is a positive legacy statement for African and the arts and will assist in the sustained international promotion of African arts and culture. This in turn should help address the poverty situation prevalent in the African arts sector. Kambani’s affiliation with the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign in 2005 enabled some attention be drawn to the plight of poverty faced in the sector.

Kambani Diaries shows how Kambani Arts is helping African Artists and disadvantaged children in a practical way with a hands-on approach focusing on the reality of Africa and the challenges of everyday life.

He will be greatly missed. Voices of the Unheard is dedicated to his memory.