A few words about your artistic career
My artistic career hasn't been the smoothest, with a trapeze as a prop to find a scene to perform on has always been a problem. It sometimes made me envious of people with a less demanding prop. But my difficulties have made me a better artist.
How long have you been an artist?
I've been an artist for two years.
Why did you apply for this scholarship? How will the scholarship support you?
Having a chance to inspire the world through art during this pandemic is one of the reasons I applied for this bursary. The bursary would be a great financial boost for me.
**What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?
Raising awareness of aerial art in Kenya; offering a free show for street children, creating more performances using narration on a trapeze.
What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (work created)? Who was involved in the creative process?
During the residency, we found a new way of conveying messages through our activities, which are mainly trapeze performances. The result is a trapeze performance, filmed in a forest and involving two trapeze artists and a photographer.
How do you think these activities help us to think about the world today, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or about building for the future?
I think that these activities certainly contribute to a reflection on today's world and the crisis it is going through, because even if art in itself is not capable of changing the world, it reminds us in the most astonishing and beautiful way that "WE CAN"! Art shocks, surprises, empowers, heals and enables us to change, to live happily despite the crises. Above all, art gives us the opportunity to think deeply about who we are and what we can do.
How did you feel during the residency? And afterwards?
Feelings of joy, excitement and stomach butterflies overwhelmed me when I saw my name on the list of winners on the AFRICALIA page. It disappeared after a week, leaving me with nothing but dread. I thought about so many questions such as: Will I impress? Will my project have an impact on the world? I was in a state of 'happy fear'. But day after day, I learned, I laughed, I fell, I cried, I discovered new techniques, I improved and above all, I grew as an artist and as a person. This residency has made me stronger and bolder.
As my residency draws to a close, I think it's the start of another great journey.
