A few words about your artistic career
I started writing when I was sixteen. When I was eighteen, I concentrated on writing for film and television. I'm inspired by African stories and I'm currently specialising in telling stories through animation.
How long have you been an artist?
I've been writing for ten years and working as a presenter for three.
Why did you apply for this scholarship? How will the scholarship support you?
I applied for this scholarship because I love storytelling and I'm always delighted to have the opportunity to tell African stories. My desire is to use film to offer a hopeful vision for the future of Africa. This grant will enable me to invest in the production of an ambitious and aesthetically innovative short film.
What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?
At the end of the residency, I hope to produce a short stop-motion film that proposes solutions and remedies for the failing healthcare systems in many African countries.
What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (work created)? Who was involved in the creative process?
During this creative residency, I produced a short stop motion film on paper entitled 'Tiba'. The film was produced with my colleague Shadrack Munene. At least eleven people were involved in the production of the film, including the casting and post-production team.
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 the creative residency was a good reflection of the current and perhaps future working environment. I was able to work from home, as many people do in Kenya and around the world. It's difficult, but it's a sacrifice that many of us have to make to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Our project aimed to improve healthcare training and education in Africa, so I hope it will at least spark a debate in Kenya about the need to reshape our healthcare systems.
How did you feel during the residency? And afterwards?
The residency was extremely exciting and an opportunity for me to take on a real challenge as a filmmaker. The process of making the short film turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. The pre-production stage was very labour-intensive and time-consuming because of the amount of paper we had to cut for the animation. The solution to this problem was to recruit members of my family and with their help we were able to reduce the number of pre-production days. The post-production process was also a challenge, but it really taught me the value and necessity of creating a good post-production workflow. Despite these challenges, I'm grateful for the residency as it taught me a lot as a creator.
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Tiba
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