Kenyan delegates for African Festival and Events Network launch

Kenyan delegates will be attending the launch of the African Festivals and Events Network in Accra, Ghana on April 19 and 20. So far, the confirmed Kenyan delegates are Farrah Sarrudin Nurah of Samosa Festival and Ogova Ondego of Lola Screen.

The delegates will take part in the election of a steering committee and adoption of the new constitutional framework. AFRIFESTNET will include renowned African festivals such as Cape Town International Jazz Festival (South Africa), Sauti za Busara (Zanzibar), Dakar Biennale (Senegal), Timitar (Morrocco), FESPACO (Burkina Faso) and many more. The need for a network formation was recognised during the 2010 Zanzibar International Film Festival/Arterial Network symposium on festivals.

The network will consist of festivals and events in theatre, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and heritage as well as multidisciplinary events. The event, an initiative of the Arterial Network and the British Council, will comprise both a seminar on the economic and social contributions of arts festivals in Africa, as well as a formal launch of the network by over 40 African festivals representatives and European Festivals Association.