South African photographer and AtWork Faculty Member, Andrew Tshabangu, in partnership with Moleskine Foundation and Bag Factory, brought back the AtWork Lab educational format, asking 13 young creative thinkers “What Comes First?”. The workshop, held between November 29th and December 3rd at the June 16 Memorial Acre – a venue that commemorates and celebrates the Soweto youth uprising of 1976 -, gave an unconventional mix of young creatives from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities the chance to embark on a journey of self-discovery through art and realize the power they have as artists.
Looking back at the youth of 1976 and their fight against apartheid, the participants acknowledged the weight their words and actions can have in stirring up a social movement and awakening their peers’ consciousness, not only as artists but also as mere individuals.
AtWork Lab became so the occasion for consciousness-raising – inspiring, and challenging at the same time – on what needs to be changed, as the curatorial statement says: “What needs to be changed? This generation needs to become leaders of their own. Looking back to the 1976 youth that stood up for their rights and not moved by the external fights and still the existence of systematic oppression. The current struggle is unemployment, racism and substance abuse within the spaces that we interact with.”
The complexity of a volatile contemporaneity, carrying around the burden of many unsaved issues from the past, requires the present-day young generation to be able to understand it and, furthermore, be bold and have the strength to take action and change it. In this respect, this experience helped the group of 13 to gain awareness of the great things the world expects from them, as a generation.
“This journey of self-discovery, self-actualization and self-critique became an instrument used to strengthen us. Moving forward we have made vows to ourselves to be bold, courageous and recognise our voices. We are embodying a movement of strong-minded creatives that are unified in ensuring that the future generation does not reencounter past struggles and traumas” – the statement reads.
Claude Bunny Massassa is a contemporary artist from Gabon. She created Bunny Studio in 2016, a start-up dedicated to photography production, which became DWABI Studio in 2021. As an artist, she has represented Gabon in many international exhibitions in Senegal, Uganda, France, the United States, and Italy. In her art, she denounces social stigmas around issues of identity and mental health, and explores themes of traditions and myths.
Executive Director Kimberly Aceves- Iñiguez has been passionately committed for over 20 years to social justice organizing and advocacy efforts that bring voice and power to youth, LGBTQ people, people of color, and working-class communities in the Bay Area. Before coming on as the Executive Director for RYSE, Kimberly served as the Executive Director for Youth Together, the founding organization of the RYSE Center.
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal is one of the co-founders of RYSE and currently acts as the Associate Director. She supports and guides the implementation and integration of healing-centered practices, grounded in racial justice and liberation, and also develops, promotes, and advocates for policies, investments, practices, and research that enliven healing, justice, and liberation. Kanwarpal believes that the purpose of her work and life is to contribute to movements, communities, and legacies of liberation that honor the ancestors who fought for her existence and survival, and to forge a world that is just and gentle for future generations.
Sagal Ali is the founder and executive director of SAF. After a few years in her career in heritage protection in the cultural sector, she decided to develop the initiative to directly support young creatives in Somalia by launching her own foundation. She hopes to bridge the social gaps and inequalities women face in Somalia, both in society and in the arts scene.
Co-founders Catherine Dunga and Marleen Palmaers created Kitambo to bridge the gap between the African diaspora in Colombia and the narratives from the continent. From Kinshasa and Antwerp respectively, they work to connect African artists from the continent and their peers from the Colombian diaspora.
Martha Kazungu is a curator, art Historian and Founder of Njabala Foundation, an organization that curates periodic exhibitions and organizes a public program of activities to create a safe space for female artists to thrive and blossom.
Alicia Hansen is a photographer and teacher from New York. She founded NYC SALT in 2008 and, beyond teaching valuable creative skills to her students, has developed a long-term support system to uplift them through school and into their early artistic careers.
