As we take stock of yet another year
creeping by, May signifies a great deal more than just payday for the salaried
among us. Africa Month gives us a yardstick to measure our progress as a continent,
and commit to rolling up our sleeves to be the difference we’d like to see on
the continent.
In my position as chairperson of the
international brand showcase that is the Loeries, I look to promote the very
best of African creativity. The Loeries is an African show about creativity
trying to change the world. The organisation has become overtly African,
recognising that even just a few years ago, it wasn’t. It has identified the
immense need for Africa to express itself creatively to the world, and is
rewarding those who tell their stories authentically and creatively.
The Loeries as an organisation measures
itself against the percentage change in terms of its entries and winners. We’re
hard on ourselves. We know it takes sweat and determination to shift things,
but we’re noticing a distinct improvement. We’re also encouraging other African
countries to have their own shows and awards, because for change to be real or
lasting, it has to happen everywhere.
But how do we encourage creativity among
our people? As a leader in the industry, it’s a difficult question to answer,
and the solution isn’t quick or easy. But it is within our grasp.
From the early days of our education,
we’re fed literature from a Eurocentric point of view. Dick and Jane play with
Spot. Snow White (could there be a less politically correct name in all
literature?) frolics with the seven, erm, small people. Rapunzel lets down her
flowing blonde mane. The implication, from so early on, is that stories come
from people other than us; we can share in them, but we aren’t qualified to be
the subjects.
When I was in school, I read the stories
of Chinua Achebe and NgugiwaThiong’o, and I was inspired. I was enthralled to
participate in narratives that resonated with my own cultural references. I
gobbled them up. They inculcated in me a love for reading, for the creative
process, for stories. They showed me that I could be the protagonist in my own
story, that I could craft it and share it.
To be creative, a person needs an environment
that allows it, that gives them the time and space they need to reflect, and
represent themselves and their culture authentically and surprisingly through
their craft. The media and advertising space has recognised that we need to
open doors for younger people through bursaries, specifically creatively,
throughout the country so children can be inspired, and in turn inspire future
generations. A lot more still needs to change in the industry, but I’m
confident that we’re on the right track, and that in time, we’ll recognise what
needs to be thrown out and what needs to be nurtured and developed.
What we also need is a recognition among
ourselves that our destiny is in our own hands, and that to foster creativity
and new and unfamiliar modes of expression, we need to be prepared to roll up
our sleeves and get involved. We need to mentor, guide, show, impart our
learnings on those eager to share them. We need to reinvigorate the way we
teach, decolonise the syllabus, and inject it with imagination.
As Africans begin to take up the mantle
and craft stories ourselves, about ourselves and from our perspectives, we are
beginning to debunk those preconceived ideas and stereotypes that are foisted
upon us. We are beginning to tell a different story, one of an emboldened,
creative and prosperous people who hold their destiny in their own hands.
As African creatives, we have a duty to
steer the ship closer to home shores. Africa’s rise has already begun, and the
stories we tell will shape not only the perspectives of generations to come,
but provide Africa’s people with new stories they can relate to. Let Africa
Month be a measure to show us both the strides we’ve made and the work ahead of
us.
Mashigo is chairperson of the Loeries and
executive creative director of I See a Different You. The annual Loeries
Creative Week takes place in Durban from 15 to 21 August, with the awards
ceremonies on 20 and 21 August. Entries are now open and close on 31 May. For more information about the entry criteria, categories
and judging procedures, visit www.loeries.com
Neo Mashigo
is the Co Founder and Executive Creative Director of I See A Different You.
He is Chairman and board member of The Loerie Awards – South Africa’s premiere
advertising Awards. He also seats on the Creative Circle Committee.
Before joining I See A Different You
fulltime, Neo was ECD at two of South Africa’s Creative and largest Advertising
Agencies Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg and FCB Johannesburg.
Neo is passionate about African
Creativity and doing Advertising work that is more representative of South
Africa. He is known for identifying and developing black creative talent that
become leading Creatives in the Industry.
Neo has won several local and International Awards the
latest ones being a Grand Prix at Cannes Festival of Creativity and The Loerie
Awards.
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