GABORONE, BOTSWANA – Multi-disciplinary creative agency Banana Emoji has launched The Banana Club Artist Fund, a month-long residency designed to support LGBTQIA+ creative entrepreneurs as they produce and present an artistic project facilitated through the support of Banana Club.
Launched in 2019, as a community project by Banana Emoji, Banana Club is an artist-led collective aimed at creating safe space platforms for dialogues in the LGBTQIA+ community. Today, Banana Club works with diverse key Publics to promote the visibility and inclusion of queer individuals in Botswana through contemporary art and strategic engagements; operating as an institution, studio and community educator.
Tanlume Enyatseng, BANANA CLUB Founder and Creative Director explains, “We are thrilled to announce our very first Banana Club Artist Fund. When we speak of building an archive of Botswana artists, we need to first get the artists to create, and give them the platforms to show their work. As Banana Club we wish to develop a space for emerging queer artists to receive financial support, mentorship and opportunities to create and sell their work. Our first artist in residency is fashion designer Troy Gabolwelwe of Versa La Troy who will develop a capsule collection to be showcased during African LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in October 2022.”
As a community-based initiative, the program will afford the artist support in the form of creative direction on their artistic project, financial support to buy material, PR and Marketing as well as the curation of their exhibition or showcase. The month-long residency is designed to offer guidance in the form of mentorship from an established international artist and is honoured to have Moroccan Creative Director and Fashion Designer Anwar Bougroug of fashion house Bougroug as this year’s mentor.
“Banana Club is driven to continue to explore and advance the work of African LGBTQIA+ artists and artisans. We are delighted to have an internationally recognized industry leader such as Anwar as a mentor for our very first residency. There is a powerful intention behind this space, bringing African creatives together to commune and support each other around the ritual of making through design,” concluded Enyatseng
For all updates on the Banana Club Artist Fund or more information on how you can support the initiative, follow on Instagram @abananaclub
Bananaemoji.com on Facebook and YouTube
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For further information, please contact:
Tanlume Enyatseng, – Founder, Creative Director Banana Emoji:
Bontle Mogodi, – Social Media Manager, Banana Club:
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