Category: Entertainment

A permanent exhibition that shows the construction art of the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela was opened in Lalibela town today.

The exhibition organized under the theme “Lalibela Built by Faith” is expected to have a great value in extending the stay of visitors in the historical town. A “Sustainable Lalibela” project, which is being implemented with the the financial support of the French Development Agency since March 2021 to preserve Ethiopian cultural heritage, is also underway in Lalibela town.

The opening ceremony of the permanent exhibition was attended by senior federal and regional government officials, including Tourism State Minister Sileshi Girma, representatives of the French Embassy and the French Development Agency.

The five-year “Sustainable Lalibela” project with the support of the French government has been executed by the maintenance of the historical heritage of Lalibela and the heritage development of the city of Lalibela. An exhibition, which explored the entire history of the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela and heritages through photo and virtual technology, was displayed for 2 months in Addis Ababa starting from September 2022.

At the time, senior government officials including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and others visited the exhibition.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Samuel Fosso 60, a contemporary artist who photographs himself in the style of leading historical figures including Martin Luther King and Angela Davis, has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023, the BBC has reported.

The Cameroonian-born Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso was awarded the $37,000 prize at the Photographers’ Gallery in London.

Samuel Fossi now described as “a man of 1,000 faces”, has since 1970 specialized in self-portraiture and performative photography and his works currently appear in most renowned galleries across the world.

Speaking to the BBC after bagging the prestigious prize Samuel reacted saying;

“Winning this prestigious prize, recognized as one of the most important in the field of photography, means that my work is recognized by the artistic community.

This recognition is very important to me. I feel a lot of joy and pride.” he stated

The Director of the Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation, Anne-Marie Beckmann, said Fosso’s retrospective opened up new perspectives, allowing many more people to discover his work for the first time.

“Through the retrospective, we were able to see his work differently and gain a much deeper understanding of the relevance of his practice today,” she said.

The jury also acknowledged the work of the other shortlisted artists, Bieke Depoorter, Arthur Jafa, and Frida Orupabo, who received £5,000 each, the Guardian reported.

The exhibition showcasing all four artists is currently ongoing at the Photographers’ Gallery until June 11th, 2023.

Samuel Fosso was raised in Nigeria and later fled the Biafran war as a young boy, in 1972 and was taken in by an uncle in Bangui in the Central African Republic.

In 1975, at the age of 13, reports revealed he opened his Studio Photo Nationale to take commercial portrait photographs. He also made self-portraits to fill the unused parts of his photographic films. His work includes using self-portraits adopting a series of personas, often commenting on the history of Africa.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Book Exhibition Organized by the Office of the Prime Minister has opened today at Abrehot Library, in Addis Ababa.

The book exhibition is expected to stay for six-days, it was learned.

In the exhibition, a permanent “Prime Ministerial Corner” was also unveiled at Abrihot Library, which avails books written by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since the reform began to readers.

In the “Prime Ministerial Corner”, books written by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed following the reform have been displayed.

The aim of the exhibition organized under a theme ‘Word, Action and Generation’ is to develop the culture of reading among the public.

At the launch of the fair, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Alemtsehai Paulos, Adviser of social affairs to the Prime Minister, Deacon Daniel kebret, and the Head of the Press Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office, Billene Seyum, were present, among other officials and participants.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The National Arts and Cultural Fund was launched at State House on Saturday to allow interested persons both in Seychelles and abroad to help in the protection and promotion of the Seychellois culture and heritage.

Philanthropists and prospective partners were present to make a contribution to the fund.

The money collected, of which the total has not been revealed yet, will help to create a national collection of Seychellois artworks and buy properties and artefacts of national cultural and heritage importance.

The secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts (SNICHA), David Andre, told reporters that since “culture belongs to everyone, therefore those who are able to do so should contribute to the fund, as this is our heritage, and we should all lend a hand to promote it.”

The fund will fall under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance as government entities are not allowed to have accounts in commercial banks.

A consultative committee at SNICHA will then decide on the priority of the various projects presented to the fund.

“This is when we will decide if we want to send money for example to the marine museum,” said Andre who explained that it would be a consultative effort.

Andre said that the fund is also expected to “support events, programmes and activities for the transfer of intangible cultural heritage that will benefit communities.”

The launching of the fund coincided with the 110th anniversary of the State House, a historical monument built in 1910, previously the Governor’s House during the British colonial era.

The building, which boasts a garden full of colourful flowers and shrubs, including the endemic coco de mer palms, and a pen with Aldabra giant tortoises – is also a cultural heritage site of Seychelles.

It includes a cemetery with the tombs and graves of some notable historical figures in the history of Seychelles.

The most prominent grave is that of Chevalier Jean-Baptiste Queau de Quincy, who was the French Commandant and Civil Agent of Seychelles from 1793 to 1811 when Britain took possession of the islands.

In his address, President Wavel Ramkalawan explained the reason for holding the launch at State House: “the building belongs to all Seychellois and is where culture should be encouraged.”

To entice the prospective contributors to the fund, various artists were present on State House grounds painting, crocheting and making vacoa bags.

The Vacoa tree, also known as the screw pine, bears fruits that look like pine cones with leaves spread out in a fan shape, that are used to make bags and ropes among others.

In addition to artefact being created on site, there were also paintings on display for those willing to buy art pieces.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Mr. Mark OkrakuMantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture has launched the 2023 Kwahu Easter paragliding festival at Odweanoma mountains at Atibie in Kwahu South Municipality.

At the ceremony, he said the paragliding was a major role for domestic and international tourism for Ghana.

He said in 2022, Ghana was adjudged the number one in tourism in West Africa and said President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo’s viable decision for the tourism industry contributed to the achievement.

He commended the participation of the private sectors in the tourism industry and said tourism was a marketing environment which everyone could benefit from. ‘ Tourism is no longer a facade, it’s a big business for profit so we should all get involved. The whole country will benefit from the equity if we play the game well.’

Paragliding is an aviation sport that is enjoyed by hundreds of people around the world.

The origin of paragliding has roots in the sport of parachuting. In Ghana, paragliding was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in April 2005 during the annual Easter Festival in Kwahu Atibie. It was organized to coincide with the Easter festivities that year on the Odweanoma Mountains, with the exception of 2009.

The paragliding festival has been organized each year. As an aviation sport, the event is patronized by both local and international tourists during the Easter season.

Mr . Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Tourism Authority said the authority was determined about the domestic tourism promotion under the Ghana Tourism Development Project which was currently being administered by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Especially the ‘ Experience Ghana, Share Ghana ‘ campaign.

He said the campaign was to encourage the public to travel and experience Ghana through attractions, food, clothing, music and dance.

‘The public will also have the opportunity to experience Ghana with discounted tour packages and a chance to win prizes by sharing the activities they engage in through postings on all social media platforms’.

Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister said ‘ we cannot be talking about paragliding festival without showcasing our culture, as it is who we are as a people. The region is endeared with diverse natural resources and tourist sites.’ Among them are the rivers and lakes in the Kwahu AframPlains, the Kwahu mountain ranges, Bunso canopy walk, Atiwa Forest Reserve, the Digya Forest Reserve in the AframPlains, the Oda big tree, the Boti Water Falls, and AburiBotanical Garden.

He said ‘ it is our hope that as we continue to celebrate our conservation and preservation of our eco- system as a people, the youth should develop much interest in saying no to poaching, galamsey, and the wanton destruction of our forest reserves. Let us take conscious steps to imbibe in importance Our of youth the the rich vegetation cover which have been handed down to us by our ancestors.’ He expressed the hope that taking cognizance of the festival vitality and values would better equip the people to build a better eco-system to survive us and the generation yet to come.

There were seven pilots for the paragliding flight at this year’s Kwahu Easter festival and the patronage was encouraging.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Fish lovers have every reason to smile this Easter as the County Government of Kisumu has organized a fish festival to sample the best freshwater fish from Lake Victoria.
County Director of Tourism Thomas Ouko said the signature event targets to woo visitors to the lake side county as efforts to revive tourism in the western circuit gain momentum.
Visitors will have a chance to eat various types of fish on the shores of Lake Victoria besides participating in other events lined up during the celebrations.
The event slated for 6th-9th April 2023 will bring together state and non-state agencies to promote tourism and chart the way forward on conservation of Lake Victoria.
Visitors will be treated to the best Luo cuisine, traditions and music with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) displaying some of the various fish species found in Lake Victoria.
‘This lake used to be home to over 200 species of fish, but due to pollution and human activity the number has reduced significantly. That is why we are creating conversations around this matter to help conserve the lake,’ he said.
This, added Ouko, was in line with the county government’s agenda to promote Kisumu as a tourist destination of choice.
The department of tourism, he said, has launched a campaign dubbed ‘Kisumu My Pride’ with a goal to market the best the county has to offer to the world.
‘Lake Victoria is a key attraction. That is why the county government wants to promote it through various activities to attract visitors. Just the way people go to Mombasa to holiday we want them to come to Kisumu,’ he said.
Through partnership with the Osiepe Sango organization, a cleanup along the shores of the lake has been planned ahead of the key event.
Other events lined up during the festival include fireworks, boat racing, tug of war, photo contest, Mr and Mrs Tourism, Mr Flex, Mr Strong, Luo Traditional Wrestling, lake excursion and exhibitions.
Ouko said auditions for the events have been finalized and the winners in the various categories will compete during the celebrations to be held at Hippo Point Public Beach in Kisumu City.
Visitors and participants, he said, will also have a chance to engage in talk shows, symposia and a tour of the lake.
Besides promotion of tourism, the county director said the event will present an opportunity for the participants to exploit their talents with a view to earning a living from them.
‘Our goal is to expose the talent out there and support our youth to make a living out of it. Already some organizations have approached with the intention of absorbing some of the youth who have been participating in the Sub county auditions,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Eastern region drama festivals for secondary schools opened on Monday at Katoloni Secondary School with students staging thrilling performances. The festivals that were officially launched by the Machakos Deputy Governor Mr. Francis Mwangangi will see students perform different genres ranging from choral verses, plays, modern dances, comedy, spoken word and narratives. The theme for the festivals is fostering digital transformation through film and theatre. Over 120 schools drawn from the eight counties will participate in the festivals that will end on Thursday. Winners will represent the region at the national drama festivals to be held in Mombasa in April. Mwangangi underscored the need for the festivals in identification and development of talents for learners. ‘In line with the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), these festivals will prepare students for professional careers in film and theatre, ‘he said. The DG also said that the festivals empower students with social skills like teamwork, confidence and attention. ‘The performances help improve self-esteem among other soft skills that will help students navigate life,’ added Mwangangi. Regional Quality Assurance and Standards Officer Mr. Simon Maina speaking at the same event said the government was keen on establishing academies to ensure that the talents do not go down the drain. ‘The government is on top of things to ensure that such talents are developed after the students exit secondary schools,’ said Maina, and assured the participants of fairness and transparency during the competition. ‘I want to assure that the adjudicators are people of integrity and will only ensure that the best performances win,’ added Maina. Katoloni Secondary School Principal Mr. Francis Ndimu said the school was honoured to host the regional festivals and assured the participants of adequate facilities throughout the competition. ‘We are glad to have hosted the festivals after a two year hiatus due to covid. The festivals besides espousing talents also enhances learning and discipline,’ said Ndimu.

Source: Kenya News Agency