A Vibrant Space for Arts to Thrive in Tanzania

Nafasi Art Space's GlobalGiving campaign for the period of July to September 2023. During this quarter, we continued our efforts to create a vibrant space for artists to thrive, focusing on our key objective areas: Artistic Skills & Professional Development, Audience Engagement, Partnership & Networking, and Sustainability & Resilience.

We are grateful for the support from our donors and partners that has enabled us to make significant strides in these areas.

Artistic Skills & Professional Development:
During this quarter, we prioritized the growth of artistic skills and professional development of our resident artists.
Key achievements include:

• Workshops and Training: We organized a series of workshops and training sessions covering various art forms, including painting, and digital art. These sessions were well-attended and provided artists with valuable skills and knowledge. Example include Nasma Mzee painting workshop, CreatiVR with kadallah Burrowes 
  
  
• Residency Programs: Through the residency programs continued to flourish, providing artists with the opportunity to focus on their work in a supportive environment. Several artists completed their residencies and showcased their work at our gallery include multidisciplinary artists & curators from performing, visual, and digital art from Kenya, Lebanon, USA, Uganda, South Africa and Tanzania
  
  
• Nafasi Film Club session happens every Thursday of the week whereas each day participants meet to discuss various issues relating to filmmaking and production but also encourage authentic and unique storytelling that opens the dialogue to different social norms and cultural behaviours.

Audience Engagement:
Engaging our audience is vital to our mission. In this quarter, we made significant efforts to connect with our community and beyond:

• Exhibitions: We hosted  successful exhibitions, both physical and virtual, attracting a diverse audience who attend a Nafasi Art Space. These exhibitions allowed us to showcase the work of our resident artists and engage with art enthusiasts example include, Nasma Mzee End of residency showcase, Shaaku Shaaku A digital art exhibition with Kashushu and Kadallah Burrowes (USA) showcase.
• Community Events: We organized community events such as art fairs, open studios, and interactive workshops. These events fostered a sense of community and encouraged the local population to interact with art. Example the in septembe Nafasi Art Space hosted its flag-ship event called Wikiendi Live which was well attended with more than 500 audience for two days, A visit by Exprezz Duo from Berlin , Nafasi Community Day .
• Through the use of social media platforms Nafasi Art Space and its artists have continued to gain an impressive number of followers and engagement from different people whereas platform such as Nafasi Art Space’s Instagram page has continued to gain an impressive number of followers 16,000 and comments which have made Nafasi Art Space to be rated and create anticipation for various people to visit the space when they’re in Dar es Salaam, Twitter hasn’t been far behind as well where we have received inquiries from aspiring, emerging, also the palace has attracted regular visitors not less than 35 visitors have regularly visited at the space on regular basis and get to experience the ongoing exhibitions, visiting artists studios and attend workshops that are going on which has led for Nafasi Art Space to be ranked as no. 1 Art Galleries to visit in Tanzania on Trip Advisor

Partnership & Networking:
Building partnerships and networks is essential for Nafasi Art Space's sustainability. In this quarter:

• Collaborations: We initiated collaborations Boresha Radio as our media partner through that we have been able to reach mainstream for interview to invite the public to engage with various programs at Nafasi Art Space.
• Global Connections: Nafasi Art Space has continued strengthening  its global network by collaborating and fostering conversation with international artists and organizations through the e-meeting session on globalgiving fundraising sessions, Reaach-out. These partnerships have opened up  opportunities for conversations for artists to exhibit their work internationally.

 Sustainability & Resilience:
Ensuring the sustainability and resilience of Nafasi Art Space remains a top priority. Our accomplishments in this regard include:

• Fundraising Efforts: Nafasi GlobalGiving campaign has continued yielded positive results, with an increase in donor contributions through different campaigns. This financial support is crucial for sustaining our operations.
• Diversification: Nafasi explored new revenue streams, including merchandise sales and art auctions, to diversify its income sources and enhance financial resilience.

In summary, the past three months have seen significant progress in our mission to create a vibrant space for artists to thrive at Nafasi Art Space.We are deeply grateful for the continued support of our donors and partners, and we look forward to the next quarter with renewed enthusiasm and commitment. Thank you for your unwavering support in making Nafasi Art Space a hub for artistic growth and creativity.

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Nafasi Art Space would like to sincerely thank all the donors and contributors who generously continued to support March - June 2023 quarterly period. Your donations have had a significant impact, helping us implement our objectives key areas in Nafasi Art Space strategic plan 2021/26 : artistic skills, audience engagement, partnerships, and sustainability. These achievements serve as a testament to the collective effort and support that have allowed us to thrive and make a significant difference in the art and cultural landscape in Tanzania and globally. We are grateful for your invaluable support that has contributed to our success in furthering art and culture sector.

The following are the highlights achievement on different key objective area;

Artistic Skills and Professional Development: During this period, Nafasi Art Space prioritized the growth and development of artistic skills. Our Nafasi Academy and Film Club played crucial roles in providing theoretical and practical sessions. The Nafasi Academy focused on professionalizing curatorial and art management skills for emerging curators and cultural practitioners. The Film Club honed film scripting skills and provided industry insights. These programs empowered artists and creatives to excel in their chosen fields and showcased their talent. For example, the Nafasi Film Club resumed their film workshop every Thursday, Two visual artists from the Nafasi Academy Alumni (2020 & 2022,) Hedwige Tairo and Kija Caroynline, both  have had the opportunity to attend a 2-months residency at 257 Art gallery in Burundi. Additionally, Nafasi Art Space hosted a two-week printmaking workshop facilitated by renowned Tanzanian artists Gadi Ramadhan & Sebastian Mnjindo (kokoTen Studio).

Audience Engagement and Visibility of Tanzanian and East African Art: Nafasi Art Space emphasized engaging our audience and expanding our reach. Through active social media management and strategic content creation, we fostered meaningful connections with our followers. Our online presence , via including our website, newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, allowed us to share updates, opportunities, and stories of our artists with the public in Tanzania and internationally. This resulted in increased engagement, reaching 15,405 followers on Instagram currently  and making us one of the most followed cultural spaces in Tanzania with many audience in Germany, Kenya, USA, Madagascar, Rwanda, Uk and many other spaces. Additionally, we hosted events, art talks, and workshops for artists , curators, cultural creatives as well as outreach to primary school children, attracting a diverse audience and building connections with the community in result some parents have enrolled their children to our saturday art classes of children program  led by Dar Art Youth (DAY) taking at the space every Saturday. 

Partnership and Network Building: Collaboration remains vital at Nafasi Art Space. We forged partnerships and built networks within the cultural and creative sectors in Tanzania and outside. A major highlight was our participation in the Global-giving Gathering, where our team represented Nafasi Art Space and had the opportunity to facilitate opening & closing sessions, connect with other beneficiaries, and explore possibilities for future collaborations.

Sustainability and Resilience: During the reporting period Nafasi Art Space prioritized area of  sustainability and resilience by conducting research, gathering stakeholders' views on diversifying revenue collectiing sources and initiatives such as prints sales, merchandise sales and venue rentals which will have huge contribute to our financial stability. During this period, we participated in Global-Giving campaigns, April 2023 Little By Little campaign generating not less than $100 USD in small recurring donations,gift cards and receiving in-kind support from various partners. We also invested in capacity building for our staff, equipping them with essential skills by attending online webinars organized by Global-Giving to learn on developing fundraising campaigns and engage the local community in supporting  the space to continue provide platform for artists and art lovers to engage and share expeirences.

In conclusion, Nafasi Art Space sincerely thanks our generous donors and contributors. Your support has greatly impacted on implementing the Nafasi Art Space Strategic plan 2021/26 durig this period. Together, we have made a significant difference in the art and cultural landscape. As we continue our journey, we kindly request your ongoing support to help us reach our goal of $50,000 we almost halfway and to support our upcoming July- Bonus fundraising campaign initiatives. Your continued contributions are vital to our success. Thank you for being part of our mission to promote art and culture.

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