Prince Claus Fund

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WAYout was delighted to be funded for the second time by the Prince Claus Fund as part of their project ‘Next Generation’. Four of our artists, Susan Kargbo, filmmaker, Nathaniel Sesay, musician and photographer, Ibrahim Bangura, poet and Fallah Koroma, rapper, will be supported for nine months to create music, films and poetry as part of UNSEEN, UNHEARD.

Fallah Koroma aka Fal G is a street rapper and member of the Black Street Family and he worked with street groups 5 School and King Jimmys producing tracks. Fal also visited his home territory of Kono, where he was a child soldier, and wrote about his experiences there.

BSF

Nathaniel Sesay aka Mash P is a musician/photographer/filmmaker. He took part in the first Claus project and the documentary “After the Jungle” was made and broadcast on BBC World. He was invited to perform in Rotterdam and toured with Frank Turner. Watch Nobody Mi No Wait and Na Mi Nor More 

mash window frame

childrens faces

Ibrahim Bangura, aka Cleffy, wrote a series of poems about where he grew up in the provinces. The struggle of subsistence farming, the characters of his childhood and the places he remembers all combine in some remarkable poetry.

MAI Cleffy

In 2011 Cleffy moved to Freetown to escape rural poverty and survived on the streets for several years. Cleffy’s writing reflects his deep affection and respect for the oral story telling traditions of his village overlaid with the rhymes and rhythms of urban street youth culture. In 2017 he was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers Adda prize and in 2018 he has had poems published in Write the City and Praxis.

Susan Kargbo is a filmmaker. She took part in the first Prince Claus funded project and made a film about FGM. This time she made a documentary about domestic abuse in the provinces where the law protects women but tradition does not. It can be seen here- ABUSED

Susan registering women

WHO MAKES MY IMAGE?

The first Prince Claus funded project “Who Makes My Image” produced a series of films and music exploring identity.

“The films really illustrate the deep commitment of WAYOUT
to creating a better future for disadvantaged youth in Sierra Leone. The
topics addressed by the young filmmakers illustrate the difficult past and
present of these young people but also really show their resilience in a
beautiful way! Prejudice is challenged and a nuanced voice on complicated
matters such as female genital mutilation is given” Prince Claus Fund

The finished films can be seen here and are:

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“After the Jungle” is the powerful and moving story of Nathaniel Sesay, aka Mash P, who was a child soldier for five years in Sierra Leone’s brutal conflict. Mash P returns to meet some of those from his past in order to make sense of his present. Mash P is a musician and WAYout member.

Nathaniel- Mash P

“Spirit” a film by George Wyndham who it is also about. George survived polio and the war and, against all odds, went on to become an international medal winner. He is heading for the 2016 paralympics. This documentary tells his story- from poverty to victory.

Cover for Spirit

“FGM in Sierra Leone” was made by three female filmmakers and is about the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, which is very common in Sierra Leone. But the film is different in that it realises, to stop the practice, it has to be approached from a Human Rights point of view.

“Guys of Destiny” was made by Abdul Conteh aka Pido. Pido is a polio survivor who lives in a community of other disabled people. He is one of a band who dance and perform and aim to present positive images of disability in a culture where most would have to do street begging to survive.

Cover for Guys of Destiny

One Culture is a short film about the five traditional musicians who took part in the project. Neneh, Alicious, Isata, Mustapha and One Man Geng aka Yalaba. These wide ranging artists, from various corners of Sierra Leone, range in age from 23 to 97. All but one had never before recorded their music. The CD that was produced is available for download from bandcamp 

ONE CULTURE CD COVER

As part of the project filmmakers received training and access to facilities and continue to receive WAYout support.