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Common Life is an experiment in thinking together. It is an opportunity to explore and test strategies for artistic practice that are deeply tethered to the places from which they have emerged, and strongly committed to the potential for art to generate ways of living together, in common. It is a relatively modest contribution, developed over the period of 18 months, to a big and broad subject – intending to ask big questions, and swim in the wonderous possibilities that arts initiatives on the African continent are making, testing and playing with everyday. Common life is an invitation into curious inquiry, into dreaming together.


Common Life is led by Molemo Moiloa from the ungovernable.

5 researchers have collaborated with 5 arts initiatives to explore elements of their practice and share them here:



Festival sur le Niger (Mali) with researcher Ibrahima Wane
Kër Thiossane (Senegal) with researcher Dieynaba Ndiaye
Ekilawuli with Afrika Arts Kollective (Uganda) with researcher David Kaiza
Dzimbanhete (Zimbabwe) with researcher Tafadzwa Gwetai
Kino Kadre (South Africa) with researcher Taryn Mackay







This project would not have been possible without the material and conceptual inputs of Stichting Doen and Arts Collaboratory

Arts Collaboratory (AC) is a translocal ecosystem consisting of 25 diverse organisations around the world focused on art practices, processes of social change, and working with broader communities beyond the field of art. In our ecosystem knowledge and strengths are brought together and harvested in processes of collective organization. It is a radical experiment in exploring the potentiality of art and social transformation.

artscollaboratory.org/
@arts_collab
The DOEN Foundation believes that it is possible to achieve a green, socially inclusive and creative society. We are seeing many people using entrepreneurship to actively work towards innovative solutions for a better world. They are at the forefront; they dare to take risks and they bring about change. They break through old structures and create new perspectives on existing problems. These pioneers are also a source of inspiration for others. DOEN’s role is to support these pioneers in the very first phase in order to give initiatives a flying start, and thereby stimulate innovation. Where possible, DOEN subsequently transfers the initiatives to other parties to increase their impact.

www.doen.nl/en/about-us
@stichtingdoen


Website & design: Wwwork.studio
Illustrations: Charity Atukunda
Video: KaroZen, Cebisile Mbonani, Sapho Wulana