THE UNDAJI ART CLUB

2018

By Standing Voice

August 15^th, 2018

This summer, 19 people came together on Ukerewe Island, Tanzania, for a six-day workshop in the visual arts. Following her mentorship of the Undaji Art Club during Standing Voice’s Summer Skills series in 2017, London-based artist Annie-Marie Akussah returned to Ukerewe to lead the workshop for a second time. The workshop benefited from a range of new faces, courtesy of our wonderful partner NGO Under the Same Sun, who sent many of its education scholarship beneficiaries to participate.

“I was thrilled to take part in the Summer Skills Workshop again. Throughout the journey to Ukerewe, I was itching with excitement to see how the participants had grown creatively, and as people, in the year that had passed since our last encounter. As soon as the workshop began, I was overjoyed to find that those returning had been nurturing their artistic skills. I was particularly impressed by the mothers in the group, who were eager to draw and paint from the first day. They approached their work with noticeable positivity and energy.” Annie-Marie Akussah

“This summer, I wanted to focus on the idea of community and the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, across workshops. I especially enjoyed working with the photography group, who offered inspiration for our artwork with photos from around the island. This collaboration was an opportunity for the class to learn how to create art from photographs, further developing their skills in visual composition. It was a joy to watch the two workshops working together in harmony.” Annie-Marie Akussah

“Through this workshop, I learnt that art is all around you. It can be made from the material that surrounds all of us.” Sophia Nicholaus

“I was astounded by the group’s resourcefulness and ingenuity, using materials they’d never encountered before and creating art with wasted materials and objects like leaves, stones and unwanted plastics.” Annie-Marie Akussah

“There was a young boy with albinism whose hand had been amputated in a ritual attack; it was humbling to see how he worked with his pencil and paintbrush, producing the most beautiful drawings. His resilience and resourcefulness—his determination to succeed and hone his skills even in the wake of trauma—stayed with me.” Kevin Arulrajah

“As an artist and student, this was an amazing opportunity for me to develop my artistic craft through teaching, while also learning and absorbing skills from the participants themselves. I saw improvements not only in participants’ artistic prowess, but their confidence and social skills too. By the end of the workshops, participants who initially seemed shy and reserved were interacting far more with the rest of their group. They all stuck together and became noticeably closer over time, even walking home together at the end of the day!” Annie-Marie Akussah

Throughout this process, art became so much more than a mere act of production. It was an opportunity for a marginalised community to find its voice, to build bridges, spark dialogue, and construct a shared cultural understanding through the language of shape and colour. As participants dove deep—uncovering the past to refresh the present—they were releasing memories onto canvas, and using artistic practice as an outlet for community pain and trauma. Art became a space of therapy, a foundation for regrowth.

“The Summer Skills Workshop is a wonderful programme that truly unifies the community. It brings people from different cities, circumstances and backgrounds together in a "safe space": a space where people are comfortable and able to share their stories through art and conversation. Everyone benefits from the programme.” Annie-Marie Akussah