Helene for GAC
Before anything else: check out the project explained in a cool, short video.
This year I will do one of the most adventurous, important, and amazing things i have ever done in my life: I will be participating in The Great African Caravan project as the project manager. Together with 11 other artists from around the world (Switzerland, Uganda, Argentina, India, UK, Kosovo) I will be traveling for 200 days through 12 African countries. We are already in South Africa, ready to start the journey all the way to Egypt at the end of the month. 
In each of the 12 countries, we 12 artists will work on locally relevant challenges and topics that are linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) whereby each country has its own theme. South Africa for example has, upon community engagement and i recognition of the women's month, the theme of female creatives role in countering violence.
As we from GAC aim to function solely as an accelerator for local initiatives and efforts, we will join hands with almost 50 partner organisations, youth groups, representatives from civil societies, and hundreds of artists from the hosting countries. In collaboration, we will work towards the specific SDGs, create spaces of expression, raise awareness, strategize and find solutions for the local challenges.
As a larger aim, we work towards building peace, celebrating cultural diversity, and embracing the spirit of global citizenship.
To communicate all of that with the world, we individual artists will, additionally to the collaborative work, create individual art. A comic book, a poetry series, music videos, blogs, mural works, and multiple documentaries are just some of the individual artworks that will be released after the 200 days journey.
My personal artistic engagement will be photography. I aim to create photography series that engage with stereotypes, and harmful notions, as well as the locally relevant social topics; series that are powerful, share the common struggles but also celebrate a diverse beauty and common humanity.
What I need is support to realize this amazing journey (and not get stuck already here in South Africa). I want to be able to change the idea of Africa, i want to show the beauty of humanity, and be part of actively crating a better, more inclusive, humane, and supportive world beyond the borders that we have established. Any help to realize this ambitious vision is highly appreciated and my gratitude always with you.
