Connecting OCT & EU Trough Storytelling

Project

281206

Status

Submitted

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NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS AWARDS: existing completed examples

Project title

Connecting OCT & EU Trough Storytelling

Full project title

Description

Kushobi Origins is meant to paint a positive narrative of the OCT's, South America. Today it has transitioned into multicultural interrelation that transcended cultural bonds and cross-cultural relations. The product's goal is to stimulate cognitive development and the connection of social bonds of EU Citizens across Europe through the media headquarters right here in the Caribbean region of St.Maarten. . In synthesis, it aims to help EU and OCT's to learn about their shared heritage. 

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Your project is fully completed?

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Please provide a summary of your project

This animated series will serve as an educational animation that captures the captivating history, science, folklore of indigenous and African disciplines researched via educational documents. In synthesis, the aim of Kushobi Animated Series is for the OCT's and EU Youth to connect and learn about their values of African Caribbean heritage and local/regional indigenous culture/history, employing visual arts. Namely, to entertain and inspire the Caribbean, Latin American & European Youth to utilize their creativity for cognitive development. Valorizing the culture of the Dutch Caribbean will appeal to continental Europe and ignite a unified culture that empowers the Caribbean and Latin American Diaspora to be connected to Europe as well as breaking multi-generational barriers. 

The first step into creating the animated series is to draw inspiration from the comic book Kushobi. The following steps are considered to develop the animated film that can be streamed worldwide for the proliferation of the OCTs & EU Youth culture. 

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability (including circularity) and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

The first step into creating the animated series is to draw inspiration from the comic book Kushobi. The following steps are considered to develop the animated film. The final step will be distributing and licensing the film to a streaming platform or selling directly to consumers. Following the most outstanding marketing and publicity strategy will ensure attention and increase in revenue sales.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience beyond functionality and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

Kushobi Project: This book serves as an educational-comic, that captures the captivating history, science, folklore of
indigenous and African disciplines researched via educational documents.

Kushobi's book was accepted into Philipsburg Jubilee Library
Kushobi provided an educational lecture on African influence in Caribbean literature
Over 20 books were donated to elementary schools on St. Maarten
Kushobi organized a creative workshop for St. Dominic High school

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of inclusion (equal opportunities, public participation, citizen engagement, co-design, universal design, accessibility, affordability, etc.) and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

In synthesis, Kushobi's objective is to help OCT's and Europeans learn about their shared African heritage and local/regional indigenous culture/history, employing visual arts. Namely, it intends to entertain and inspire the youth to utilize their creativity for cognitive development.

Please explain how these three dimensions have been combined in your project.
Please highlight how this approach can be exemplary

Equal Opportunity: Kushobi Book provided a creative writing workshop, for volunteered students of the International Baccalaureate Programmed (IBO) & Disenfranchise and Youth at risk. They  learned from the author of Kushobi Jean Oneli Blaise’s journey with creating his own written pieces and demonstrated several concepts he learned and developed into his own style of writing

Public participation:  For The devotion to Youth Development and believing in the Younger Generation of St.Maarten the St.Maarten Jubilee Library has accepted the Kushobi book and is available for the public to read at no charge. 

Citizen engagement: Kushobi helped to raise 2000 euros for Covid relief in the Dutch Caribbean, Kulchurama, a three-part fundraising event focused on sending at least €2000 of raised funds for COVID relief to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Martin, and St. Eustatius. Kushobi provided a workshop where participants learned about Africa, Latin America, and the connection to Europe. Those from Europe enjoyed a critical review of how our heritage is shared and there can be more to make bring awareness about this fact. 

Please give information on the results/impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for

Kushobi's book was accepted into Philipsburg Jubilee Library
Kushobi provided an educational lecture on African influence in Caribbean literature
Over 20 books were donated to elementary schools on St. Maarten
Kushobi organized a creative workshop for St. Dominic High school

Kushobi helped to raise 2000 euros for Covid relief in the Dutch Caribbean, Kulchurama, a three-part fundraising event focused on sending at least €2000 of raised funds for COVID relief to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Martin, and St. Eustatius. Kushobi provided a workshop where participants learned about Africa, Latin America, and the connection to Europe. Those from Europe enjoyed a critical review of how our heritage is shared and there can be more to make bring awareness about this fact. 

Kushobi had the opportunity to donate books and give a Kushobi storytelling session for the students of St. Dominic School.

Please explain how citizens and civil society were involved in the in the design and/or implementation of the project.
Please also explain the benefits that derived from their involvement.

The project contained co-creation. In synthesis, Kushobi created a reading session for elementary students to learn about writing the history of Africa and how it relates to the Dutch Caribbean. One member from the community was selected to assist with reading to the students of St. Dominic elementary school. In addition, Kushobi also hosted a Creative Writing Workshop with the purpose to inspire and develop the cognitive development of the high school students of St. Dominic. During the session, Kushobi organized a mystery missing game in the heart of the city Philipsburg which explored several significant historical areas. Actors from the National Institute of Arts were selected to be part of the game. One member of the community was selected to document this experience through pictures. 

This was a pivotal moment in the island history that a workshop was executed to educate the youth about Africa and the connection to the Dutch Caribbean the community members were also part of the first mystery missing game that told the compelling history of the city. This is paving the way for a new industry and innovative manner of storytelling. 

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addressed by providing local solutions

The global issues that this project is solving are Rascism, Discrimination, and Equal Rights. The lack of positive stories of black and brown people in digital media and streaming services is evident. There has been a global outcry with movements such as black lives matter and other critical movements to paint a positive narrative of people of color. Increased visibility of well-created stories that portray people of color in a positive manner is one of the first steps towards shifting cultural biases. Kushobi has already facilitated this shift with youth on the island finally accepting the color of their skin and the curls in their hair because of the characters they saw in Kushobi's Graphic novel.

Please highlight the innovative character of the project as compared to mainstream practices in the field of the project.

The project is innovative in the sense that it is easily accessible on digital media platforms on multiple devices such as tables, android, and Mac. Considering the development of the fourth industrial revolution a great percentage of youth utilize electronic devices to consume information and meaningful experiences. 

Please explain to the potential of transferring the projects’ results or learnings to other interested parties and contexts.
Please provide clear documentation, communication of methodology and principles in this context.

Kushobi serves as an educational comic, that captures the captivating history, science, folklore of indigenous and African disciplines researched via educational documents with the intention to connect OCTs and EU Youth. By employing visual arts it gives a visual methodology to connect youth with imagery of Afro-carribean people and depicting their cultural stories. The principle behind this message is to reinforce the positive narrative of telling stories of Indigenous/African descendants who are connected to continental Europe. 

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