My dad always used to tell me, “you are who you are, don’t let anyone ever take that away from you”.
Today I feel the real meaning of his words more than ever as I reflect on the lives of the people I have been living and working with for the past 5 years. The Nubian community are one of the most oppressed and forgotten about tribes living in Kenya today. They were only formally recognised as a 43rd tribe of Kenya four years ago in 2009 and they are still struggling to gain Kenyan citizenship after defending Kenya in both the 1st and 2nd world wars.
So how did the Nubians end up in Kenya? They were brought by the British as Nubian Soldiers to fight as the Kings African Rifles in the 19th century. After being refused repatriation they were only allowed temporary living structures and were disabled both British and Kenyan identity. Generations of Nubians are stuck in a limbo of statelessness, many still occupying the largest slum in Africa known as Kibera in Nairobi. They are unable to own land and unable to work unless they deny their heritage and claim a false Kenyan identity.
The Nubian people are more than a group, they are an entire community who deserve to be heard, and who better to help amplify them than artists? Today there are some brilliant and innovative Kenyan artists, people I have met who are ready to take on social challenges and apply them with creativity and collaboration. Having worked with carnivals around the world I am curious to bring a group of artists up to work with the Nubians in Isiolo and attempt to create our own take on carnival as a vehicle for social change.
My question is can a group of artists be able to collaborate with a community, which is on the verge of becoming extinct and be able to showcase their story and their zeal to claim their rights as Kenyan citizens?
“A community becomes confident if recognised by other communities”
Nubian Elder
As a collaborative project I am inviting people from around the world to contribute to making this project possible. We need to raise £2000 by the end of the month to pay for transport, materials and artists. Any small donation brings us closer to realising a dignified future for the Nubians in Isiolo.
http://gogetfunding.com/project/sbk-collaborative-arts-project-1
The Nubian community is a special example of an oppressed people that represent many other minority communities who suffer from injustice and unfair treatment. Following the success of this project the artists will work together to promote a collective organization focused on using the arts as social action for marginalized communities.
Swapping dreams to build a home 