Describe the main features of the measure/initiative:
Afrosino Cultural Exchange Association through its "One Era One Focus" initiative, seeks to bring closer ties between Kenya, China and other countries through organizing cultural events, exhibitions and conferences, thereby enhancing friendships and mutual trust between the peoples of the participating countries. The initiative therefore plans to periodically organize such events, with a strong education and nature conservation tourism theme. The initiative also looks forward to front and spearhead for Schools twining between Kenyan schools and Chinese schools from both primary and secondary school levels, where the schools conduct exchange visits to share views and participate in education and cultural activities. The same is be extended to other African countries.
The initiative envisages persons from different cultures spending time together and working on same themes sharing their different approaches in the following areas:
1. Visual Arts - this initiative brings artists from different domains together to capture moments in sketching, painting, photography, sculpturing among others. The environments providing the arena for works of art are as varied as the cultures that exist. In Kenya, these include flora and fauna, historical and archaeological sites. The geographical areas are inhabited by local and unique cultures.
2. Performing Arts - dramatizing ways of life and expressions, storytelling in music, poetry and publication are very strong presentations of culture. This initiative integrates these expressions in conference and visual arts events and also utilize them in the interactive events where different cultures are brought together.
3. Fashion - away from determined national dressing and dress codes, cultures at grassroots level do have dressing themes that have stories. While modern life is looking for 'pretty' defined as white collar elegance, cultural attire and fashions carry stories of histories of ways of life. Highlighting these generates a lot of content for the other disciplines of cultural arts to capture and immortalize.
What are the results achieved so far through the implementation of the measure/initiative?:
First event - In March 2018, One Era One Focus Initiative invited and hosted 25 artists drawn from Academies of art and design from several regions of China for a 16 days tour and cultural exchange in Kenya. Activities included;
1)Visited several wildlife destinations in Kenya and together with Kenyan counterparts drawn from Nairobi university school of art and design and other accomplished Kenyan artists held sessions to sketch, paint and photograph.
2)spent a full day in a village in a cultural exchange activities including dancing, understanding the day to day living of the local people, exchanging gifts and a fashion display of different cultural attires.
3)Held a symposium where the State department of Culture, State Department of Tourism, School of Arts and Design, University of Nairobi were represented. Participants shared ideas on possible avenues of corporation and the role of government in encouraging and enhancing cultural exchange efforts by the civil society.
4)Held an exhibition of works of art produced in the days of tour of Kenyan destinations. A fashion show of designs by both Kenyan and Chinese delegates complemented the event.
Second event was a reciprocal event in Beijing China in October 2018 that comprised of two forums; a cultural exchange forum and an education forum; and an art exhibition.
The event was organized in China as a reciprocal event to Chinese visit to Kenya and in response to the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative.
12 artists from Kenya were sponsored to the event by Afrosino Cultural Exchange Association and more than 40 works of art from Kenya including paintings, sculptures, art installations, photography works, video works, and costume design works participated in the exhibition. Zimbabwe was also represented.
Participants visited cultural sites in Beijing and a manufacturer of arts material who has been a strong financial supporter of the initiative's activities.
This event has expanded the channels of cultural exchange between Africa and China, promoted mutual trust among the people, spread of culture, and strengthening the traditional friendship between the peoples of Africa and China.
The third event was held in Zimbabwe in April 2019. This event drew participants from China, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The event constituted of one forum and an exhibition of works of art from all the represented countries. Participants visited the great Victoria Falls, and a famous sculpture artist's workshop.