AFIELD Studies are online co-learning programs led by members of the network on different topics. Comprising closed sessions and public workshops, they seek to nurture synergies between like-minded practitioners, allowing for exchange of skills and knowledge.
The fifth AFIELD Study Program was titled “Growing Initiatives Sustainably” and was initiated by Sandra Terdjman.
The 2 hour conversation examined different topics:
1. Structures and funding
2. Teams and people involved
3. Mission and life cycles of organisations
This workshop surfaced issues that small scale cultural initiatives face when growing.
It was informed by the cross-cultural perspective and unique contexts of speakers: Faye Cura (Gantala Press), Yabebal Fantaye (Astro Bus), Basel Nasr (Almasna Animation Studio), iLiana Fokianaki (State of Concept), Moukhtar Kocache (Civil Society & Philanthropy Consultant and Adviser) and Kira Simon-Kennedy (爻 yáo collaborative), facilitated by Chantal Wong.
Faye Cura is a writer, researcher, and curator from the Philippines. She co-founded Gantala Press in 2015 and has been volunteering with Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women since 2018.
Yabebal Fantaye is a cosmologist and data scientist who received the 2018 AFIELD Fellowship for Astrobus Ethiopia, a mobile outreach program promoting critical thinking, social and economic development.
Basel Nasr was awarded the 2022 AFIELD Fellowship for his initiative, Almasna’s Animated Workshop, in Ramallah, Palestine. The project aims to encourage collective production practices and empower young people to acquire animation skills for storytelling and self-expression.
iLiana Fokianaki is a curator, theorist, and educator based in Athens and Rotterdam. She founded State of Concept Athens in 2013, the first non-profit institution of its kind in Greece.
Moukhtar Kocache is an independent advisor and consultant with expertise in curatorial practice, media, and philanthropy. He is the co-founder of Rawa: Creative Palestinian Communities Fund, a participatory initiative that supports Palestinian grassroots to solve community development challenges.
Kira Simon-Kennedy is the co-founder and co-director of 爻 yáo collaborative, a multifaceted arts nonprofit that has supported hundreds of different international creative exchanges to China since its inception in 2013.