Prince Claus Fund: Louder than Words
6 Prince Claus Awardees – 6 inspiring stories of relevance, impact and urgency. Join us at Louder than Words and connect with the Prince Claus Fund community of creative changemakers.
Taking place at 19.30 – 22.00 on 6 December at Felix Meritis, six ground-breaking artists honoured by the Prince Claus Fund will tell their stories.
In light of this year’s Prince Claus Impact Awards ceremony, Louder than Words will feature visual artist Ibrahim Mahama, Ghana; indigenous leader, environmentalist and writer Ailton Krenak, Brazil; film director and founder of the Yennenga Center Alain Gomis, Senegal; visual artist and co-founder of La Source du Lion Hassan Darsi, Morocco; a writer, poet and editor Maria Medrano, Argentina; an architect and founder of the Megawra – Built Environment Collective May al-Ibrashy, Egypt.
As a cherry on top, an exuberant duo Def Maa Maa Def of raising stars in the Senegalese hip hop scene – a 2021 Seed Awardee Mamy Victory and Defa will perform!
Check out the speakers below.
About the Prince Claus Fund
The Prince Claus Fund believes that culture is a basic need. We enable artists and cultural practitioners to work freely & without restrictions creating culture that inspires positive social change, leading to a future that is equitable, inclusive, peaceful, and environmentally sustainable.
The Fund was established as a tribute to HRH Prince Claus’s dedication to culture and development more than 25 ago. Now, we are a forerunner in the unrestricted funding field, fostering meaningful connections within a worldwide community of creative changemakers.
Through our Awards, we amplify young & emerging talent, accelerate future leaders and recognise change makers where cultural expression is under pressure.
Louder than Words Speakers
Ibrahim Mahama (Ghana) is a visual artist who is actively involved in improving social conditions. His powerful artworks use provocative materials and sites to examine and expose histories, uphold the role of labour, challenge authorities and criticise mismanagement of resources. Directly addressing lack of opportunities and facilities in his home region, he has set up an open access cultural centre and other social projects providing employment, education, studio space and creative activities.
Ailton Alves Lacerda Krenak (Brazil) is an indigenous leader, environmentalist, philosopher, poet and writer. Considered one of the great leaders of the Brazilian indigenous movement, Krenak is currently an honorary professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). Krenak has succeeded in providing a safe space for indigenous leadership to be developed throughout the country. He is often referred to as a mentor and a leader to younger generations of indigenous leaders, activists, and politicians.
Alain Gomis (Senegal) is a Senegalese-French film director and screenwriter whose work explores identity, the differences and bonds that define the relationship between francophone Africa and its diaspora. Founder of the Yennenga Center dedicated to cinema, Gomis plays an important role in the promotion of film and fostering of local talents in Senegal and Africa, and through his work he addresses the complexities of identity, foreignness, and agency, drawn from his personal experiences dealing with dual nationality and the search for belonging.
Hassan Darsi (Morocco) is a visual artist whose work promotes critical thinking about public spaces and citizenship. He co-founded La Source du Lion, a cultural laboratory that brings together thinkers, artists, journalists, students, and the general public to discuss the role of art in society. Darsi has redefined art in the Moroccan context by engaging the larger Moroccan public through his exhibitions.
María Medrano (Argentina) is a writer, poet and editor. In addition to their artistic and poetic practice Medrano is a prison abolition activist and co-founder of YoNoFui, a non-profit trans-feminist organisation that works with formerly incarcerated women and individuals from the LGTBQIA+ community in arts and crafts projects. YoNoFui amplifies their voices beyond the prison walls, allowing the reassembling of their identities in the face of a punitive and unjust reality that tends to neglect the potential of their life trajectories. In 2010, together with their colleagues of YoNoFui, Medrano also founded Tinta Revuelta, an editorial collective of non-binary people, lesbian, bisexual and cis women. By establishing safe environments for personal development, relationship building and learning, Medrano’s projects address the root of the problems affecting women and LGTBQIA+ community, including their lack of work skills, emotional damage and lack of self-confidence.
May al-Ibrashy (Egypt) is an architect whose work centres on community engagement through heritage conservation, rehabilitation, preservation, and re-signification. She is the founder of the Megawra – Built Environment Collective, a twinship between an architectural firm and an NGO. Through her work she has managed to create a real difference for the, often marginalised, communities living in Cairo’s historic centre and has created an important counter narrative to the current government’s focus on urban expansion and renewal, creating a new sense of hope and pride for the communities she works with.