Newsletter February 3rd 2023
Chères amies et chers amis d’Afrodyssée,
Nous espérons que vous vivez votre début d’année avec force et passion.
C’est dans cet état d’esprit que nos préparatifs avancent sur tous les tableaux pour vous concocter une 6ème édition d’Afrodyssée qui mette à l’honneur la mode et l’artisanat contemporains africains. Avec un seul mot d’ordre pour nous guider: le style, toujours et encore.
Moments forts des prochaines semaines : le casting des mannequins et le recrutement des bénévoles.
Pour l’heure, en exclusivité, découvrez la personnalité qui rythmera le retour d’Afrodyssée du 5 au 7 mai prochain, le producteur de la bande-son du défilé.
Journalist & writer, Hortense Assaga has a considerable experience in travelling across Africa. A Few days ago she's just published a magnificent book entitled « Made In Africa - Inside my Luggage » which gathers photographs and texts of her numerous encounters with artisans all over Africa (she visited 44 countries).
Hortense will be our curator for Afrodyssee's next edition for the award of "African Excellence - Best Artisan of the year".
Hortense, how do you consider handicraft in Africa?
For financial specialists and economists, handicraft represents significant power in term of jobs and development. On the field though, handicraft is a permanent moving line of business, a bottomless source of creativity and originality. This art is not only about pretty everyday items which are handmade in workshops, expressions of recognized know-how of ancestral traditions, as will attest basketry or jewelry. Handicraft covers a tradition that is everyday upgraded by women and men, in order to keeping on the continuation of their cultural singularity. Handicraft is sustainable, ecological and the recycling is n the center of its process. For example the plastic waste will be spinned, woven and transformed in colorful bracelets, sold in the markets (cooperative in Burkina Faso). It is inspiring, aesthetic, the signature of an African excellence often copied without ever be mentioned as the original.
Hortense, it’s been a long time you feel the desire to write about African artisans.
I travelled a lot across the continent to meet these people who design the items of everyday life and sometimes invent exceptional creations: these are the real artists for me. The specificity of their work lies in the handmade. A genre which tends to disappear all over the world but remains very strong in Africa, as a trademark. This book follows the mission to source and archive African creations through beautiful pieces, picked up in the markets, in small shops or by street sellers. This is the "Made In Africa » for everyone.
Tickets for the 9pm parade are going fast. So don't delay!
Here is a summary of the different types of tickets:
SINGLE ENTRY SAM 06.05.2023
25 CHF
Gives access to the Designers Market, Talks & Workshops, Food Village, Photo Studios and After Party.
4pm FASHION SHOW TICKET SAM 06.05.2023
From 30 CHF to 50 CHF
Gives access to the Designers' Market, the 4pm Show, the Talks & Workshops, the Food Village, the Photo Studios and the After Party.
9pm FASHION SHOW TICKET SAM 06.05.2023
From 40 CHF to 60 CHF
Gives access to the Designers Market, the 9pm Fashion Show, the Talks & Workshops, the Food Village, the Photo Studios and the After Party.
FASHION SHOWS VIP LODGES / LOGES VIP DÉFILÉS SAM 06.05.2023
In addition to the services of the fashion show ticket, the VIP ticket gives access to VIP entrance (no waiting) / personalized service / nominative table/ lounge next to the podium & reserved for the whole afternoon or evening / a bottle of champagne / various foods / a goodie bag per person / possibility to order bottles in advance (100.- per bottle)
Reservation for VIPs at 4pm: directly online on the website
VIPs at 9pm: Please contact ticketing@afrodyssee.ch
AFTER PARTY TICKET SAM 06.05.2023 Le Groove
Give access only to the After party Afrodyssée X We Vibing
TALKS SUN 07.05.2023 Pavillon de la danse ADC
Sunday Talks are included in all Afrodyssée tickets above. Tickets for the lectures are also available on site (Pavillon de la danse ADC) for CHF 15.
Tickets (single entry and fashion show) are also on sale at the entrance (Maison communale de Plainpalais), subject to availability.
Children under 10 years old, free access. Access to the fashion shows is not free for children.
ASSOCIATION: BE PART OF IT.
Afrodysée, the association: what is it?
Afrodyssée is a non-profit association that brings together around thirty volunteer collaborators, who each work in their area of expertise to support and promote African creation. The Afrodyssée association intends to improve knowledge of the cultures and aesthetics of Africa through its annual event, but also through residences in Africa and curation missions, it contributes to increasing the influence of contemporary African design. Afrodyssée specializes in two areas of creation in particular: fashion and crafts.
How many ?
Annual fee Single member CHF 40.00 / year
Annual fee for Honorary member: 150 CHF / year
Why ?
By becoming a member, you support a project that promotes African creation with values of excellence, originality and sustainability.
As a Single member, you benefit from the opportunity to directly submit proposals or projects during our meetings and assemblies (twice a year).
As an Honorary member, you are also invited to the opening night of the annual event, exclusive and by invitation only (for this 6th edition, Friday May 5, 2023).
VOLUNTEERS: WE NEED YOU.
We are looking for volunteers for the preparation of our next edition. Do you want to bring your help to our project and be part of our team?
Subscribe here and fill our application.
Registration deadline: January 31, 2023.
BACK TO PRE-EVENT
Little bonus for those who made it to the end of this newsletter D-6: some pictures of our pre-event of last Saturday, April 6th.
Whether to join the association or to join our team of volunteers, all profiles are welcome.
We are together.
With these beautiful words, we wish you an excellent holiday season and a good start to the year 2023!
Kind regards to all of you,
Afrodyssey Association
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