About
Siff Awards is an organization which was formed in Mombasa Kenya in the year 2021. The founder is Amos Mwaki. Siff Awards has further grown and opened a branch in Mtwapa to cater for Kilifi Artists. Siff Awards is an organization devoted to starting up and growing art related projects especially on capital investment and Management. Siff Awards has successfully organized two annual editions of Swahili International Film Festival and Awards.
Background
The artists of Kilifi County have come a long way. Majority of them trying to create sustainable economy have formed groups in which they operate. These groups contribute funds to finance their activities. Most of the times these activities don’t yield back sustainable returns. The groups may take a break after failure to market their products. Some re-group after a dormant period. Most of them die a natural death after this horrifying experience. For the groups which re-group most of them find themselves in the same vicious cycletincidunt nisi, et, consectetur dignissim bibendum massa arcu, urna, amet, gravida nec semper est eget.
The Concept
THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA MANIFESTOR ON ART AND CULTURE.
The government of Kenya has allocated 70.6 billion Kenya shillings for social protection, culture and recreation, this shows the governments’ seriousness in art and culture. Among the key objectives of creative economy promises in the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto are:-
- The plan acknowledges that the Kenya Creative Economy has the potential to add value to Kenya’s cultural industries exports such as fashion, leather products & crafts industries.
- The plan acknowledges the need for investment in culture to ensure the diverse spectrum of cultural workers harnesses the opportunities presented by the digital revolution.
- The plan promises to establish a film fund, cultural industry portal, and promotion of entrepreneurship in music.
Freedom of Expression
Kenya Kwanza promises to work with stakeholders to expand the space of creativity including freedom of expression and protection of intellectual property.
Creative Infrastructure
The plan involves the mainstreaming of arts and culture in infrastructure (theaters, music halls, art galleries) into the infrastructure development program and identified streams of resources for their development.
Capacity Building
Kenya Kwanza promises to work with stakeholders in culture to identify the incentives, capacity building & other support required from the state to scale up cultural production and the creative economy.
Brand Kenya & Cultural Economy
Another interesting commitment by the president is the promise to mainstream the creative economy in brand Kenya & commercial diplomacy including appointing accomplished Kenyan artists and creative sector personalities as cultural ambassadors.
RELATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
TOURISM & CULTURE
Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will bring many people together to interact and do business. This event will thus: –
- Promote local and international tourism in Kilifi County.
- Highlight and promote heritage in Kilifi County
- Tourism will be a big boost to local tour guides.
- Promote Kilifi County as a conferencing and local tourism destination.
- Promotion of Hotels offering accommodation and conference facilities in Kilifi County.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will create a big opportunity for commerce. This event will spur the creation and development of: –
- Develop distributors/market for art and culture products.
- Attract business people in Kilifi County who will further develop and grow a market.
- Encourage and spur artists to do their craft and sell in the developing market.
- Banking/Finance sector will benefit from the inflow of money created by the event.
- Creation of revenue collection e.g., filming location fees will increase in Kilifi County as may filmmakers will want to film in the county.
WOMEN & YOUTH EMPOWERMENT.
Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will empower women and youth. This festival will spearhead growth of cultural dancers who are mostly women. The dancers have been practicing their craft but they are overlooked. Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will: –
- Spur growth and commercialization of traditional dancers.
- Empower many women who have talent and wide experience in traditional dancing.
- Create a market for traditional dancers.
- Become the first initiative in Kenya to commercialise traditional dancing.
- Bring youth and women together to discuss and share knowledge and ideas to create economic growth.
- Encourage young artists to continue improving their art as there are monitory incentives.
- Educate youth and women through workshops which will be held during the Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will festival.
- Create a firm background for entrepreneurship training which can open financial opportunities.
- Kilifi Film, Art & Culture Festival will invite investors who can provide capital loans to groups of youth and women.
SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
A well-executed creative work compels someone to re-think, discuss or take some action. Work of Art can be used to address social injustices or even change a political direction. Art has been used to
- Wake up and challenge audiences
- Prompt self-reflection about one’s own attitudes
- Stimulate discussion about how an issue has arisen and what could have been done differently.
- Create a deeper understanding and a desire for further learning.
Art is the most powerful ways of depicting difficult subjects in a way that will open an audience’s eyes to their complex reality.