Objectives ~ Motivation ~ Philosophy ~ Theory ~ Results Activities ~ Skills ~ Services ~ Products & Events ~ Outcomes
What We Do The principle behind Tikambilanie is very simple. Based at a human grass-roots level it explores peoples situation as they appear to themselves. A process that includes the community members, encouraging them to express their situations, challenges and desires. Through such processes of community engagement members are able to see their own and contrasting situations more clearly. The research, composition and presentation of their situations, all using participative approachs, both empower individual members to better understand their own position, highlighting possible ways to develop. The expressions can then inform and educate other parties as to the real key issues that under pin what can be complicated social and environmental issues. It is seen as a continous, cyclic process, where feedback from audiances informs future productions. The principles of inclusive, two-way and continous communication are central to Tikambilanie. We do not offer solutions or pretend that we have absolute answers to complex issues, instead we offer a tried and tested technique that uses incisive & entertaining methods to encourage communities to look at and develop their own situations. Distilling key issues to the centre of communal discussion, where those involved can then make their own decision about how best to progress. Through inclusion and the feeling of ownership genuine sustainable solutions can be developed. With Whom... Community Groups - We speaclise in tackling otherwise difficult Social & Environmental issues, starting at the situation on the ground. Other stakeholders and experts can be introduced as required. The exploration of life in a particular street or village and the summary of the findings into a short media piece will allow tikambilanie to share contrasting life experiances with various cultures around the world as our programme develops. Schools - Tikambilanie runs interactive workshops, perfromances and research sessions at schools and can be taylored for any age groups. Sessions where parents & teachers are also involved are encouraged. Links between classes in different cultures is the future ambition of Tikambilanie, either the inclusion of existing links or the provision of new ones. Public & Private Institutions - The techniques that Tikambilanie can offer during one of our UK tours make a highly entertaining day or half day of activities. Despite the short time period, genuinely useful results can be generated. Issues of communication, particularly those where a section of an organisation feels it isn't being heard make an ideal topic for an introductory session. Others might include: consultation on new proposals, feedback of current practice or open discussions on ideas and improvements going forward. Festivals and Entertainment - Tikambilanie approaches are ideally suited to the entertainng, communal and participative nature of many UK festivals. Bringing an African Spirit and a desire to utilise the arts and entertainment as a tool for positive development in social and environmental terms Tikambilanie is optimistic that the festival scene offers an ideal platform for public engagement in key issues including Sustainable Development as well as the continual process of cross-cultural understanding. Tikambilanie helps groups of people to express themselves, individually & collectively so that important issues can be discussed so that a better understanding can be gained leading to improvement for all those who participate.
Tikambilanie aims to empower people at a grass-roots level by promoting communication as an enabling technology. This shall be achieved through workshops, participatory research, discussion and performance. The creation of media expressions and the provision of a vehicle by which to transport them to new audiences offers the bases upon which new conversations can be initiated. In 2009 Tikambilanie is running two three month projects. One in the UK hosted by a Zambian Community Arts Group, Kamoto and a Zambian Environmental N.G.O., The Green Living Movement. The other in Zambia hosted by a UK group of volunteers yet to be selected. Each project will develop a message that returns with the host to their country so that it may be viewed by audiences there, a response can then be created for the next return trip. At which point the message, back in its country of origin with its response from the other can be shown so that a review can be created. This can be shown to the target audience on the third trip thus completing one complete Tikambilanie iteration on an international cross-cultural platform. This carried out in both directions determines the initial Tikambilanie 3 year programme as demonstrated on this website and in further documentation, available on request. 1)Express, 2)Respond, 3)Review. Working with local organisations and authorities will equip us with an opportunity to learn and demonstrate how much can be learnt from each other so that together we can improve both our situations.
Goal The broad goal of Tikambilanie is to promote communication methods as a key tool in developing a global world from a local scale, using existing techniques and knowledge to ensure life can be celebrated while maintaining (or developing) a respectful and sustainable approach, to both our fellow beings and the natural environment that we all stem from.
UK Launch Tikambilanie believes that the time is right for open approaches where experts from different cultures can come together and both learn from each others experiences. In the first instance Tikambilanie shall be launched in Bristol and on the UK Festival circuit. Two Zambian not for profit organisations, Kamoto Community Arts and The Green Living Movement will be in the UK for the Spring of 2009 to illustrate what is possible in terms of this sort of exchange, develop the Tikambilanie future programme, as well as local solutions in conjunction with existing bodies in the UK. Having expert Zambian Artists and Environmentalists living in a UK environment for the best part of 3 months provides us with the perfect opportunity to create a representation that expresses and explores the differences and similarities between our cultures. This shall be the topic for the development of Tikambilanies first piece of theatre, an expression they can both perfrom here and take back to audiences in Zambia to illustrate what life is like for those in Bristol, the UK and on the Festival Circuit.
Tikambilanie 2009 2009 is the launch year for Tikambilanie, and as such the primary aim is to develop an awareness, collect expressions and create a structure that enables those with similarities to share experiences within local communities and across the globe. Kamoto and The Green Living Movement have spent over 20 years working with a wide range of communities, learning how to identify, assess and analysis their needs with out having to dictate what they might be or what they appear to be from an outside perspective. This is particularly important for social and environmental issues where any lasting change can only originate from within those involved. The primary difference to the approach we are offering from those commonly found in the UK today is that we involve the participants rather than present to an audience. In that we do not force suggestions or direct the findings by our own pre-conceptions. The tools we use have been specifically developed to allow the participants to express and then present their own experience and impressions so that underlying prevailing issues rise to the surface, in their natural state. The Tikambilane project will create a multiplier effect as the knowledge gained will trickle down to members of the communities through drama, songs and community meetings that the target groups will have been made aware. A single meeting does not qualify for 'sustainable communication', it is a continued process that follows and generates cycles of situation-opportunity-implementation-assessment. It is the empowering of people on a local level to allow them to control their own situation and influence decisions that affect them that lead to sustainable solutions. Self willing!
Method During the launch in both countries, certain themes or topics will emerge from the initial group participation. Through further discussion, needs assessment, problem analysis and conflict resolution, progress can be made. Before the end of each launch, there will be sessions that will focus on collating what has been learned and then prioritise the findings. Each group or community will be left with an implementation plan, detailing who will be responsible and what actions will be required, to achieve the desired outcome, before the next Tikambilanie event. The benefit of facilitating it in the host country (UK) but using a host from another country (Zambia), is that a cross-over of cultures will be exchanged, encouraging new ideas, and fresh approaches. At the same time similarities that exist will be recognised and mutual appreciation and understanding increased: for example the way in which environmental issues are dealt with in the UK may offer solutions to related problems in Zambia and vice versa. Whilst working with each of the participating communities, their lifestyles, opinions, likes and dislikes will be explored. Depending on the preference of those involved, one of these aspects or a blend of many, will be adopted as the initial theme and will be expressed through one of the various mediums that Kamoto specialize in - music, dance, drama and storytelling, - as well as a participatory community approach (discussion, interview, mapping & analysis tools). In this way, the key element or thought will be communicated by the group to others, which can include how they see themselves from their perspective or how they are seen by others. As the nature of the programme is about embracing diversity, all methods of representation are encouraged.
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