Visual Arts Festival Zanzibar (VAFZanzibar) is an annual visual arts festival commencing October 2019. Revolving around the exhibitions of Zanzibari, African and international visual artists accompanied by the work of creative communities in Zanzibar.
The festival includes the showcasing of:
​
PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE, SCULPTURE & INSTALLATION, DESIGN, PAINTING & DRAWING; embracing too the intersections of creative practices where visual art meets with fashion, craft, time-based art media and other materials.
ZANZIBAR,  AFRICA IS RISING
​
We are creating a platform for creatives and visual arts across Africa to exhibit & collaborate with local arts in an inclusive showcase in Zanzibar. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate Zanzibari and African traditional cultures to reimagine them in new artforms. We are working to connect creatives and visual artists across Zanzibar, Africa and Internationally to together strengthen the local creative industry and create a wider visual arts network in Zanzibar.

HAPA ZANZIBAR (UNGUJA NA PEMBA)

​This is Zanzibar. Zanzibar has a long and rich history with many connections to different regions of Africa and the wider world. It is the perfect context for creatives to re-engage with their connectedness, engaging young people with the stories of the past and re-imagining their futures.​
 Within its geographical setting Zanzibar offers dynamic examples of design, craft, architecture which can inspire a new generation of creative output. With increasing amounts of travel and tourism coming to Zanzibar, VAFZanzibar offers a great opportunity to develop the arts tourism market and engage visitors with Zanzibari and African culture.

STRENGTHENING THE CREATIVE INDUSTRYThe festival will strengthen the creative industry, through developing diversity and expanding employment opportunities. VAFZanzibar will engage communities, particularly youth and women with the aim of nurturing visual literacy and creativity in Zanzibar.

CREATING A NETWORK

The festival will create a wider visual arts network in Zanzibar by enabling experimental ways of making contemporary visual art in Zanzibar and developing a wider and more inclusive appreciation of visual art and creative expression. VAFZanzibar will act as a platform for the existing creatives in Zanzibar to  become aware of one another.

CONNECTING OPPORTUNITY

​VAFZanzibar will facilitate connecting Zanzibar to Pan African and International visual art by creating a platform for collaboration and exchange of skills, knowledge and perspectives as well as the expansion of market access and trading opportunities. This will be facilitated during the festival itself and in workshops held during the lead up to the festival.
PARTICIPATING & COLLABORATING

​Focusing on visual arts and artists, VAFZanzibar aims to involve young people in Zanzibar to collaborate with organisations and schools to explore their creativity. VAFZanzibar will provide visitors a unique opportunity to understand the culture here in Zanzibar. As established and new creatives unite and come together under a positive African message. We are constantly looking for those who want to join, sponsor and contribute energy to this project.
WHO ARE WE?

​The VAFZanzibar team consists of artists and arts management professionals who live in and are from Zanzibar and are excited by the creativity and possibilities of the Islands. All of us are engaged either in making art here in Zanzibar or connecting artists within and without of Zanzibar. We are all facilitating connections with the aim of widening creative discourses here, and see the festival as a step towards all the above.
Visual Arts Festival Zanzibar (VAFZanzibar) is an annual visual arts festival commencing October 2019. Revolving around the exhibitions of Zanzibari, African and international visual artists accompanied by the work of creative communities in Zanzibar.
The festival includes the showcasing of:
​
PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE, SCULPTURE & INSTALLATION, DESIGN, PAINTING & DRAWING; embracing too the intersections of creative practices where visual art meets with fashion, craft, time-based art media and other materials.
ZANZIBAR,  AFRICA IS RISING
​
We are creating a platform for creatives and visual arts across Africa to exhibit & collaborate with local arts in an inclusive showcase in Zanzibar. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate Zanzibari and African traditional cultures to reimagine them in new artforms. We are working to connect creatives and visual artists across Zanzibar, Africa and Internationally to together strengthen the local creative industry and create a wider visual arts network in Zanzibar.

HAPA ZANZIBAR (UNGUJA NA PEMBA)

​This is Zanzibar. Zanzibar has a long and rich history with many connections to different regions of Africa and the wider world. It is the perfect context for creatives to re-engage with their connectedness, engaging young people with the stories of the past and re-imagining their futures.​
 Within its geographical setting Zanzibar offers dynamic examples of design, craft, architecture which can inspire a new generation of creative output. With increasing amounts of travel and tourism coming to Zanzibar, VAFZanzibar offers a great opportunity to develop the arts tourism market and engage visitors with Zanzibari and African culture.

STRENGTHENING THE CREATIVE INDUSTRYThe festival will strengthen the creative industry, through developing diversity and expanding employment opportunities. VAFZanzibar will engage communities, particularly youth and women with the aim of nurturing visual literacy and creativity in Zanzibar.

CREATING A NETWORK

The festival will create a wider visual arts network in Zanzibar by enabling experimental ways of making contemporary visual art in Zanzibar and developing a wider and more inclusive appreciation of visual art and creative expression. VAFZanzibar will act as a platform for the existing creatives in Zanzibar to  become aware of one another.

CONNECTING OPPORTUNITY

​VAFZanzibar will facilitate connecting Zanzibar to Pan African and International visual art by creating a platform for collaboration and exchange of skills, knowledge and perspectives as well as the expansion of market access and trading opportunities. This will be facilitated during the festival itself and in workshops held during the lead up to the festival.
PARTICIPATING & COLLABORATING

​Focusing on visual arts and artists, VAFZanzibar aims to involve young people in Zanzibar to collaborate with organisations and schools to explore their creativity. VAFZanzibar will provide visitors a unique opportunity to understand the culture here in Zanzibar. As established and new creatives unite and come together under a positive African message. We are constantly looking for those who want to join, sponsor and contribute energy to this project.
WHO ARE WE?

​The VAFZanzibar team consists of artists and arts management professionals who live in and are from Zanzibar and are excited by the creativity and possibilities of the Islands. All of us are engaged either in making art here in Zanzibar or connecting artists within and without of Zanzibar. We are all facilitating connections with the aim of widening creative discourses here, and see the festival as a step towards all the above.