It is called the Urban Art Festival and is organized by the Maputo Street Art movement, the new event that enters the already vibrant cultural life of the Mozambican capital. So, from November 29th to December 3rd, and with the theme "re-creating narratives," a route made up of spaces, among others, in the outskirts of the city: Unidade 7, Maxaquene, Mafalala, Chamanculo.
The Urban Art Festival is held to "amplify the impact of Maputo's Street Art," involving artists from Mozambique and foreign guests. The activities in its program, yet to be disclosed, include mural painting, youth development workshops, concerts, facilitated debates, community theater, poetry, dance, film screenings, giant puppets, cuisine, fashion shows, among others.
“Our goal is to bring together artists and communities to recreate neighborhood narratives, promote artistic expression, empower the youth, create open forums for artistic discussion, teach technical skills, and ultimately, invoke community development," stated the festival organizer, who is also a visual artist, António Ivan Muhambe.
This festival will take place in various locations in Maputo, including Unidade 7, Maxaquene, Mafalala, Chamanculo, Downtown, and the City Center.
Maputo Street Art, a registered non-governmental organization in Maputo, Mozambique, was founded by socially engaged artists in 2012. Since its inception, a dedicated and interdisciplinary collective of artists has worked tirelessly to bring public art, in the form of murals, photography, canvas printing, music, theater, poetry, and other art forms, to communities throughout Mozambique."
The organization's mission is to bring art and community development programs to underprivileged neighborhoods, promote artistic expression, facilitate cultural preservation, catalyze gender and youth empowerment, and foster community development.
So far, it indicates that the activities of Maputo Street Art have reached over 15 neighborhoods and involved more than two thousand young people.
