Skate
on Friday, November 11, 2011
I have always wanted to rollerskate for some reason. But having a Mum like the one I have who acted like I would die on skates, prevented me from ever getting a pair when I was young. I always say to myself that I am just going buy a pair and start learning, but I never do. After watching the video below, my goal is by this time next year, I will be skating, so I can go to Ghana and join these guys from the Unity Skate Club in Labadi Town, Accra (Ghana).
With a serious housing shortage but no shortage of plastic bottles littering the streets, the Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) – an NGO based in Nigeria – decided to build this incredible two-bedroom bungalow entirely out of plastic bottles! Although many in Kaduna were dubious when the project began construction in June this year, the nearly-complete home is bullet and fireproof, earthquake resistant, and maintains a comfortable interior temperature of 64 degrees fahrenheit year round!
Hundreds of plastic bottles were filled with sand and then linked together at the neck by an intricate network of string. The bottles were then strategically laid and packed down with a combination of mud and cement, creating a building material that DARE claims is stronger than cinder blocks!
The multi-colored bottle caps extend from the 624 square foot bungalow’s wall, creating a facade that gives an otherwise dull building a lovely splash of color. DARE received assistance from African Community Trust, a London-based NGO, and hopes to roll out similar buildings in the future. This project has the potential to not only improve the housing shortage, but clean up the streets as well!
Via Physorg
Concha Buika
<p>Concha Buika from Bichitojunto on Vimeo.</p>
Festival de Jazz Vitoria-Gasteiz - full performance
via vimeo.com
Daley
There is a whole new wave of so called UK R&B singers coming through right now but very few of them actually consistently make R&B music. Daley however is a fresh face on the scene and released his debut EP earlier this year, Those Who Wait, which is made up of predominantly R&B music and has been one of my favourite releases of 2011, especially from a UK artist.
Here he is performing one of my favourite tracks on the project, Smoking Gun, merging it with Beyonce’s Dangerously In Love in an exclusive session for DropoutUK, proving that not only does he have a great recording voice but top quality live vocals too!
You can download the EP for free on his website here: daley.tv
What do you think?
Ruth Stone Poetry Prize
What is the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize?
An annual poetry contest. A chance for your poems to be read by Hunger Mountain editors and guest judges!
What will the winner receive?
One first place winner receives $1000 and publication on Hunger Mountain online! (All work published online is also considered for the annual print issue)
Two honorable mentions receive $100 and publication on Hunger Mountain online.Who can enter the contest?
Anyone! Everyone!
Who is this year’s judge?
The 2012 judge has yet to be announced.
When is the deadline?
The postmark deadline is December 10th. If you’re entering electronically, you can wait until the last minute of the last hour of December 10. If you’re using snail mail, your entry should be postmarked by December 10.
Where is last year’s winning entry?
Here. Click to read “Third Surgery” by Rochelle Hurt, chosen by Claudia Emerson.
Or here! Click to read “Between Land and Water” by Ashley Seitz Kramer, chosen in 2010 by Matthew Dickman.
Or right here! Click to read “Edges” by David Cooke, chosen in 2009 by Major Jackson.
Does Hunger Mountain accept electronic entries?
Yes! Please enter up to three original unpublished poems. Your name and address should not appear on the poems; we read contest entries blind. Click the link below to access our submission manager. Once in the submission manager, you’ll need to choose “Ruth Stone Poetry Prize.” Pay the $20.00 entry fee and upload your entry: Enter the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize
Does Hunger Mountain still accept entries via snail mail?
Yes! Entries must be postmarked by December 10 and accompanied by your $20.00 entry fee (please send a check or money order made out to Vermont College of Fine Arts). Please send up to three unpublished poems. Your name and address should not appear on the poems; we read contest entries blind. Instead of writing your name on the manuscript, enclose an index card with the poem titles, your name, address, phone number, and email address. If you like, you may also enclose a postage-paid postcard for acknowledgement of entry and a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for a list of winners. Entries must be typed and on one side of the paper only. Use a paper clip or send unbound (no staples or binding, please!)
Send entry and $20.00 entry fee to:
RSPP
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602Will entries be considered for general publication as well as for the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize?
Yes, they will.
Are simultaneous submissions okay?
Yes, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. And unfortunately we can’t refund entry fees if the work is accepted elsewhere
May I submit more than one poem for the contest?
Yes, please send up to three poems in one entry. If you’d like to enter more than three poems, you’ll need to submit them in a separate entry with its own entry fee. (You may send more than one entry and entry fee in the same envelope if you’re using snail mail.)
What if I have a question that’s not answered here?
Email us at hungermtn@vermontcollege.edu.
Thanks for entering our contest, and good luck!
Annual Poetry Contest
Guidelines:The annual Slipstream poetry contest offers a $1,000 prize plus 50 professionally-printed copies of your book. Send up to 40 pages of poetry: any style, format, or theme (or no theme), and a $20 check, bank draft, or money order for reading fee. Due to recent increases in the cost of mail, manuscripts will no longer be returned. Send only copies of your poems, not originals.
Send to: Slipstream Poetry Contest
Dept. W-1
PO Box 2071
Niagara Falls, New York 14301
SUBMIT ONLINE: Online submission is now available for those who wish to enter the Slipstream Chapbook contest via the web. This is for contest submissions only.
For details, click here: ONLINE SUBMISSION FOR CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Simultaneous submissions are okay as long as you keep us informed of status. Previously published poems with acknowledgements are also acceptable. If you are sending us copies of your poems via mail, please provide legible typewritten or computer-printed copy only. Photocopies that are easy on the eyes are fine.
Everyone who enters the poetry contest receives a copy of the winning chapbook plus one complimentary issue of Slipstream magazine.
The winner of the contest is announced in late spring/early summer. The winner is featured prominently on the Slipstream website for one year, as well as in all Slipstream catalogs, press releases, and promotional materials.
Winning chapbooks are submitted by Slipstream for review by various national and international poetry/writing publications and may also be featured in the Grants and Awards section of Poets & Writers magazine.
Deadline for the poetry contest is . . . Dec. 1 every year
Deadline Reminder:
4th International
Maroon Conference
The deadline for submissions for the Fourth International Maroon Conference is next Tuesday, November 15, 2011. The conference, organized under the unifying theme “Independence,” will take place in Charles Town, Portland, Jamaica, in June 20-24, 2012.
This multidisciplinary conference seeks papers that explore treatments of Maroon culture in history, literature, ethnography, anthropology, geography, sociology, archeology, political theory, cultural studies, film, linguistics, art, music, and theatre. It examines the values and practices of maroons and marronage and the ways they have influenced and transformed the Caribbean, Canada, South America, Europe, the United States and Africa.
With its theme of “Independence,” the conference links the Maroon victory over the English in 1739 with the fiftieth anniversary of Jamaican independence from England in 1962 to celebrate both events. Offering a unique combination of scholarly panels and cultural performances, the Fourth International Maroon conference aims to increase awareness of Maroon contributions to contemporary societies, bringing together descendents of Maroons with scholars interested in Maroon
heritage and indigenous cultures.Send abstracts (before November 15) or inquiries to fbotkin@towson.edu
amazing sauce.
Decided to upload my NYU GRAD THESIS film for the viral world to have at it. This film was exhausting to make and yet, I learned so much and it truly advanced my growth as a filmmaker.
SAY GRACE BEFORE DROWNING synopsis//+
After meeting her African Refugee mother for the first time in six years, 8 year old Hawa is forced to coexist with a woman teetering on the brink of insanity.
AWARDS//+
Spike Lee Fellowship
Panavision Equipment Grant
Director’s Guild of America Jury Award
HBO Short Film Award
Princess Grace Foundation Grant
Puffin Foundation Grant+starring+
Ellie Foumbi as GRACE
Dennise Gregory as HAWA
Ebbe Bassey as AUNTY
Hisham TawfiQ as CHRIS
Kehinde Koyejo as ADULT HAWA++DOP: DANIEL PATTERSON
++Original Score IAN MILLER
++Photography NIKITA GALEAwesome Black girl film from Nikyatu Jusu, NYU Alum. Trigger Warning: Violence.
Incredible to see Black women centered, complex, brown and beautiful on film.
“No thanks, I already have a doll with your hair”. o.0
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Interview:
NIKYATU JUSU
This interview was originally published at Africanwomenincinema.org.
By Beti Ellerson, Special to TheAIJournal.com
A growing number of filmmakers are emerging from the New African Diaspora. A Diaspora which reflects the multiple identities, histories and experiences of those born in the United States and other western countries but who also embrace the Africa of their parents. Could you give some reflections on your experiences?
I grew up in what, for a very long time, felt like a cultural vacuum in which my sense of normalcy was revived every time I stepped foot in my home. There was always the smell of African food, my mother often wore African garb and both my parents spoke their native languages sprinkled with English.
School was another matter, in which I would often shed any association with Sierra Leone, because at the time I simply wanted to “fit in” and not draw undue attention to myself. I think the taunts from fellow minority children really confused me for some time and yet I came to the realization that many of these kids were hiding from their own immigrant lineage in their attempt to attain this nebulous “normalcy” our young minds idealized.
Now, as an adult, I understand that my dual hybridized identity is one to celebrate and embrace. As anyone can see, African-ness is permeating much of popular culture: primarily fashion and film, so of course it’s easier now to embrace something that is being lauded.
The provocatively titled, African Booty Scratcher (2008), recounts the story of Isatu, a young Sierra Leonean American, at the intersection of two cultures—or perhaps three, her mother’s culture, American culture and US high school culture: the expectations of friends and the desire to fit in. Are you exploring your own experiences and/or that of your Sierra Leonean American peers? Please talk about the film, and the title.
Yes, this film is a semi autobiography of my experiences. I was racking my brain as to what to write for my 2nd year NYU Graduate Film Exercise and I had a lightbulb moment. I never ever wanted to be associated with traditional garb during high school and absolutely NOT during middle school! The repercussions from my evil peers were much too grave (kids are mean to each other: this is nothing new).
African Booty Scratcher is a familiar taunt for many kids raised in the 80’s and 90’s. I later learned that John Singleton even has a character say it in Boyz N The Hood, which was very funny to me. I’m still surprised at how much this short film resonated with so many different people. I received so much thanks via email, Facebook, and other social outlets.
<p>African Booty Scratcher-Short Film by Nikyatu Jusu from Nikyatu Jusu on Vimeo.</p>
There is an ongoing debate regarding the experiences of African Americans versus those of Africans in the US, the former encompassing those who have ancestors who experienced U.S. slavery while the latter have largely migrated to the United States post-African independence and constitute a “Neo-Diaspora”. What are your thoughts on this debate especially as it relates to your past, present and future work?
It’s funny because I would think we would use the opportunity to share and enlighten one another, and yet we continue to harbor sentiments that force us to create a hierarchy: “I’m better than you because…”
The debate is silly. The taunts are silly. The divisiveness is ridiculous.
I think what’s important is mutual understanding of just how significant we are to each other’s image, success, development as a “race”. We should have embraced ourselves as a monolith decades ago so that we could forge a stronger whole.
Much of my work deals with displaced women, immigrant women in the context of the United States and so I gravitate to that sort of content.
In African Booty Scratcher you touch on the tensions of the two groups. However, I do wonder why you focused on the stereotypes regarding African-American attitudes towards Africans, rather than those who embrace Africa and are very afro-centric in their dress, attitude and behavior.
This is a good question and one that I wish I would have had the time to address in my short film.
The short format is very limited in scope in regards to filmmaking and so one has to pick and choose what she deems necessary to her theme/story.
I did touch on the irony that white people are often quick to embrace Africa: often fetishizing and glamorizing it as is illustrated by the white woman in the restaurant scene.
Say Grace Before Drowning, also an eye-catching title, focuses on a woman’s psychologically devastating experiences as a victim of rape in the war-ravaged Sierra Leone, and its effects on her daughter. This film and others relay experiences from the perspective of women of Sierra Leonean descent. Could you talk about these works and your focusing your lens toward Sierra Leone?
My family is from Sierra Leone and early in one’s filmmaking career it’s smart to “write what you know”. Though, in both Say Grace and ABS [African Booty Scratcher] I never specify a country: the assumption is that these people are from some West African country and audiences can project the country of their choice into the story—whatever resonates with them.
<p>SAY GRACE BEFORE DROWNING//Teaser from Nikyatu Jusu on Vimeo.</p>
I notice a common thread in your films, an interest in exploring the internal feelings and conflicts of your black female characters. I am fascinated with this aspect, especially through the lens of a black woman.
Yes, I’m glad you see this because this is intentionally my focus. I don’t think that prevailing media portrays black women as the multifaceted beings we are in reality. We’ve been done an injustice with the same old tired stereotype: but I hope to present a different and much more titillating picture.
<p>[BLACK SWAN THEORY] teaser from Nikyatu Jusu on Vimeo.</p>
Sierra Leone is not known for a film culture, is there an emerging presence? What is your relationship to Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leonean Diaspora?
My family is Sierra Leonean and no, the country is not known for a film culture just yet: however actions are being taken gradually to remedy this. As you know, we were thrust into a devastating decade-long civil war that ended in 2001 so we’re of course still picking up the pieces.
I know about a few film schools that are popping up, namely “Nah We Own” TV, which is a nonprofit that empowers Sierra Leoneans to create their own short documentary and narrative pieces.
I hope to shoot a narrative short and eventual feature film in Sierra Leone soon.
You were born and raised in the United States and studied filmmaking there, what is your relationship with American and/or African American film culture?
Honestly, I’ve only recently begun to watch a lot of American films. I’m a “foreign film whore” and a friend of mine recently pointed out to me that I needed to diversify my palate with more films from the US.
Even though I’m just as much American as I am African, I guess the reason I haven’t really taken to Black American Cinema (whatever this term means) is because most of the waves are currently being made. Of course, I’d be remiss to ignore the pioneers such as Spike Lee, John Singleton, Charles Burnett, etc—I absolutely acknowledge them. What I mean is that, I’m seeing my black filmmaking peers, those slightly older than me, actively creating feature films that redefine Black American Cinema and more importantly expand it!
So, I’m very hopeful about what’s to come in the next few years. But as far as the contemporary jumble of chitlin films masquerading as black cinema goes, I’m not a fan.
It appears that your screen identity, your presence on the Internet is an integral part of the promotion of your work and sharing it with others. You have a website/blog, you do Skype interviews, you have Youtube and Vimeo channels, and a presence on Facebook. What role does “New Media” play in your experiences as filmmaker?
I’m a young filmmaker and all of these social outlets have been an integral part of how I maneuver the world, digest information, spread information, etc. I remember when Facebook originated, I was in undergraduate school at Duke and at the time only a handful of colleges had access. It was all about elitism and exclusivity: if you weren’t attending one of the “top” colleges, you couldn’t create an account.
Now Facebook is accessible to everyone and rightfully so. The fact that now I have a concrete reason to play with these very accessible marketing tools will only enhance my usage of them as a filmmaker.
“New Media” is the future of filmmaking marketing and distribution, though viral outreach alone won’t get butts in seats: it certainly is an expeditious way to reach a wider and perhaps less-reached demographic.
Most of my audience are not avid film festival goers, so what better way to keep them abreast of my work than the Internet?
Most importantly, I think that New Media gives an intangible audience the opportunity to interact with the filmmaker: create a dialogue in which they feel like an integral part of the creation process. Audiences are becoming much more savvy. They know what experiences they want to take away from a movie-going experience and when these expectations are not met, they quickly move onto the next product.
The New Media structure gives us filmmakers an ability to tap into what our audiences want.
Beti Ellerson, PhD, is the director of the Center for the Study and Research of Women in African Cinema.
>via: http://theaijournal.com/beta/2011/05/05/the-aij-qa-a-conversation-with-filmma...
Elaine Riddick was 13 years old when she got pregnant after being raped by a neighbor in Winfall, N.C., in 1967. The state ordered that immediately after giving birth, she should be sterilized. Doctors cut and tied off her fallopian tubes.
Riddick was never told what was happening. “Got to the hospital and they put me in a room and that’s all I remember, that’s all I remember,” she said. “When I woke up, I woke up with bandages on my stomach.”
Her records reveal that a five-person state eugenics board in Raleigh had approved a recommendation that she be sterilized. North Carolina was one of 31 states to have a government run eugenics program. By the 1960s, tens of thousands of Americans were sterilized as a result of these programs.
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By Michelle Kessel and Jessica Hopper
Rock Center
Elaine Riddick was 13 years old when she got pregnant after being raped by a neighbor in Winfall, N.C., in 1967. The state ordered that immediately after giving birth, she should be sterilized. Doctors cut and tied off her fallopian tubes.
“I have to carry these scars with me. I have to live with this for the rest of my life,” she said.
Riddick was never told what was happening. “Got to the hospital and they put me in a room and that’s all I remember, that’s all I remember,” she said. “When I woke up, I woke up with bandages on my stomach.”
Riddick’s records reveal that a five-person state eugenics board in Raleigh had approved a recommendation that she be sterilized. The records label Riddick as “feebleminded” and “promiscuous.” They said her schoolwork was poor and that she “does not get along well with others.”
“I was raped by a perpetrator [who was never charged] and then I was raped by the state of North Carolina. They took something from me both times,” she said. “The state of North Carolina, they took something so dearly from me, something that was God given.”
It wouldn’t be until Riddick was 19, married and wanting more children, that she’d learn she was incapable of having any more babies. A doctor in New York where she was living at the time told her that she’d been sterilized.
“Butchered. The doctor used that word… I didn’t understand what she meant when she said I had been butchered,” Riddick said.
North Carolina was one of 31 states to have a government run eugenics program. By the 1960s, tens of thousands of Americans were sterilized as a result of these programs.
Eugenics was a scientific theory that grew in popularity during the 1920s. Eugenicists believed that poverty, promiscuity and alcoholism were traits that were inherited. To eliminate those society ills and improve society’s gene pool, proponents of the theory argued that those that exhibited the traits should be sterilized. Some of America’s wealthiest citizens of the time were eugenicists including Dr. Clarence Gamble of the Procter and Gamble fortune and James Hanes of the hosiery company. Hanes helped found the Human Betterment League which promoted the cause of eugenicists.
It began as a way to control welfare spending on poor white women and men, but over time, North Carolina shifted focus, targeting more women and more blacks than whites. A third of the sterilizations performed in North Carolina were done on girls under the age of 18. Some were as young as nine years old.
For the past eight years, North Carolina lawmakers have been working to find a way to compensate those involuntarily sterilized in the state between 1929 and 1974. During that time period, 7,600 people were sterilized in North Carolina. Of those who were sterilized, 85 percent of the victims were female and 40 percent were non-white.
“You can’t rewind a watch or rewrite history. You just have to go forward and that’s what we’re trying to do in North Carolina,” said Governor Beverly Perdue in an exclusive interview with NBC News.
While North Carolina’s eugenics board was disbanded in 1977, the law allowing involuntary sterilization wasn’t officially repealed until 2003. In 2002, the state issued an apology to those who had been sterilized, but the victims have yet to receive any financial compensation, medical care or counseling from the state. Since 2003, three task forces have been created to determine a way to compensate the victims. Officials estimate that as many as 2,000 victims are still alive.
Riddick was one of several victims to speak at a public hearing this summer. It was the first time that many survivors had told their stories publicly and that others heard of North Carolina’s tarnished past.
“To think about folks who went in…and their doctor told them this was birth control and they were sterilized…the folks who didn’t have the capacity to make the decisions, the uninformed consent,” said Perdue. “Those types of stories aren’t good for America and I can’t allow for this period in history to be forgotten, that’s why this work is important.”
Only 48 victims have been matched with their records, something necessary for them to eventually be compensated. State Representative Larry Womble has been advocating for the survivors of the state’s sterilization program for nearly 10 years. He helped fight for the repeal of the state’s law.
Womble said that if the government is “powerful enough to perpetrate this on this society, they ought to be responsible, step up to the plate and compensate.”
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In August, a task force created by Gov. Perdue recommended that the victims be compensated, but they were unsure how much to award the victims. Previous numbers pondered range between $20,000 and $50,000. The task force also recommended mental health services for living victims and a traveling museum exhibit about North Carolina’s eugenics program.
Perdue said it’s a challenge to determine how much money each victim should be given.
“From my perspective, and as a woman, and as the governor of this state, this is not about the money. There isn’t enough money in the world to pay these people for what has been done to them, but money is part of the equation,” she said.
Riddick once sued North Carolina for a million dollars. Her case made it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, but the court declined to hear the case. “I would like for the state of North Carolina to right what they wronged with me,” she said.
Some victims and their advocates have questioned whether North Carolina is procrastinating in compensating them, hoping they’ll die before a solution is reached. “It’s an ugly chapter in North Carolina’s book, we have a wonderful book, but there’s an ugly chapter,” Womble said. “We must step up to the plate and we must realize and take responsibility.”
Perdue, for her part, said that she is committed to helping the victims.
“I want this solved on my watch. I want there to be completion. I want the whole discussion to end and there be action for these folks. There is nobody in North Carolina who is waiting for anybody to die,” Gov. Perdue said.
Despite the state social workers who declared Riddick was “mentally retarded” and “promiscuous”, she went to college and raised the son born moments before she was sterilized. Her son is devoted to his mother and a successful entrepreneur.
Elaine is proud of her achievements.
“I don’t know where I would be if I listened to the state of North Carolina,” she said.
Editor's note: If you think you or someone you know was a victim of North Carolina's eugenics program or for more information about the ongoing efforts to compensate the victims, visit thewebsite for the N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation:http://www.sterilizationvictims.nc.gov/
Interview with
furniture designer
Yinka Ilori of Yinksdesigns
I first came across furniture designer Yinka Ilori's work at the African and African- Caribbean Design Diaspora (AACDD) exhibition a couple of months ago. His use of bold colour and pattern drew my eye. I later learned that Yinka specializes in upcycling discarded furniture. Passionately against the unnecessary waste of consumerist culture, Yinka is doing his bit, one piece of furniture at a time. Today, the London-based designer and entrepreneur shares his story.
(Above: Kekere chair and Yinka himself)
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What’s your passion?
Wow I have a lot of things I am passionate about, where do I start. I am passionate about furniture design, fashion design, and interior design! The list could go on but those are the top three.What inspired you to get into design?
What inspired me to get into recycled furniture design was the waste of today’s modern society in the Western world. I was just fed up of seeing good furniture thrown away for no apparent reason when in my eyes, it was in good condition and just in need of a little clean. It came to a point where I would be on the bus, in a cab, or even walking and I would see discarded furniture near bins, local estates and near the roadside. Seeing all this got me really frustrated and wondering what’s wrong with our consumer society today. We no longer appreciate and value what we have, when there so many people who would value the things we throw away.It was then that I was inspired to set up my own design consultancy yinksdesigns. Supported by the Princes Trust, I started collecting discarded furniture and re-designing it into something new, quirky and innovative – giving every old piece of furniture a second life and new function. Since then I have specialized in re-designing discarded furniture; collecting old furniture, dismantling it and then reassembling it into a new piece ready for use again.
(Two become 1 chair)
What has been your greatest obstacle/challenge?
Bizarrely enough, my biggest obstacle has to be negative comments from people who never really believed in my dreams and didn't think I was serious about designing recycled furniture and starting my own business. At times these negative comments did get me down. If I say it didn’t, that would be a blatant lie. I always used to tell myself: either you sit down and let the comments affect you or you get up and make your dreams become a reality.How have you dealt with/overcome it?
I overcame the negativity by working like a maniac everyday for 6 months, perfecting my business plan in conjunction with the Princes Trust who provided me with funding. I also had a great mentor who helped me with my plan before I was given the funding. I remember applying for the funding – I was so nervous. It was exactly like Dragons Den only the panels were a lot nicer!Looking past the negative comments from people who didn’t believe in me has made me stronger because all the hard work I put in is now slowly paying off. Taking the step to join the Princes Trust and start my own business has changed my life and my business is growing. People are talking about my work from London to New York and that makes me smile. It's funny because those who didn’t believe in me now want to collaborate.
(Symmetry Six side table)
What has your greatest achievement been?
To be honest my greatest achievement has to be where I am today, all thanks to God, my parents for believing in me, friends, The Princes Trust and the AACDD. Having my own business is a vision I always had when I was at university studying for a BA in Product and Furniture design.Fellow students always used to ask me what I was going to do after uni and I would say "set up my own design consultancy called yinksdesigns". They would say "ok" but they never thought I would take that big step. Most students had already decided they wanted to be teachers or go into careers that had nothing to do with what they'd studied, because the industry is competitive and they didn’t think they would make it. However, I knew what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go and what route I needed to take to get there. Having my own design consultancy was my vision and that’s all I knew.
Looking back, I have come really far and sometimes I have to slap myself and be like, "yes, it’s happening now, you have your own business!" It's very very hard running your own business but I am doing something that makes me happy and that I am passionate about. I have achieved a lot of things such as exhibiting at New Designers, 100% design and the AACDD Exhibition. Without a business plan, the Princes Trust and belief in myself, I would not be where I am today, and that’s the truth.
(ThreesAcrowd chair)
Where will you be in 10 years?
I am still thinking about next year! In 10 years time I see myself married with kids. No, I'm joking, let me change that. I hope to own my first retail shop somewhere in West London, North London or Shoreditch so that my furniture can be accessible to a wide range of people. It would be nice to have a retail shop that has a workshop space because at the moment I work from home. I would also like to branch out to Nigeria as the demand for my work is gradually increasing day by day. I don’t feel I am ready to do that now as I still have so much work to do here in London.How does Africa inspire you?
Africa inspires me to work hard and strive for success. The sky’s the limit.Anything else you’d like to share?
Follow me on Twitter (@yinksdesigns). I'm always there – I think I am addicted! Follow me to keep up to date with all my current shows and upcoming exhibitions in the run up to Christmas.Anything we should look out for in the coming weeks/months/years?
Yes yes yes. I will be showcasing and selling my work at the Princes Trust Christmas Fayre on the 29th of November 2011 in Central London and Old Spitafields Market. Full details of the time and location are being finalised and will be confirmed soon. The Princes Trust Christmas Fayre is not a public event so if anyone is interested in attending come please RSVP names to yinkalr [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk or send me a message on Twitter. The BIG exhibition I will be doing next year is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York in May. I will be collaborating with talented textile designer, Julie Dugbatey – it’s going to be great! That’s all I’m saying. To keep up to date with me and all these exciting events please just follow me on Twitter!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get in touch with Yinka if you have any unwanted or damaged furniture so that he can rehabilitate it and create something beautiful. Aside from Twitter, you can onnect with Yinka on Facebook and check out more of his work and the story behind the pieces shown above, on Flickr.
Photos courtesy of Yinka Ilori
