The Faraja Women’s Society of Matemwa is a group of 19 women and some members have come to all 7 print workshops during our 7 week stay. Tamani School in Matemwa has hosted most of the workshops.
We are leaving in a few days so it’s quiet a busy time finishing off projects.
The large plaster cast has been drying out for at least 3 weeks and is perfect for women to use so we decide to have a goodbye party in the Panga Chumvi reception area and at the same time we could finish off some printmaking. Everyone has dressed up for the party. Marj from the UK who has been organising new recipes in the kitchen at Panga Chumvi has made a cake. The Faraja group have brought a gift of two lovely baskets for me as a thank you. The baskets are very beautiful and skillfully made. I will treasure them back in the rain of the UK.
I hope that the local newspaper can supply the women with some more black ink as we have used quiet a lot of the 1kg tin that Calico Inks donated to the project. We were unable to develop a process for making their own printing ink due to lack of time. I wish I had had 6 months to help the women find a market for their skills and to experiment more with the materials that are available.
All the materials in the UK that I take for granted are so difficult to find here. Its been wonderful and I have learnt loads. We are leaving the printing rollers and cutting tools with Tamani School for the Faraja women to use. We are also leaving a roller cutting tools and ink with Hamad at the cultural arts center in Stone Town as they seemed the most likely group to make use of them when we leave.
We would like to say a big thank you to Fatima, Joyce and Charlotte who have been a great support and have sourced some paper from a hotel that is closing down. They will be continuing printing with the Faraja group after we leave.
Its great to have had the opportunity and we both want to say a special thank you to the owners Abdulla, Rebecca and Othman for there support of the art residency. And, yes, the starfish really are this colour.
Rebecca is pleased with the exhibition of the staff work that we pasted to the wood columns in the reception and in the restaurant. One of the guests even asks if they can buy a set of cards. We ran out of manila paper to make the cards so we direct her to the blog where she can see a virtual selection. The Giant prints that the Faraja womens group made by monoprinting have found a home on the reception walls.
Rebecca is keen to have other individuals or groups come and stay at Panga Chumvi as artists in residence. She is very flexible and would consider all inquires.
but she did say she would love to have an artist interested in permaculture and composting to inspire people to grow there own produce.
Thank you to George Richards for his Fantastic photography and set up of this blog http://www.xology.co.uk/