Screening/Discussion: Slingshot Hip Hop, Jul. 9 2011 @ Goethe

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Date: July 9, 2011
Venue: Goethe Institut Auditorium
Time: 6pm
Entry: Free

The Nairobi Rap Research Group presents Slingshot Hip Hop! This local research group is organised by Wasanii Mtaani as part of their ujuzi labs. It is made up of enthusiasts, historians, creative technologists, cultural critics, linguists, teachers, MCs and academics, who meet to discuss various topics in rap e.g. quantifying art & metaphor, data visualisation, cultural analysis, gaming, curriculum design and more.

The film Slingshot Hip Hop (80 min) covers the stories of young Palestinians living in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rdS8zNp3ow&feature=player_embedded] The screening is intended for the purpose of adopting learning lessons that can be applied to the Kenyan situation. Afterwards there will be a discussion on the topic Migratory Aesthetics – A Working Model for International Hip Hop, moderated by Kevin Ovita Teddy.

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Book Launch: “Fresh Paint: Literary Vignettes by Kenyan Women, Jun 29 2011 @ Goethe-Institut

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Book Launch – Fresh Paint: Literary Vignettes by Kenyan Women *

* WHERE: GOETHE-INSTITUT, Maendeleo House, Monrovia Street,Nairobi
* WHEN: Wednesday 29th June 2011 – 6 PM
* ENTRY: FREE

This anthology of poems and short stories is the culmination of a joint literary project by AMKA – Space for Women’s Creativity – and Goethe-Institut Kenya.
For over 3 years, a literature forum has been held in the library of the Goethe-Institut on the last Saturday of every month. Over this time the participants wrote poems and short stories, which were then read or performed, and subsequently discussed and critiqued by their peers and invited literature professors and established writers. This provided an opportunity for the young writers to improve their skills and become better producers of the written word.
This anthology is the first collection of a selection of writings presented by the young writers and discussed during more than 30 literature forums. AMKA and Goethe-Institut are proud to officially launch this collection of hitherto unpublished works. Some of the writers will read and perform their own pieces during the launch.
The launch will be in the form of a moderated panel discussion with the following panelists: Anna Mwangi, Elizabeth Orchardson-Mazrui, Mshai Mwangola and Tom Odhiambo (Moderator).

Exhibition/Book Launch: 24Nairobi, Jun. 17 2011 @ Goethe

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Date: June 17, 2011
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 8pm
Entry: Free

24Nairobi is one of the most notable photo projects realized in Kenya for decades. Organized by Nick Ysenburg and with conceptual input from Binyavanga Wainaina and Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, 13 photographers documented the very different and fascinating worlds of Nairobi over a 24-hour day and night cycle.

The photographs were accompanied by texts from 9 writers who have variously appeared in Kwani? publications. The exhibition, supported by Ford Foundation, was shown at the Nairobi National Museum and in a smaller show but with ommited photos (from the night section), at the Goethe-Institut Nairobi.

On this evening, the 24Nairobi book will be launched, published by Kwani Trust, and re-open the exhibition with an additional slide show: projected images in the darkened Auditorium of the Goethe-Institut.

In cooperation with Kwani Trust and Ford Foundation

Screenings/Movies: Tom Tykwer Film Series, Jun. 7-30 2011 @ Goethe

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Dates: June 7-30, 2011 (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 6.00 pm
Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Entry: Free

Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 in Wuppertal/Germany. Fascinated by film from an early age, he started making amateur Super-8 films at the age of eleven. After graduating from high school, he moved to Berlin where he started working in the film business. Following the production of two short films, his first full-length feature film Deadly Maria was released in 1993. Many successful movies such as Run Lola Run, The Perfume and The International established Tykwer as one of the most exciting writer-director-composers in European cinema. His current film project is Cloud Atlas, starring Tom Hanks.

Tom Tykwer also co-founded the non-profit organization One Fine Day e.V. which promotes and supports artistic education of youths in developing countries. In this framework Tom Tykwer helped to produce the low-budget film Soul Boy, a FilmAfrika! Project directed by Hawa Essuman which was almost entirely shot in Kibera/Nairobi.

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Poetry/Spoken Word: Poetrical, Jun 10 2011 @ Goethe

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Date: June 10, 2011
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 7 – 10 pm
Entry: Free

The project Poetrical is an interdisciplinary and multimedia performance which incorporates African contemporary dance, Hip Hop dance and contemporary dance improvisation, spoken word and visual art. Poetrical was developed by Evanson Ng’ang’a on the basis of his solo contemporary dance piece The Poem which includes spoken words in between the movements. For Poetrical it was enriched by three recitals from different settings, which will be projected during the live performance.

The concept in the poetry is based on personal, local and regional issues, both political and social. The poems deal with their direct influences on humanity at the social level and try to find different perspectives and responses.

Since the evening is centered on poetry, there will be an open Mic for interested poets and also a Hip Hop dance improvisation before the première of Poetrical.

Event: Open Day 2011, Jun. 4 2011 @ Goethe

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Goethe Institut is having an Open Day

Date: June 4, 2011
Venue: Goethe Institut
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
For more information contact: 2224640/2211381/0719455215 | spr@nairobi.goethe.org

Attend to experience Germany in Kenya. Also, get a chance to explore the Language, Culture & Information departments of Goethe-Institut Nairobi.

Get up-to-date information on education opportunities, sample German language classes, information on cultural events and library.

DAAD and the German language sub-departments of the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University will be in attendance.

Performance/Readings/Discussions: Amka Literature Forum, May 28, 2011 @ Goethe

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Date: May 28, 2011
Venue: Goethe Institut Library
Time: 10 am-1pm
Entry: Free

Amka Literature Forum is a space for upcoming, unpublished as well as established women writers and literary critics to share stories, poetry ideas and ideals with the aim of enhancing women’s creativity.
Interested participants may send their short stories and poems to amkaspace@yahoo.com

Public Literature Reading: Funeral for a Dog, May 26 2011 @ Goethe

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Date: May 26, 2011
Venue: Goethe-Institut Library
Time: 6 pm
Entry: Free

Journalist Daniel Mandelkern finds himself in a dilemma: His wife Elisabeth is also his boss at the weekly newspaper for which they both work. Because their marriage is currently in a crisis, she sends him on official assignment to Lake Lugano to profile Dirk Svensson, a famous and reclusive children’s author. He suspects she has other reasons for sending him away.
As a guest in Svensson’s puzzling household, Mandelkern slowly uncovers his host’s past and comes to terms with his own.

Dr. Tilo Weber and Dr. Tom Odhiambo will be reading excerpts from the novel.

The reading will be in German and in English.