Art to East Africa Launch Party

Ruweyda Dool invited Sketchbook to join her at the launch party for her new organisation, Art to East Africa, which aims to change the lives of young people through art. 

 Held on the roof terrace at The Queen of Hoxton, the event kicked off with live art: a group of artists painting, drawing and stencilling while guests were free to wander round and watch.  The styles ranged from very vibrant and bold paintings  - “It is summer, after all!” one of the artists announced to Sketchbook - to organic patterns in muted tones.  Subject matter included representations of traditional African culture and wildlife (Sketchbook loved a multi-coloured, stencilled zebra), as well as responses to the harsh architecture of the City of London which surrounded us.

It was interesting to see all the different working techniques, ideas, and also the varying speeds at which the pieces developed.

  Later in the afternoon there was a different kind of live performance, in the form of a Capoeira group.   For those not familiar with Capoeria, it is best described as a combination of music and dance with an unmistakable element of martial arts.   The band played traditional African instruments, which were highly percussive and gave the music a rhythmic edge.  The audience was encouraged to join in, clapping to keep time and singing along, which was great fun and really got the guests into the spirit of the event.   The band members took it in turns dancing in pairs in the free-flowing Capoeria style, and some guests were brave enough to join them!

The weather may not have been exactly African, but we hardly noticed the occasional rain showers amidst the floral landscaping and barbeque smoke, and with such stimulating entertainment it wasn’t hard to see how art really could make a difference to people’s lives.

Words By: Imogen Webb