A few words about your artistic journey

My artistic journey has been filled with negative and positive emotional highs that have fuelled my desire to create art that helps people positivelt adjust to difficult or traumatic experiences in their lives.

How long have you been an artist?

I’ve been an artist ever since I learnt to hold a pencil.

Why did you apply for this grant? How will the grant support you?

I applied for the grant so I could have a platform to share a message of hope in the wake of COVID-19. The grant will allow me to fund the development of my message of hope and help people positively adjust to this new world we are experiencing.

What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?

My objectives are to build upon the work I’ll have created through networks and audiences I’ve have created through this residency.

What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (created work)? Who was involved in the creation process?

I have managed to create the first chapter of a 2D platform game that deals with sadness from loss during the time of corona. In the game you play a little girl, Xoli who is dealing with the loss of her parents to Covid-19. The game uses principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with its foundation in cognitive psychology to help Xoli deal with sadness.

How do you think these activities contribute to a reflection on today’s world, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or on the shaping of the future?

The game acts as a mirror for all those affected by Covid-19 as we look into the world of someone affected and the emotions they feel due to the effects of Covid-19. It tells the user that it’s ok to feel this way but also embrace the new normal by being mindful of where we are and being able to act from there.

How did you feel during the residency? And at the end of it?

At the begining of the residency I had an idea of what I wanted to create but as production began and the characters started taking a life of their own the world and everthing I wanted to create grew. I had wanted to deal with all the emotions and difficulties Xoli was going through in one go but as I researched more into the therapy aspect of the game it quickly became overwhelming and I realized the best way was to deivide the game into chapters that deal with different emotions Xoli will feel as a result of Covid 19.