Adinkra Arts Lab

The Adinkra Arts Lab looks to connect young people to practical creativity and innovation skills through the arts to improve job creation and employment opportunities.

Growing up in the capital city of Accra, I realized that the rate of unemployment among the youth, both schooled and non-schooled is alarming. Multiple studies have concluded that curricular and extracurricular art studies and activities help keep high-risk dropout students stay in school, promotes creativity, social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth.

Solution

Our business model at Green Arts Culture is such that we provide a safe space for extra curricular arts engagement for both students and non school going young people between ages 15-24 . We believe that this will enable them build skills in graphic design, blogging, bead making, poetry, drama, music and dance. With a background in blogging, acting, website and graphic design, my team and I will ensure that this is achieved.

How it will affect change

Our solution will solve the problem of unemployment and improve skills development among over 5000 young people (in and outside Ghana) who will have access to our arts studio every year. Through arts and cultural engagement, users get the requisite skills and networks that they need to create jobs for themselves to feed their families and reduce dependency on government for jobs.

Lack of creative and digital skills among young people due to inadequate arts studios and hubs where they can learn, connect and share ideas for job creation and social change.

In olden times, we have tried to school young people hoping that they can get white collar jobs to fill in. However, this theory is not efficient for the millennial age where digital skills and the creative arts industry must be tapped into to solve the high unemployment rate among young people. Adinkra arts lab for young creatives and the disadvantaged will change their livelihoods and open them up to better opportunities and networks. 

My team and I look to provide young graduates and unemployed youth with innovative solutions to address various complex problems by creating an environment for community driven innovation and and creative skills development at our arts studio.

Google Docs and Survey Monkey Application Forms - Number of people who register to participate in training program

Google groups, Gmail, Slack - Job opportunities and other opportunities our users are able to access

Google evaluation and feedback forms, Google groups, Gmail - Number of positive feedback from participants and beneficiaries

There are a few centers and labs that train young people in digital innovative skills and that is what makes our solution unique as we employ both traditional and digital creative solutions for all our users. Also, we have an experiential training module that makes users practice hands-on skills.

Ours is a community that connects young people who are committed to learning new technology and skills that are relevant to their everyday lives. We are developing them for social, community and global change at our arts lab and through our online platform.

Young people will have access to training by coming to our center for free with funding from stakeholders and investors.

Our active website will be deployed to assist the young people to access information and progress of activities, events and skills online.Social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter will also help us engage more with users.

Pitching to investors, sales of arts works as a business to fund ourselves, organizing paid events for privileged youth to attend, partnering and collaborating with industry players and like minded individuals to keep the organization running.

Bureaucracy at registration offices, finding interested stakeholders to partner with, long school hours for young people limiting their full attention to program, providing stipends for some very disadvantaged youth for transportation and other needs.

https://www.facebook.com/greenartsculture/

https://twitter.com/greenartscul3

I am very passionate about change among young people. I believe that once they are connected to the necessary skills, they will be ready to face the world with so much positive change. I am applying to solve to get the opportunity to receive mentorship, build networks and attract investors with my innovative solution after my Challenge has been considered.

Ghana Think Foundation and Ghana Culture Forum

Impact Hub Accra, British Council Accra, Ho Node however they are in a different communities