Slum-TV

Slum-TV News and Rock 'n' Roll

2009-04-09T19:12:49Z

Dear Friends

Well, its been a while since we've been in touch, but as they say, no news is good news, and we certainly have good news for you. In fact, the more you read on, the better the news gets.

Slum TV started the year with a bang, and in January screened the newsreel produced in December (The Environment Newsreel) for a special screening at the Goethe Institut Nairobi. These screenings in town, which compliment our community public screenings are becoming increasingly popular and the venue was packed.

In February we were back at the Goethe and participated in a ground-breaking show about Art in Public Space, curated by the open source cultural collective African Maximalism. 'It's a pity we only exist in the future' opened on Friday 13 to a huge crowd. Slum TV showed clips from various newsreels and featured alongside other Contemporary Kenyan artists such as the Masaii Mbili collective from Kibera, Hapa TV, the Nyayo Monument Photographers. The broader international scene was represented by DJ Andi Teichmann, the video collective Cultual Video Foundation and the artist Lukas Pusch.

In March, we screened our latest newsreel, The Superlative Newsreel. From the best rapper, to the fastest cart puller, to the best knife sharpener, to the smartest of Mathare, the newsreel represents a side to Mathare that often goes unseen by a broader public. The screening, which we held at Kwa Austin Ground, in the heart of Mathare, attracted the now regular crowd of about 1000. Local rappers and dancers warmed up the crowd and the atmosphere was really fantastic.

Alongside production we have also been implementing some really important changes on an organisational level. In November and December we were frequently visited by a Masters student who was writing her thesis on Slum TV. She produced what is essentially a structural audit of the organisation, detailing what works and what needs to change. It is a very valuable document and we have spent many hours of the new year meeting as a group, discussing and voting on issues ranging from what to do if a member is repeatedly late, to deciding on specific staff responsibilities, to strengthening our financial policy. Much of these decisions are outlined in our, very nearly finished, members handbook, drawn up on a fully participatory basis, and a real testament to the dedication and commitment of our members.

And last but absolutely not least, probably the most fun and exciting development of the past few months. In just one week 13 Slum TV members will go to Austria where they will perform at the Danube Festival (www.donaufestival.at). The theme of the festival this year is 'Fake Reality' and for our performance we are going to build, live and work in a pseudo slum for the duration of the festival. Our base will be in the middle of the festival, we have a bar and restaurant to offer visitors quasi authentic quisine, accomodation for the strong at heart, and of course, we are not just hanging out but working. We will produce TV throughout the festival, both of what is happening, but also the co-production with a local school of our version of Romeo and Juliet and 'Meet the Natives', an anthropological study of the locals of Krems (where the festival is held) by our Slum TV members.

Find out more via the links below, and if you are anywhere near, please come! Hope you are all well and thanks for you continued support. From the Slum TV Team.

http://df.slum-tv.org
http://slumtv.subvideo.tv/
http://www.donaufestival.at/content-1/festival/program/09/slum-tv/view?searchterm=slum%20tv

Slum-TV Now you can win with SLUM-TV

2008-11-18T17:39:49Z

Hi friends,

we have had the pleasure to present SLUM-TV at two different Filmfestivals, one was the Regent Park Film Festival http://www.regentparkfilmfestival.com/ in Toronto Canada, the other was the CPH:DOX Documentary Film Festival in
Copenhagen Denmark.

In Denmark, we also screened our Competition, where one person can win a Trip to Mathare, to explore Mathare with us.
Interested People should watch our short introduction to that amazing Competition at: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=145
and than contact: competition@slum-tv.org.

We hope to receive many videos, and wish you good luck if you try to win this price.
10 Days Mathare Safari!

cheers,
alex

Slum-TV last weeks, routines and situations,

2008-10-02T18:13:12Z

Dear Readers, Friends, Associates etc...,

it was a while since our last mail, and we were active as usual. Today i want to share some impressions with you, what means working inside SLUM-TV.

We were really lucky that we had the first of our two international Workshops, the one with Hans Bernhard from UBERMORGEN.COM, held in an internal and productive situation.
Our members, made outstanding, intriguing , project proposals. More about that work, you can read at Hans Bernhard's report, online here:
http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=109

The workshop was very good, as here in Nairobi, its very difficult to avoid certain ngo perspectives/aesthetic , and also only to generate, to re-articulate the aesthetic of the poor, what is somehow expected in the eyes of the developed world, or possible funders, Hans was more than a help. You know, if you turn here your tv on, often you see, quite poor videos, paid by big international NGO'S, and these images produce an certain aesthetic, and is the only form, social or political content can enter the mass medias. Quite understandable, that you'll try to produce something similar as you see, that such things can be sold. Once, again Thanx to UBERMORGEN.COM.

You'll probably detect that we had to remove some videos. What happened, certain material, appeared on the national TV, and caused problems between the Police and certain criminal inhabitants of Mathare. For a while, we were locally in the Focus of attention, even some members had to hide, as it was believed, that we sold that incriminating material to the TV Station. Our clear policy is, that such things, with SLUM-TV will never happen. Our mission is to provide Comedies and selfmade newsreels, to the people of Mathare, made by people from Mathare! In the end it turned out, that the material was shot by one investigative Journalist, working for that TV Station
himself.

In the next days, we'll meet with some elders from Mathare, as they respect our work, and are willing to cooperate. This will or can also help us, to spread the News, that the material was not ours. As we operate by now, only with one camera, and one computer, both run almost 24 hours a day since one year, and we have 20 members, its hard to control everything.

As we are not yet able to pay, really good wages, as producing for SLUM-TV means also earning some money, our members use the equipment to earn money, by filming Weddings, Birthdays, Funerals etc. to earn additional money.

We hope now, that we'll have additional funds soon, to invest in new equipment. We have a new office, on the border of Mathare and Eastleigh, bought new chairs and other office equipment.

Next week, we'll have another international workshop starting, with Jaume Nualart, (http://www.nualart.com/) to enable our members to publish on our blog by them own. We'll try to equip our office with internet, but internet is quite pricey in Nairobi. Another task of the workshop, main task is also to introduce them into subvideo http://www.subvideo.tv/ . An software developed by Jauma, and part of our coproduction and cooperation, which will also leave an deep impact on our web presence in the next months.

Next month, SLUM-TV will be presented at two international Film Festivals. One in Canada, one in
Europe. Luckily one of our Trustees, Biki Kangwana is in Canada, and we hope that he'll be able to present us there. The other Festival in Europe, we prepare something special. It will rock! so visit our homepage in the next weeks, or more in the next newsletter.

for SLUM-TV

alex

ps: the internal workshop was accompanied by a successful and well attended presentation in the Goethe Institute Nairobi.
Images from the presentation will follow as soon we have a descent internet connection. BTW hope this mail reaches you!

Slum-TV 2 Workshops and long Report on Al Jazeera

2008-08-21T00:16:48Z

Dear Friends,

we have been working very hard. So there was no time to write long reports.
This email will also be very short, but the content will need a bit more of
your attention.

Al Jazeera made an long feature on our project in Mathare, and explaining
our project in an very good way. There, as known in mainstream media is an
heavy focus on the aspect of violence, but it tries to connect hope for an better
future, with our project, Watch it online at http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=97

Also I want to announce two international workshops, this September with
übermorgen.com and in October with Jaume Nualart. nualart.com.

First workshop will deal with media hacking and internet publishing, the
second with using open-source tools, developed by our partner Jaume Nualart,
subvideo.tv, which is an step into an semantic web, and opens up many
possibilities for the near future.

About the workshops, you'll find as soon as we manage, more detailed information
right in your inboxes.

for more information on our partners visit:

http://www.ubermorgen.com/
http://nualart.com/
http://subvideo.tv/

best regards
alexander nikolic

Slum-TV report on latest activities, few announcments, etc...

2008-06-03T15:04:54Z

Dear Friends,

its been a while since our last newsletter, but we were working on all different sides of our project. In the next days, we'll publish a hard copy of our newspaper, which will be in serbian/english and used for our this weeks presentation in Belgrade and Novi Sad on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 [CULTURAL CENTAR DOB / debate room, Belgrade] and on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 [YOUTH CENTER CK13, Novi Sad] with the beginning at 6 PM.

We are very excited to present our project in Belgrade, as you might know, there would and could be a lot of work for a project like ours.

News, more connected with Mathare, you'll find as usual on our blog.

There was an very good report on our slum-tv for peace screening by the BBC, which you can listen if you click here:
http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=67

Information on the MTAA Film Festival we did:

24 young filmmakers, from 4 different organizations working together for the first time to create 3 short films in 48 hours, the Mtaa Film Festival promised to be an exciting event…and it certainly was.

We all met at the Slum TV offices on Saturday morning, fairly close to the scheduled 9 am kick off. Biki Kangawana, a Kenyan film producer, introduced the idea, and stressed that the key to success when working with such tight deadlines is simple ideas and sticking to the script. As he said, the allotted time of 4 minutes is about how long it takes him to smoke just one cigarette! continue to read here:
http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=66

Here we introduce our member Peter Ndolo:

My name is Peter Ndolo. I am 21 years old, fashionable and creative. I am the seventh born in a family of ten that is father, mother and eight children. I was raised and born in the Mathare slums, in the Eastlands of Nairobi, which is refered as the home of crimes, where the worse happens daily, every hour with robbery, prostitution, rapes, murders, violence etc. With more than 700,000 inhabitats there is bad infastructure, no roads, worse environment and and people experience difficulties to fulfill their basic needs. continue to read here: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=63

and go on, and explore more of our acitivities. In the next two weeks, we'll upload few more newsreels, in the last months we faced a lot of difficulties in Kenya but in Austria too. We were attacked by right wing party in the Vienna City Hall for our activities, who believed that we are sugarcoating the situation in Kenya, that we only show the beautiful sides of Kenya. Unbelievable but true.

Last but not least, for all you guys in Vienna, on the 5th of June, we'll present at the „net culture lab – make your own thing“ in Vienna's Museumsquartier at 7 p.m. more information about that: http://diy.netculture.at

hope this newsletter finds you all well,

cheers
alexander nikolic

Slum-TV reports the word on the street in Mathare February 2008

2008-03-03T14:14:36Z

Since the disputed Kenyan election results Mathare has seen ongoing violence and unrest. At the height of the troubles homes were destroyed, shops looted, men beaten and women raped. Slum TV members felt the full force of the violence; some were forced to vacate their properties, others, tragically, lost family members. Tension in Mathare is high and each day the political negotiations are watched with caution. Until the outcome of the negotiations is announced the future is uncertain.

In the opinion of Slum TV, however, the focus on violence in the media only tells one side of the story. Throughout the troubles Slum TV has been out on the streets documenting the every day stories of the people of Mathare. Far from the descent into anarchy reported by the mainstream media, Slum TV has found that now the word on the street is peace.

Slum TV captured the story of Eunice Muthoni Ndugo, a Mathare resident who has been helping her neighbours by cooking and distributing food, regardless of their tribal group. She now works full time at the St. James Feeding Centre, and told Slum TV reporter Benson Kamau of the plight of the many children orphaned by the troubles who are now in her care.

At the Mathare IDP camp local residents are giving their services for free to help those displaced by the troubles. We spoke to Ann Wangiru who works for the Alliance of Nairobi Churches. Each day she works on the camp listening to the concerns of the displaced and counselling those who have been bereaved or have lost their homes. For her it is the least she can do. watch here: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=58

Esther Wanjiru and Benson Kamau reported on the work of the Lutheran Church at the IDP camp for Slum TV. They spoke to Mr George Odenga, a pastor who spent the day organising activities for the children on the camp. He explained to us that often in times of crisis the needs of children are forgotten. Through the day children were given the space to have fun, taking part in games and having the chance to be children again.

Young people who participated in the clashes were brought together by Onyango Owino, Mathare resident and co-ordinator of Tell Tale. Slum TV filmed the workshop for peace and reconciliation, capturing the testimonies of young people who participated in the violence – their reflections on what happened, and their discussion about how they could prevent such clashes occurring again.

Frederick Otieno and Cosmos Nganga went out into the community to talk to tribal elders about the political situation and how it should be resolved– and found that both despite mainstream press reports about the division between the ethnic groups both Kikuyu and Luo elders agreed on the need for peace and for dialogue. Their podcast can be found on the Slum TV website at http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=53

Other News:
Slum TV moved into a new office in February – now furnished with a desk and a chair (kindly donated by the Czech Embassy.) We are appealing for chairs and a lockable cupboard to store our camera, computer and archive.
Slum TV has been working with the Concerned Citizens for Peace to bring together young people from all over Nairobi to discuss strategies for peace.
Public screenings have ceased due to a ban on public gatherings and the ongoing tensions in the slum. Next screening scheduled for early April.
Video of the Vienna City Council translated with subvideo.tv at: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=48
Introducing: David Mbuthia at : http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=60

and many other stories: http://www.slum-tv.info

Slum-TV Video of the FP� Attack in Vienna's City Council

2008-01-27T02:11:22Z

Dear Friends,

we’ll try to translate the video in the next days, and to subtitle it, with our friends software, Jaume Nualart from subvideo.

everyone else, understanding german, enjoy:

http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=48

or

http://www.eroticunion.org/?p=57

cheers

Alex

FP� attacking Slum-TV tomorrow in the Town Council

2008-01-23T16:54:46Z

Dear Friends,

now we are also recognized in Austria. Last week people could read in the daily newspaper "HEUTE" (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heute_%28%C3%96sterreichische_Zeitung%29)

that we are a project, which only wants to show the nice side of live, from the slum, that we are censoring
material whichs contains violence, and as an not named expert says, "this is like in a communist dictatorship".

They slightly referred to an article published by "THE INDEPENDENT" where Sam said, that we don't know
if we can show such material, now in Mathare.
Now, all public gatherings are forbidden by police, so this we don't know, was not meant as censorship, and
the second thing, our SLUM-TV Members decide, what will be shown and what not.

Then also the City of Vienna, and the Austrian Development Agency, were accused that they finance such a
"again communist notion" ;-) propagandist project and such FAKE ART!

So this was the first article on our work in an Austrian mass media! By the way, they also used one picture from
our homepage, without asking us. Maybe if anybody of you knows, what we could do? Ask for a honorarium?

But, now we must hear, that the Austrian right wing party the FPÖ, is preparing an request in tomorrows City Council.

As the city-council is a public event it will be also transmitted in the Internet. I guess for some of you, it could be
interesting and you can follow the inquiry and the debate at this link: http://www.magwien.gv.at/gr-ltg-tv/

There you can choose between three different streams. Unfortunately in German.

But, we keep you informed.
Yes, who doesn't know, due the participation of the FPÖ in Austria's last Goverment, even Sanctions by the EU have been imposed.
Their former leader Jörg Haider, was presented by one big british magazine as the most dangerous man in Europe. 15 yrs ago.
In the last weeks they caused an international scandal, where they labeled prophet Mohamed as an pedophile.
ok...
i'm sure you know.

best
alex

Slum-TV News Update & next Member introduction

2008-01-16T17:36:38Z

Dear Friends!

A lot of things happened in the last Weeks. First of all, i have to apologize that we forgot to introduce new SLUM-TV Members to you. First of all, everyone is fine. Winicks house had been set on fire, but she and her family are all well, but they lost almost everything of what they had. Now they have again a roof on top, but a lot of things are missing. Right now, we don't know, if we shall approach a broader audience, with that kind of troubles, but if you have a suggestion, or if you want to help, you know where to find and how to contact us.

The situation in Kenya is not really much better, but at least less violence. Public screenings are now canceled, as all public gatherings are forbidden. These days, the opposition called for a three days rallies, and the news today, already reported, that Police is using tear gas, and few people were threated for gun-shot wounds.

So, now head on reading on our page, if you haven't been there since the last visit, there are much more news. Sam and Pauline, have yesterday been interviewed on BBC's The World Today, for the once who missed that, you can listen this report here: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=44

Another BBC report is documenting how SLUM-TV Members try to document, that this conflict is not a typical Tribal war, it appears in the first 6 minutes,
you'll find that in the section press-clipping: http://www.slum-tv.info/?page_id=37

And if you want to know, more on the people, realizing SLUM-TV, and what they expect from their future, and what drives them, than you shouldn't miss
Saidi Hamisi Saidis introduction, which you can read here: http://www.slum-tv.info/?page_id=45

Recently i changed the configuration of our page, this allows you now to post comments, without the need to register. I know that our members, would be very happy to receive messages, feedback, critique...

There was also the question, what are we going to do, with the video-material shoot in the last weeks. In some newspapers it was written, that we show the other half of the Kenyan Story (http://tinyurl.com/2uxglu); but now as i wrote already, public screenings are not possible, so we are now preparing the distribution by local pirate cinemas and pirate networks.

Please, feel also free to distribute this email to your friends, and if anyone has a concrete idea how to help us, just write us.

There would be much more news, more in the next update.

regards
alex

Slum-TV Two Reports from Kenya

2008-01-05T14:05:34Z

Dear Friends,

we managed to get in touch with our friends. All of them are ok.

Read here two articles, one by Sam Hopkins:

The 28th of December five years ago was a very different occasion. When the results came out, confirming a landslide victory for Mwai Kibaki, my brothers and I went out to celebrate. It was a large night, almost narcotic in the intensity of the celebrations, fuelled only by the excitement of victory for the right man and the promise of change. read more The 28th of December five years ago was a very different occasion. When the results came out, confirming a landslide victory for Mwai Kibaki, my brothers and I went out to celebrate. It was a large night, almost narcotic in the intensity of the celebrations, fuelled only by the excitement of victory for the right man and the promise of change. continue to read http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=40

and Election Day by Ali Barisa:

I woke up around 4:44 at night so that i prepare myself early enough to vote for change on december 27. At around 5:30 am in the morning, I headed to the polling station in our area; my polling station is called Roysambu primary school, it was where I went to school when I was young during my primary days. continue to read: http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=41

Let us hope, that the situation will calm down, and that our friends vote are not obsolete.
cheers
alex

Slum-TV Violence and Chaos in Kenya,

2008-01-02T17:34:57Z

Dear Friends

it would have been much nicer to inform you on our plans and the development of SLUM-TV for the next half year, instead of that, we have to inform you, that the crisis that hit Kenya in the last days, also is a threat to our Friends in Mathare. Till now, all of them are save, in the last days we managed to get in contact with Sam Hopkins (SLUM-TV Nairobi) who is again in contact with the others from the Team.

continue to read:http://www.slum-tv.info/?p=38