Ttaala Workshop for Artists Human Rights Defenders in Anglophone West Africa. (2025)

Introduction:

DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders invites artists in Anglophone West Africa who are using their creative talents to advocate for human rights to express your interest in participating in Ttaala workshop, a comprehensive digital skills training program designed to equip Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) with the tools they need to increase their impact.

Background

The challenges facing African artists have increasingly come into sharp focus in recent years. From censorship and restrictive cultural norms to the dual-edged impact of digital platforms, artists across the continent grapple with systemic barriers that stifle creativity and freedom of expression. Nevertheless, art remains a powerful tool for advocating for human rights, resisting oppression, and inspiring collective action. And across the African continent, artists have used their platforms to challenge injustices and demand change. [1]^,[2],[3]

It is against this background that DefendDefenders/AfricanDefenders, under the Ttaala Program, is organizing a capacity-building initiative to equip artists with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves from these threats while continuing to advocate for human rights.

Training Focus:

Ttaala was launched by DefendersTech as Doc-IT in 2016, as a digital documentation training program that provides firsthand and interactive training to for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Non-governmental Organizations.

Over time, DOC-IT has evolved to include both “data & documentation” tools as well as “advocating” techniques and practices. This led to the creation of “Ttaala”, which translates to “light” in English. With the aim of enlightening HRDs on the available digital tools and how they can take advantage of technological advancement to achieve their organizational goals effectively and efficiently.

On that note the Ttaala training will provide practical training on a range of digital tools, skills and knowledge to artist that they can use for data driven creativity and advocacy.

Some topics that will be covered are:

• Secure and effective online communications
• Data literacy,
• Digital Data collection and Documentation tools
• Data Visualisation tools
• Development, management and execution of online campaigns

Note: After the training, participants will have the opportunity to apply the skills they would have acquired during the training to carry out group campaigns on an issues that are important to them.

Target Audience:

This training is specifically designed for artists working on human rights, from Anglophone west Africa which are the following countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cameroon. The artists include but are not limited to:

• Visual artists (painters, photographers, digital artists)
• Performance artists (theatre, dance, spoken word)
• Musicians and sound artists
• Filmmakers and video artists
• Writers and poets

Eligibility and Requirements:

• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to using their art for human rights advocacy and also take part in the implementation of group campaigns.
• Applicants must fill in this form here.
• Applicants must be available from 12^th – 20^th May 2025            
• Applicants must be able to travel to Abuja, Nigeria

Benefits of Participation:

• Participants will gain practical skills in secure use of digital tools for advocacy.
• They will expand their network and connect with other Ttaala Alumni through the Signal group.
• Improve the digital security of their work.
• Will take part in group campaigns after the workshop.
• All costs related to enabling participation to participant in the workshop will be covered by DefendDefenders.   

Selection Criteria:

Participants will be selected based on:

• Demonstrated commitment to human rights work through art
• Potential to applying the skills learned.
• Artistic merit and impact of their work.
• Motivation to participate in the campaign(s)

There will be space for 12 participants.

Timeline:

EOI Submission Deadline: 18^th April 2025

Participant Selection: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Training Dates: 12^th  – 20^th May 2025

Submission Details:

Please use this link to submit your Expression of Interest.

Note: DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders reserve the right to close the online form, potentially after a specific deadline or when a certain number of submissions are reached. We advise submitting your information as soon as possible.

Contact Information:

For inquiries, please email [email protected]

[1] Panaf. (2025, January 13). Freedom or fear? The battle for artistic expression in Africa. Panaf. https://panaf.org/news/freedom-or-fear-the-battle-for-artistic-expression-in-africa/

[2] The State of Artistic Freedom 2024. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2025, from https://freemuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SAF-Report-2024-small-1.pdf

[3] The State of Artist Human Rights Defenders in Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2025, from https://defenddefenders.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Artists-Research.pdf