Badilisha Poetry X-Change
A poetry podcast platform exclusively dedicated to the exposure and archival of both the contemporary and historical voices from Africa and its Diaspora.
The Badilisha Poetry X-change project plays out its vision through Badilisha Radio, a podcast platform. Badilisha’s intention is to platform who and what Africa has to say to itself and the rest of the world. Each week, two new poets are featured on the website. Poets are drawn from the continent or the Diaspora and represent the diverse genres of poetry, maintaining a good balance of established and aspirant poets.
Badilisha Gallery
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Badilisha Video
For a range of historical, political and economic reasons, many of the important collections and productions of the African art today are located or performed outside of Africa. The poetic voice from Africa and its Diaspora are no exception to this reality. Africans living on the continent have limited access to heir own artistic heritage and the world of contemporary practitioners. This means that African writers and poets’ knowledge of other African author and poets are limited, preventing the inspiration and influence vital to their growth, development, self-confidence and sense of place. The Africa Centre established Badilisha Poetry X-change to address this imbalance.
At its inception in 2008, Badilisha was an annual large-scale international poetry festival and produced festivals in 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as a series of related poetry interventions e.g. seminars, workshops and training programmes. The project has subsequently evolved into Badilisha Radio, a podcast platform, that ensures expansion and growth in scope and reach beyond the constraints of physical live festivals. Badilisha has over 170 radio shows produced featuring over 170 poets and representing 19 countries.
The objectives of the radio station are to:
- Create an extensive archive of both historical and contemporary African poets
- Create new and viable opportunities for the promotion and sustainability of African poetry;
- Present a diversity of poetic voices, genres, languages to reflect contemporary trends and evolutions in the medium; and
- Enhance the platforms and deepen the nature of engagement with Pan-African poets and poetry organisations;
Badilisha’s aims are now mainly realised through Badilisha Radio, it hosts small-scale poetry events a few times every year.
Linda Kaoma is the Project Manager of Badilisha Poetry X-Change. To listen to the poetry podcasts or for more information please go to: www.badilishapoetry.com
