Artist/Mother in Africa

Aimed at developing research for a micro-grant managed by MB, the project identifies some of the challenges, realities, needs and desires of this particular, often under-discussed but highly common intersection on the continent.

Questions for Artist/Mothers in Africa (to be translated as widely as possible):

1. Please give your name/artist name or say whether you would rather not be named. (In case we include your responses in our research, how would you like yourself to be represented)
2. Please describe the context in which you live (your living space, environment, region on the continent, family structure, community, etc)
3. What kind of artistic/creative work are you involved in and when/how did you begin?
4. At what age did you become a mother and what were the circumstances (what your life looked like at the time)?
5. What were some of your thoughts, feelings and experiences in the lead up to becoming a mother in relation to your ideas for yourself as an artist?
6. Would you describe mothering as ‘work’, if so, what kind of work is it?
7. What are the similarities between your art-making and your mothering?
8. What are the differences?
9. How do you feel art-making and mothering affect or influence each other?
10. What kinds of things/resources/people make your life as both artist and mother possible?
11. What kinds of things would you like to see existing to support artist mothers further? (Be as imaginative and ambitious as you can!)
12. What question would you like to ask any other artist/mother in Africa?