GESCI’s African Knowledge Exchange (AKE) 2016, leverages GESCI’s expertise and knowledge to support the Up-skilling of creative and artistic youth to work and participate in the development of the digitally enabled cultural enterprise arena. The project will run for 10 months and cover four core areas of Digital Creative Media production; AKE 2016 - A creative Media venture will provide the participants, young entrepreneurs the opportunity to focus on four central objectives of the project:

1. Access to the full range of digital media equipment, software and tools in GESCI’s digital media production studio to allow participants to improve their creative media skills in an inter-related and collaborative environment involving animation, games design and apps and sound &music production.
2. Identification, selection and development of multi-media projects which have promising commercial potential in themselves and also have blueprinting or replicable potential in the marketplace.
3. Provide consultancy, advice and external mentoring on start-up formation.
4. Living Lab designed active research throughout the project with the objective of developing a new and unique training and enterprise model which integrates creative digital media skills development, product identification and its development as potentially commercial and start-up(s) established.

Working in creative pre-production teams, participants will Up-skill, as appropriate, on practical skills in either animation, digital media, creative sound or mobile games and apps development. Through co-creation, project based work and consultant support the pre-production teams will enhance and refine skills and explore products and services that may be commercialised or provide a stepping stone to enterprise development. Students will leave the training programme with:

• a portfolio which demonstrates their skills and talents in visual and digital media; · experience of working in a creative team environment which explore innovative ideas and applications of visual and digital media at a pre-production level;
• linkages with creative entrepreneurial actors and networks;
• knowledge of how small enterprises in creative media are created / set-up;
• An understanding of the digital media and culture interface and the possibilities this offers for new applications, processes and products.

The training programme runs from 29th February – 16 December 2016 and will require dedicated commitment on a weekly basic as fully agreed No tuition fee is charged.

Who should apply?

The programme is targeted towards creative digital media practitioners ages 22 and above who are artistically talented; have had prior education & training in their art form and, preferable with some relevant work experience. Applicants must be passionate about developing a career in the cultural industries area.

You can apply if you:

• are 22+ years old,
• have completed your secondary education,
• have creative abilities and are involved in creative arts such as /Mobile games and Apps/ sound creation / animation / low level programming or writing and storytelling
• have taken some post secondary creativity related course on arts/ graphics based subjects
• can demonstrate your creative and artistic talent for such as /Mobile games and Apps/ sound creation / animation / low level programming or writing and storytelling or similar through a portfolio and / or work samples.
• Have basic ICT skills and a passion for digital creative media,
• Can dedicate 10 months of full-time commitment and work to the Upskilling and enterprise development training programme.
• Want to join a creative team and advance your skills as a creative through exploring the opportunities of digital creative media together with likeminded individuals.

At a minimum, GESCI will ensure an equal-opportunity application process and strongly encourages female applications. Training days will consist of consultants in their field working with and facilitating students to enhance their artistic skills interfaced with digital technologies. Students receive materials needed to complete tasks, resources towards employability and or/becoming an entrepreneur, and gain valuable experience speaking to creative professionals within the GESCI network.

How to apply?

If you would like to be one of the students in the training programme, please apply by sending in the Student Application Form (see below) and your Portfolio. Contact Victor Omondi at email victor.omondi@gesci.org and write “Student application” in the subject line. Applications are reviewed continuously and we encourage you to send in your application by Monday 22nd February 19, 2016. The selection process will be based upon submitted applications, portfolios and interviews.