Last year Helen Soteriou talked to Gambian based Lawrence Williams, one half of the artistic duo Bushdwellers, and head-honcho of the popular Wide Open Walls project.
Can you tell us about yourself and how the Wide Open Walls project was conceived?
I have been living in The Gambia Since 1993 with my business partner James. I came straight out of university, where I did a degree in 3D design and a post grad in film and television set design. We were originally going to build a small back packers lodge on 4 acres of land in a forest on a bend of a river called Makasutu, but due to all the deforestation that was going on, ended up with 1750 acres to protect which we turned into a nature reserve instead. Since the beginning of the project we have been integrated in to the local villages, we would only employ people from the villages that surround Makasutu. We moved to Africa to live a simple life style, not to become expats drinking in bars every night. We lived in tents in the forest for 8 years, with no electricity or running water.
In 2004 the United Nations World Tourism authority asked us to present Makasutu as a case study to different governments around Africa, part of the Sustainable Tourism to Eliminate Poverty program. After spending most of the year in different parts of Africa, we could see that what we had created in The Gambia was doing good for our local community, but it was still privately owned. As a result we set up a conservation area that surrounds Makasutu that is spread over an area of 85 square kilometres, incorporating 14 villages and 100,000 people. This is called The Ballabu Conservation Project and is 100% community owned.
The Eden Project in the UK has got behind the project, and as a result we now have a permanent display in the Tropical Biome there. We thought that having such fantastic publicity would start the donations flowing in for the charity. This never happened. We had been experimenting with different ideas on how we could bring a different focus to the area. We originally wanted to put on a music festival. Muse were interested in the beginning, but trying to pin a band down is almost impossible. I started working with a Gambian artist Njogu Touray at the end of 2008 on a small street art collective called Bushdwellers. We started off going in to the villages painting stencils, asking the owners of the walls if they wanted us to do it. The reaction was incredible and everyone seemed to love what we were doing. From this the idea for Wide Open Walls was born. I ended up sending Eelus a random late night email to his web site, inviting him to come down to Africa to paint. I never expected to hear back from him, but a week later I got a reply saying that he was interested. He ended up being the curator for the first WOW!
What were the aims of the project and did you feel they were achieved?
The initial aim was to try to bring some colour to the villages by having artists come and paint, and then we saw the social aspect side to the project, and realised that this could be a great way to generate interest in the Ballabu Project, and also a potential money spinner for the villages. We are also looking at the educational aspect of the project. Art is not taught in schools in The Gambia, so this is something that we are focusing on. There were a couple of school workshops last year that were given by Lucy, Eelus and Xenz and we will be doing more of these and really focusing on the children and their participation in Wide Open Walls.
I originally hoped that in Kubuneh village all of the walls along the road would be painted, so that when people drove through all they would see is the art. I had misjudged the size of the village, and the fact that the artists would head into the far corners of the village to paint. As a result to see all of the pieces you have to really head in to the bush, which makes it more of an adventure.
What was the reaction from the locals when the project was introduced to them?
I was surprised how quickly the villages picked up on the concept. There is an executive committee for the Ballabu Project, which is made up of the Chief of each village, as well as a lady from each village, and the head Chief of the area. It was originally put to the committee, who then went back and put the concept to the VDC, the Village Development Committee. Everyone then reported back at the next meeting the views of each village, and we got 100% support from all 14 villages. We then organised a meeting between the committee and the artists on the first day of the project, and the reaction from the Chiefs was so funny. They wanted all of the 14 villages painted at the same time! I think the meeting of the chiefs was one of the highlights for the artists. Such a different experience from your usual art project.
How did you decide on which artists you wanted to involve?
As the curator, Eelus was the one who invited all of the artists. Living in an African forest I don’t get to meet too many street artists, so when Eelus got on board the project in the beginning I knew that it was going to work. He put his name and reputation on the line for a project that was untested and could have gone belly up at any point. His belief was incredible and without him I don’t think that Wide Open Walls would have ever got off the ground.
How do the locals feel about their village one year on?
The paintings have really stood up to the African elements and as a result the village looks amazing still. The villagers have got such pride in the work on their walls. None of the paintings have been defaced in any way, and when tourists go to visit the village the local people love to show them around all of the paintings. Also they love the fact that their village is recognised around the world now. Kubuneh Village was such a back water, that people a few miles down the road did not even know where it was.
I also know that our readers can still get involved – can you tell us about the art school that you hope to build?
Eelus is donating part of the profits from the print release of the African Raven Haired image that he painted in Gambia. With this money we are going to build an art classroom at the school in Kubuneh village. The building will also act as a music room, community centre and also a visitor centre when tourists come to see the art.
We are in talks with The Gambia Experience, who are the main tour operator bringing people to The Gambia, about how we can open WOW up to a wider audience and actually have people coming out on holiday to watch/participate while the artists are doing their thing.
Wide Open Walls is now a registered charity, so if any of your readers feel like donating art materials, or anything that they think will help push forward the community, please feel free to get in touch through either the blog or through the Wide Open Walls Facebook page.
by HELEN SOTERIOU
All pictures courtesy of Jonx from SJ Artist were taken in 2011.
