A NewZambian approach to Transforming Climate Awareness through Art
On 24th January 2025, Zambian musician Moses Sakala performed ‘Kowela’, a new song produced under the Voices for Climate Action (VCA) initiative by NewZambian Innovations, supported by Hivos, at an exhibition in Lusaka. According to Moses, the song is a parable about a bird which visits a village to inform them of the onset of rain. In the song, the community cuts the tree, and the bird disappears, leading to drought and environmental catastrophe.
Moses is one of Zambia’s leading musicians. The approach seeks to discuss biodiversity and climate change from an Indigenous Zambian perspective to identify with the complex issue in an authentic African way. He also leads the development of a network of performing artists in the NewZambian project, while Alexis Phiri leads a network of sculptors working on an installation of a tree piece.
Other artists in the network are developing paintings and comic books.
All this work in the VCA project comes to a head at a public exhibition with a concert in June 2025.
Meanwhile, Kowela will be yet again performed by Moses Sakala at the Nc’wala traditional ceremony in front of a live audience of no less than a thousand people. The goal? To harness the power of art in raising awareness about climate change and its far-reaching impacts. This multi-faceted project brought together a network of talented artists, each contributing their unique skills to create a compelling narrative around climate issues in Zambia.
The visual artists involved in the project have been producing a range of captivating artwork, including a comic book and a series of paintings. These pieces have been showcased in art exhibitions, capturing the attention and imagination of diverse audiences. By presenting the complexities of climate change through visual storytelling, these artists have succeeded in making the topic accessible and engaging, thus fostering a deeper understanding among the public. The Newzambian Innovations project seeks to contribute to the targets set by the Voices for Climate Change (VCA) programme.
Through its innovative approach, the project has:
- Engaged a diverse range of artists to create impactful climate-themed artwork.
- Raised awareness about critical climate issues such as drought and human-animal conflict.
- Promoted public discourse on climate change through exhibitions and performances.
- Fostered a sense of community and shared responsibility for environmental conservation.
