Context, culture, capulana
Celebrated on the 25th of May every year, Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now known as the African Union) on 25 May 1963. At the Aga Khan Academy Maputo, it is a day to promote unity and solidarity among African states and is celebrated with great pomp and splendour.
Celebrating through virtual exchange
The closure of schools and transition to online learning has not deterred students at the Academy from celebrating their culture. Instead of only dedicating a day towards the commemoration of the historic day, students and teachers have been participating in a number of activities throughout the month of May in order to salute the rich and diverse culture of Mozambique and its fellow African countries.
Connecting from their homes across the continent, students have participated in sessions where they recited poems in unison, created beautiful artwork, danced to African tunes and raised issues about the importance of unity in diversity. By connecting students online across borders, this virtual exchange creates a third space of international education and complements the vision of the curriculum in championing locally rooted but internationally minded students.
Paying tribute through art
The students from the Middle Years Programme are all set to exhibit their art work that celebrates their culture and context for Africa Day. This exhibition is the culmination of weeks of preparation where students conducted research on a concept of art and fused it with the nuances and elements of Africa.
This beautiful rendition by Grade 8 student, Chelsea Pascoal, brings out three elements that are quintessential to Mozambican society - the pilau, a Mozambican woman in traditional garb, and a map of the country with its long coastline.
Throughout the course of this academic year, our MYP students have been learning about different schools and styles of art in their Visual Arts classes. Inspired by artistic styles from around the world, students have created pieces that illustrate their local context in varied ways.
Click here to view a gallery of their artwork.
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