On the 13th of November we will have the pleasure to present our project Amu Fakhri Yangu in Amstelkerk, Amsterdam.  ICOMOS Netherlands kicks off its lecture series with a meeting on Heritage based developments in Lamu and Zanzibar . Together with our partners from Lamu and longstanding collaborators from Zanzibar we will be exploring the various facets of heritage and its potential for the transformation of contemporary urban environments.  Joining us for this event are:  Mr. Mohammed Mwenje , the Curator on National Museums of Kenya, Lamu - who will introduce us to Lamu Old Town and share his insights from the Amu Fakhri Yangu project and challenges of community involvement in WHS.  Khwemah Sykes , the office manager for Hifadhi Zanzibar Ltd., a heritage management company based in Stone Town, Zanzibar, spearheading the adaptive re-use of the Majestic Cinema into a Culture Hub.  The event will be moderated by Daan Lavies from ICOMOS Netherlands.  Please note: Registration is required for this event through this link .  Entrance fee: ICOMOS members - free, non-ICOMOS Members - 5 euro Optional: Light meal & drinks before lecture - 15 euro, ICOMOS & non-ICOMOS Members  Event programme:  18.30 Drinks and light meals  19.30 Introductory presentation  Liaison between Stone Town of Zanzibar & Amsterdam - Paul Morel  19h45 Presentation on Lamu - Kenya Lamu My Love: A ground for prosperity - Mohammed Mwenje & Iga Perzyna 20h15 Break 20h30 Presentation on Zanzibar - Tanzania Hifadhi Zanzibar in practice - Khwemah Sykes & Berend van der Lans 21h Q&A 22h End To read more about the Amu Fakhri Yangu project check out our website and LinkedIn .  For more on our collaborations in Zanzibar see: Hifadhi Zanzibar Ltd . Majestic Cinema & Majestic Culture Hub .    The event is co-organised together with Stadsherstel Amsterdam & ICOMOS Netherlands. The project Amu Fakhri Yangu is funded by Creative Industries Fund NL ( Stimuleringsfonds) Workshop in Lamu Old Fort, 2024.

It is with great regret and sorrow that we inform you about the passing of our long-time board member, chairman, friend and mentor Ben Christiaanse. We would like to take this opportunity to express our condolences to Margreet and the rest of his family and thank Ben for all his support. Ben’s over 40 years of banking experience in Europe and Africa was a great asset to our organisation, that it came with Ben’s warmth and kindness was at least as important. Our first encounter with Ben was back in 2008. As a CEO of the National Microfinance Bank in Tanzania, he extended a helping hand for the founding of a modest museum at Mtoni Palace in Zanzibar. From that moment onwards he never shied away from giving us advice. This advice took a structural turn when - in collaboration with Stadsherstel Amsterdam - we got involved in the explorations for the start of a real estate company for monumental properties in Zanzibar. Thanks to his input a group of local investors stepped into this venture that became Hifadhi Zanzibar Ltd. Hifadhi is currently restoring and managing an Omani palace and is soon to start the refurbishment of Majestic Cinema in Stone Town, Zanzibar’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2012 Ben became the obvious choice for AAmatters' chairman, once that seat became vacant. He combined a critical look on the feasibility of our plans, budgets and projects with a warm friendship that became stronger every year. His dedication remained uncontested, also after managerial changes and a growing team. Ben will be dearly missed. Ben Christiaanse in one of the pre-shareholders meetings of Hifadhi, Zanzibar in 2014.

On the 14th of October AAMatters will participate in an afternoon dedicated to critical exploration and (re)imagining the future of African cities. The event kicks-off with panel discussions featuring mentors and practitioners from the Building Beyond Programme, followed by an hour long presentation by AAMatters in which we will explore the practicalities and challenges of mapping as a tool of integrated urban development together with Ali Khamis from the planning department in Zanzibar and concludes with a talk by Rem Koolhas revisiting his numerous encounters with the city of Lagos. The programme accompanies the exhibition Water Cities Rotterdam by Kunle Adeyemi and there will be opportunities to view the exhibition between the talks and presentations. The event is ticketed, part 1 and 2 are free. You can sign up for any of the parts here Programme overview: 14:00 – 16:00 hr: Part I: Building Beyond Prescribed Futures 16:00 – 17:00 hr: Part II: Foundations for Future African Cities 17:00 – 18:00 hr: Network drinks and Detour through Water Cities Rotterdam 18:00 – 19:30 hr: Part III: Revisiting Lagos with Rem Koolhaas 19:30 hr: Network drinks and Detour through Water Cities Rotterdam 22:00 hr: End of evening For more information on the individual parts see: Reimagining Future African Cities The event is organised by the Nieuwe Instituut, together with the Prince Claus Fund and the Creative Industries Fund NL and AAMatters. @

AAMatters will be a part of the Mobile Lab Egypt taking place in Cairo. It is a four-day long programme co-curated by May al-Ibrashy, Megawra—Built Environment Collective & Prince Claus Fund, featuring a symposium on the built environment in the context of Africa, visits to cultural sites, an exhibition, workshops and lectures at Tahrir Cultural Centre with cultural practitioners from various disciplines. AAMatters will participate in the public symposium "Rethinking the Built Environment in the African Context: Ethics, Methods and Interdisciplinarity'' taking its cue from the ideas on built environment, education and interdisciplinarity developed by Tahayyuz (an alliance formed by Megawra, 10 Tooba, and Mansour for Architecture and Conservation) and will host a workshop "Mapping Revisited: a critical look at mapping as a methodology for integrated urban development". Both events are open to the public. For more information see: Mobile Lab Egypt Public Symposium, 16th of September 2023 Mobile Lab Egypt Workshops, 18th of September 2023

The Canadian Centre for Architecture has shortlisted sixteen applicants from which eight will be selected for the Mellon Research Project on “Centring Africa: Postcolonial Perspectives on Architecture,” catalysed by the AAM archives donated to CCA in 2016. We are happy to see that the collections of Georg Lippsmeier, Coen Beeker and Kiran Mukerji, previously under the custodianship of AAMatters in Utrecht, will reach a broader audience and contribute to the ongoing research on development of architecture in sub-Saharan African countries after independence. The material was originally donated to Antoni Folkers who as a student worked in the 1980s with Coen Beeker in Ouagadougou and later in the 1990s with Lippsmeier and Mukerji in Dar es Salaam. We wish all the shortlisted candidates a lot of success!

It’s been a long time in the making, but the first conservation plan for the Uganda National Museum is finally available for download. We have been working alongside a fantastic team composed of historians, architects, designers, conservation specialists, museum staff and managers to produce the CMP. The interdisciplinary team behind the project gives a hint of the extent of expertise that goes into the creation of documents like this. The CMP is not only a tool that enables the building owner (or manager) to plan activities in a structured way in order to safeguard the building and harness its potential, but it is also an invaluable record and source of information on its history. In the process of creating the CMP the team: researched the history of the building, investigated changes and developments of the museum, assessed its condition and defined its cultural, social and architectural significance. We are very proud of being a part of this project and look forward to working on other CMPs in the future . The CMP can be downloaded from the Getty Foundation report library. Find out more about the project here.

On the 15th and 16th of February we were at Kigali Community Based Processes forum! The even was co-organised by Enabel, the University of Rwanda and the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda and was held in the Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design of the University of Rwanda. The overall objectives of the Forum were: To Reinforce and widen the community of practice and ownership around the Manifesto. To widen participation from the private sector, academia, development and governmental partners in East Africa. To stimulate the wider application of community-based processes, making interventions more sustainable in both socio-economic and environmental aspects. AAmatters were one of the many and very interesting presentations during this exciting weekend. The presentations and discussion were divided under three main categories: Construction / Community Driven Processes for Climate Responsive Design Urbanism / Upgrading unplanned settlements Space Management / Homegrown solutions If you are curious to see our Forum presentation, you can find it here! Being part of the Forum was a fruitful, interesting and challenging experience. We hope that this exchange of experiences and knowledge will widen the participation from the private sector, academia, development and governmental partners in East Africa. More info here: https://www.climate-design.org/

The proceedings of the Community Based Processes conference in Kigali, Rwanda are out now! Last February AAMatters was part of the Community Based Processes for Climate Responsive Design forum at the University of Rwanda in Kigali, organised by Enabel. The aim of the workshop was to raise awareness around the critical importance of community-driven processes and their potential to drive a positive impact on the local ecosystem in terms of design and construction process for sustainable and long-lasting buildings and environments. The manifesto captures and explores various community-based processes from the design and construction, transition settlements and home grown solutions perspectives. The manifesto highlights best practices and insights of initiatives implemented across the five countries that were represented at the workshop. The book highlights three key messages strongly. The undeniable power of community in shaping its surroundings and as a collective voice showcases positive change, transforming spaces to meet their needs, aspirations and heritage. The indispensable role that communities play in the sustainability and success of any project as the driving force behind initiatives, taking ownership and ensuring longevity. Communities play a pivotal role in an era of climate change through their accumulated wisdom and deep-rooted connections to their places. Being part of the Forum was a fruitful, interesting and challenging experience. Together with the other participants, we hope that this exchange of experiences and knowledge will widen the participation from the private sector, academia, development and governmental partners in East Africa. You can find the full publication visiting our open Library!

On Wednesday April 12 at 7pm, Africadelic, in collaboration with African Architecture Matters, presents the Dutch premiere of Tug of War (Vuta N'Kuvute) in film theatre Kriterion in Amsterdam. This award-winning film about love and resistance in the final years of British colonial rule in Zanzibar received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was Tanzania's second Oscar entry ever (and the first in over two decades) – and now you can watch it on the big screen in the Netherlands! With an introduction by Elisabeth Hesemans, who was involved as an actor trainer in the production of the film, and Franka van Marrewijk, who lives and works in Dar es Salaam and is a member of African Architecture Matters, an organisation involved in the redevelopment of Majestic Cinema in Zanzibar, where parts of the film were shot. The evening also serves as a pre-announcement of the Africadelic Festival 2023, which will take place from May 24-31 at various locations across Amsterdam. Africadelic2023 x Kriterion: Tug of War (Vuta N'Kuvute, NL premiere!) Date: Wednesday April 12, 2023 Time: 7pm Venue: Kriterion Title: Vuta N'Kuvute (Tug of War) Director: Amil Shivji Country: Tanzania Year: 2021 Duration: 92 min Language: Swahili Subtitles: English Extra: Introduction by Elisabeth Hesemans and Franka van Marrewijk More info & RSVP: www.facebook.com/events/1386626565473015 Tickets: www.kriterion.nl/films/tug-of-war Trailer here Synopsis Tug of War On the coast of the ancient trading port in the ‘Spice Islands’ of the Indian Ocean, under British protectorate and overseen by the Sultan of Oman, Denge, a young Mswahili revolutionary, fights for a free Zanzibar. Denge and his companions import socialist pamphlets and distribute Swahili translations around the island. They stage uprisings in dance halls and clubs from foreigners to demand political independence. Denge dreams of nothing else, until he meets Yasmin. She is a young Indian-Zanzibarian woman in search of her own forbidden freedoms and she didn't expect to be intrigued by Denge's mysteries… About Africadelic Africadelic is an annual festival on and around International Africa Day (May 25) celebrating the cultural creativity, diversity and community from Africa and the African diaspora. The Africadelic Festival is an ode to the motherland, its cultural riches, and the impact that Afrodescendants, i.e. people of African descent, have on global culture and society. From May 24-31, 2023, the festival offers another week full of concerts, films, talks and other engaging events in Amsterdam. This premiere screening of Tug of War in Kriterion serves as the pre-announcement of the festival in May. See you there!

Mid-July, on the 13th to be exact, The Ng’ambo Atlas came a full circle and was finally presented to the audience in Zanzibar. The book presentation took place in the beautiful setting of Kiponda 742 building (Hifadhi Zanzibar’s recent acquisition) and was led by the Director of the Department of Urban and Rural Planning, Dr. Muhammad Juma. The Minister of Information, Tourism and Heritage, the Hon. Mahmoud T. Kombo received the first copy of the atlas and gave a thoughtful, engaging and at times humorous speech on the importance of culture for the future development of Zanzibar. We are proud to be part of this amazing process and look forward to the new projects ahead of us, some of which - like the presentation at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2019 - are offshoots of the work we did for the Atlas. For those who couldn't make it to the event, the Ng'ambo Atlas exhibition will be on display in the Kiponda building until the end of September, you can visit the building throughout the day or have a look at the exhibition while attending one of the events taking place there. Please check Hifadhi Zanzibar's Facebook page for news on events. Thanks to Rahim Saggaf (black& white), Berend van der Lans and Alexandra Papadaki for the photos, great memories to keep and share with others. #Culture #Research #Publication #IntangibleHeritage #heritage #Zanzibar #HistoricUrbanLandscape #Book #Event

Almost a month ago the Seoul Biennale for Architecture and Urbanism opened with a bang, although a little bit disturbed by the typhoon Lingling. The theme of the 2019 edition of the Biennale was Collective Cities leading the long-term collaborators Amsterdam and Zanzibar to present their take on this in a joint exhibition. Following ‘Urban Heritage Inc.’, an international conference hosted in Amsterdam in April 2011, Amsterdam and Zanzibar engaged in a project which looked at their respective World Heritage Sites as springboards for management of urban change. The cooperation was mutually beneficial and interesting differences came to the fore. Amsterdam learned to acknowledge the importance of intangible aspects and organic city development whereas Zanzibar embraced a long-term strategic and integrated approach. At the Seoul Biennale, Amsterdam presents how on a former industrial site, new collectives create added value for a socially and environmentally sustainable city, whereas Zanzibar presents a strategic plan for the future of Ng’ambo based on a mapping of collective stories of the neighbourhood. The collaboration between Zanzibar and Amsterdam led to a Local Area Plan for Ng’ambo, a culturally and historically rich area just outside of UNESCO World Heritage Site Stone Town. The area is designated to become the new city centre of Zanzibar Town. With use of the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape approach, the plans take the socio-cultural qualities of the area as their starting point. Next to the Local Area Plan the project resulted in the Ng’ambo Atlas that is presenting the cultural richness of the area in its full glory. For the Seoul Biennale the atlas is translated into a small but comprehensive exhibition, including a 3D version of the Atlas with multiple layers to explore. We thank the Municipality of Amsterdam for the collaboration and support to make this possible, as well as our project partners from the Commission of Lands in Zanzibar. We are also grateful for the good collaboration with the Seoul Biennale organisation, who were crucial in putting the elements together. The Seoul Biennale runs from 7 September until 10 November 2019. The programme can be found at their website. The Zanzibar exhibition can be found at the Cities Exhibition at the Donuimun Museum Village. We are curious about your feedback! #exhibition #Culture #IntangibleHeritage #Zanzibar #Amsterdam #Biennale #Seoul

We are excited to invite you to join our session during the RISE Africa 2021 Action Festival to create an imaginary playground with us! The Rise Africa Action Festival is a week of online sessions organized by ICLEI Africa around various intersecting themes. It is a collaborative platform for African actors and enthusiasts engaged in the urban space to exchange ideas and promising practices, with the vision to inspire and enable impactful and inventive action for sustainable, resilient African cities. AAMatters together with IRIX architects are hosting one of these sessions in which participants are invited to develop an imaginary playground in Zanzibar and discuss key themes such as design tools, methods and materials through a fun role play activity. This session will not only explore new ideas, but will also bring to attention issues and challenges that we might encounter during our upcoming project launch. We want to enable community actors to transform their surroundings and to become an essential part of making the city. Currently playgrounds are either non-existing or pre-fabricated, gender biased and uninviting. We believe children need safe spaces to play, an environment that stimulates curiosity, develop skills and express creativity. Participants are invited to develop a playground and discuss key themes such as design tools, methods and materials through a fun role play activity. This session will not only explore new ideas, but will also bring to attention issues and challenges that we might encounter during our upcoming project launch. Join our session on Thursday 27th of May 13:30 - 14:30 (GMT +2) Download the full program: Are you ready for some roleplaying fun? For more information about the RISE Africa Festival click here. For more information about our session click here! To register and join our session please follow this link. Follow us on our social media for further updates We hope to see you next week!