NAIROBI, 10 June 2024 – CoDesign Collective [till recently operating as Ministry of Architecture] is launching a new initiative, Co-School with its first event titled Re:Fest: A Research Festival for The Curious.
In the words of Anthony Baba-Oladeji, Founder of CoDesign Collective, “Africa’s present educational system is unable to grapple with the pace of advancements in her built environment and cities, and as such, ReFest will be a yearly event intervention to complement Africa’s presently underfunded educational operation by filling knowledge gaps such as metadata on cities, research into local materials and new representation techniques & technologies such as film, AI, VR/AR.” Through a dynamic mix of panels, workshops, building tours, and showcases, student participants will gain knowledge, build capacity, and be mentored into clusters, labs, and studios to advance projects beyond the timeline of the proposed yearly event.
Confirmed speakers and facilitators include Emilie Songolo, Head of the MIT Libraries’ Department of Distinctive Collections; Matt Saba, Program Head of the Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries (AKDC@MIT); Michael Toler, Digital Librarian of Archnet.org; Joshua Osobase, GeoSpatial Technologist; and Ife Osunkoya, XR Developer and 2024 Studio Quantum Artist-in-Residence.
The festival will take place from 2 – 9 August 2024 in American Corner, 42 Local Airport Road, Ikeja, Freedom Park, Lagos, and Vibranium Valley, Ikeja. The times will vary based on the event. Intending participants are advised to check the Event Kit to confirm this once they register. Registration is required, those interested should do so here: bit.ly/ReFest1.
Registration closes by 15 July 2024.
The event is supported by: American Corner and Ikeja, MISTI, and the Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries
About CoDesign & Co-School
CoDesign is a social design and development company with a mission to partner with intergovernmental organizations, changemakers and cultural institutions to rebuild Africa’s cities and communities. The Co-School initiative is an alternative school to retrain the young architects who will build Africa’s cities.
More here: www.codesign.africa
About American Corner Ikeja
The American Corner Ikeja offers conversation clubs, discussion groups, virtual programs, film screenings on a wide range of topics as well as STEM learning activities such as robotics and drone technology. In addition, American spaces are home to over 9,000 U.S. government alumni who program at the spaces in an effort to give back to their local communities.
More here: https://ng.usembassy.gov/education/american-spaces/
About Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries.
The Aga Khan Documentation Center of the MIT Libraries (AKDC@MIT) is a research center focused on the built environment of Muslim societies, broadly defined. AKDC@MIT supports teaching of and scholarship on the history and theory of architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation. Situated within the MIT Libraries, AKDC@MIT is affiliated with the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, established in 1979 by a gift from His Highness the Aga Khan.
