A group of Batwa people from the Virunga Mountains were invited to the Foundation for a workshop to explore the possibilities of making clay objects inspired by their culture. The Batwa were an indigenous hunter-gatherer group of forest people trading honey and meat with people outside the forest.
Since they were displaced in the 1980’s and excluded from the national park where a few still work as trackers and tourist guides, they are now adapting to a sedentary life in village settlements.
Volcanoes Safaris, recognising their disadvantage outside their traditional environment, set aside land for them to build their own village and grow their own food.
In our workshops we hope that the objects and sculptures they will create will provide a means of expression directly related to their own experience and traditions. We will also assist them in building a kiln in their home village, enabling them to work independently.
This project is a collaboration with Volcanoes Safaris.
