BUBBLEGUM X is an initiative by Bubblegum Club and The Bubblegum Foundation aimed at advancing Africa’s ever growing cultural influence in global creative scenes. This, as a means of leveraging and transforming this expanding cultural and artistic influence into developing sustainable creative industries on the African continent, and fostering creative businesses that operate beyond our continental borders.
Each year the Bubblegum Foundation will use its resources to realise initiatives that support and develop creatives across Africa. The first of these being an annual International exchange programme for creatives from the continent.
This year’s exchange — BUBBLEGUM X Daily Paper — is focused on the fashion industry, and will see Bubblegum Club partnering with the leading youth fashion label and organisation, Daily Paper, to offer an emerging designer a fully funded month-long internship at Daily Paper’s HQ in Amsterdam.
Daily Paper is an Amsterdam based fashion and lifestyle brand established in 2012 by three childhood friends. The once blog established by Hussein, Jefferson and Abderrahmane shared a love for music, art, fashion and culture, growing the brand into a household name.
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Jamal Nxedlana, Bubblegum Club’s co-founder and custodian speaks more about the initiative and how BUBBLEGUM X was conceived:
Similar to a lot of Bubblegum Club initiatives, we look to support the creative industries, we look to create initiatives that develop young creatives and give them opportunities. This is such an opportunity, I think.
In the fashion industry, there’s a lot of creativity, but infrastructurally, it’s not as developed as it could be. As a result of this, we’re not positioned to compete internationally. Just by giving people that exposure – especially experience in working systems and processes – that could position them to be more competitive, like globally in fashion.
This initiative seeks to develop and support a new generation of empowered African creators, who comfortably and successfully occupy artistic and entrepreneurial spaces. A generation that will build, sustain and eventually pass on the creative businesses upon which the future of Africa’s creative industries is founded.
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This internship will allow the successful young designer to expand their creative networks and develop their skills. The internship, as well as travel and visa costs, will be fully funded by Bubblegum Club and Daily Paper.
Bubblegum Club and Daily Paper have come together to form a jury with a multifaceted background in art and design. The jury will be responsible for curating a shortlist of the TOP 10 candidates.
Through the selection process, the TOP 10 finalists will be chosen by a jury, profiled across the Bubblegum Club networks and the public will also have an opportunity to vote for who they think should be in the top 5.
Moipone Tlale, a BUBBLEGUM X jury member and digital editor at Bubblegum Club speaks more about the selection process and the need for an initiative such as BUBBLEGUM X:
We want someone who’s rooted in the past. Someone who understands context and understands where they come from and their African context. Someone who is rooted in the past, but fruits of their labour are in the future.
For more information about BUBBLEGUM X Daily Paper and how to apply — click here.
