New Team Member - The Gift of Art - by Ifa Mesfin Abebe

Born and raised in an art loving family. I was brought up to appreciate creativity and its importance for sustainable prosperity. Art for me is the reflection of the human spirit. Through it people can express themselves and have their voices heard. It is a very important medium to create awareness about the issues of todays world. Living in a fast changing world can be confusing at times. I owe a fare share to Art as it was my involvement with poetry, music and graphics Art that allowed me to express myself and connect with my peers. Having these platforms has strengthened my ability of self expression beyond imagination and I also want others to have the same opportunities to shape their future. 

During my Architectural study at the EiABC (Ethiopian institute of Architecture, Building construction and City development) I learned how to solve problems by utilising existing resources. How to plan, design and implement ideas into reality. Learning how to see things from another perspective was crucial in understanding why problems existed in my community. After finishing my studies I decided to engage with the Arts more in depth.  In my free time I was applying my design and artistic knowledge to coordinate and implement community projects that use creativity for Activism; using ART for Activism. Shakespeare lives 2016, Voices and choices 2017 and Step up - Protection and Beautification of Urban Public Spaces 2018 are few of the Artivism projects that used Art to address social issues.

I am a strong believer of the Gift that art brings to the world and to its inhabitants. Especially in a place like Doncaster, that has a strong sense of community, Art is celebrated even more to magnify the beauty of every community. This is why I’m excited about working with Right Up Our Street. I feel that I have a diverse set of skills and experience to bring to the table. By giving support to our community associates, I work with up and coming community projects. I believe the position I’ve been assigned within RUOS is crucial to accelerate the journey of community arts involvement in Doncaster. Let’s all do our part to create a better world through the Arts.