Q: What is the name of the Challenge?
We named the first, inaugural, series of Challenges “Understand the Misunderstood”. Frankly, we are obsessed with this name. What do you think?
Q: What are you trying to achieve with this Challenge?
Glad you asked! Our objective is three-fold:
- We want to shine the spotlight on the many talented creatives that live and work in Africa. We know from experience how hard it is for a fashion designer or an artist, who are just starting on their professional journey, to gain visibility, to have their voices heard, to have their work appreciated. We want to help by showcasing all deserving works (not just the Challenge winners) on all platforms available to us: glittertrotter.com website, Glitter Trotter YouTube channel, and all our Instagram channels (@creative_community_africa, @glitter_trotter and @seamline_atelier) and any other platform that shares our values and wishes to support our Challenge.
- We want to reward the most talented and hardworking creatives with resources and opportunities. Our winners will be eligible to receive rewards: from mentorship with established designers (African or International, our pool is growing!) to free outfit patterns, to exclusive fabric designs, to internships, and many more. The ultimate winner for the year is due for something really big and really important. But we are keeping our annual prize a secret for now – stay tuned!
- We want to showcase and support organizations that put a lot of thought, creativity, sweat and daylight into supporting people that often end up being misunderstood by their communities because they are different. We are sure you have a good example of such people (or such person) in your area, you might even think of yourself as being misunderstood or underappreciated by people around you. Bringing the spotlight to such groups and organizations, bringing them into our circle should help us all do better as united communities, not just groups of people living in the same area.
Our objectives might change over time, but we will make sure to update you if and when the change happens – so you are fully with us on this journey.
Q: So, what exactly is the Challenge about?
That’s the best part!
Each month, we are going to select an organization that works in Africa with a group of vulnerable people. We are going to introduce the organization to our @creative_community_africa family on Instagram: we will invite them to a Live chat to talk about their work, we will share a link to their website and Facebook/Instagram handle, we will try to add interviews and testimonials from the people they are working with, and any other materials to help you get to know all the people behind the organization.
The Challenge than would be to produce a creative product that “explains the misunderstood”: we are looking for a detailed, colored sketch of a complete outfit for fashion designers (yeah, we want to see a full outfit in color) OR a completed high-quality sketch of an artwork for visual artists (painting, sculpture, photo collage, you name it).
Your products would be accompanied by two additional documents:
- A story describing the product and your vision, i.e., how you think this product supports the organization spotlighted in this Challenge;
- A short video clip (no more than 2 minutes) in which you introduce yourself and your brand (if you have one) and describe your submission in enough detail to get us (and the judges!) excited.
We will not consider incomplete submissions. We call it the Challenge for a reason! Challenge yourself to be present, to be on time, to be ready!
Q: Once again, what do I submit to be considered for the Challenge:
Here is a simple check list for the submission:
- A completed, high-quality visualization of your creative product. If this is an outfit, we need to see both – the front and the back of it.
- A short story explaining how your creative product helps “Understand the Misunderstood”.
- A short video clip of you introducing yourself and explaining your product and how it supports the organization selected to be the inspiration for the Challenge.
Q: Who can participate?
The Challenge is open to fashion designers and creative artists in Africa. One day, we might expand it to cover other continents, but for now we want to focus on Africa.
We would give preference to aspiring, unknown creators. But fear not – if you are an established designer and still want to be a part of the Challenge, reach out to us – there are a lot of ways you can contribute!
Q: How much time do I have to create my product?
We plan to announce each monthly Challenge on the first week of the month. You will then have 3 weeks to prepare and submit your entry (no late submittals will be considered!).
Q: Where do I send my submission?
Send your submission to the founders of this challenge by email: anastasia@glittertrotter.com and theseamlineatelier@gmail.com. Please, send your submissions to BOTH accounts – this way we will never miss it. You will receive confirmation for your submittal once we review and confirm it is complete.
Q: I sent my submission in. Now what?
Tell all your friends about it! We will share all submissions on all our platforms for our community to see and vote for! The public voting will last for one full week. During the same week, our team and the team of judges will be hard at work selecting their favorites. Within a week after the voting closes, we will announce the winners.
All voting will be done on our @creative_community_africa Instagram channel. We will use this same channel to first announce the winners – before we share the winning submissions elsewhere.
Q: And what are the prizes again?
The prizes will be different for each monthly Challenge. We plan to offer a range of mentorship and internship opportunities, free-of-change assistance with creating outfit patterns, unique fabrics, collection showcasing opportunities, and many more. And of course, there will be a big (huge!) prize for the winner of the year. Stay tuned, listen up, pay attention.
Q: How do I learn about the theme and dates for each monthly challenge?
Follow us on Instagram: @creative_community_africa, @glitter_trotter and @seamline_atelier. We will be first announcing the Challenge on Instagram and on our weekly Lives. You can also go to www.glittertrotter.com and learn about the past and new Challenges right here. Finally, you can sign up for our YouTube channel and watch announcement videos for details. So many choices!
Q: Is anyone aside from Glitter Trotter and the Seamline Atelier involved in this Challenge?
Most definitely! All Glitter Trotter sister (and brother!) companies, including MMC consulting and MMC construction, are wholeheartedly on board and are rooting for us. We are seeking additional support from organizations that share our values and our pursuit of helping people live better lives. As we add partners, you will learn about them here.
Q: Any more details on the 1st Challenge?
Yes, most degfinitely!
- Inspiration: Mama Mzungu Soap https://www.mamamzungu.co/
- The misunderstood: People living with albinism
- Submission deadline: May 15, 2023
- Judges: Mr. MIcheal Kagimu (Records Fashion School, Uganda)
- Prizes?