World News
Solange’s Saint Heron Announces Next Phase as Cultural Institution
Saint Heron is proud to formally announce its next evolutionary phase as a cultural institution. It is expanding into a multidisciplinary platform, studio and creative agency with an urgent mission to preserve, collect and uplift the stories, works, and archives that amplify vital voices within communities. The company will build spaces that engage radical conversation and conceptual imagining across art, design, architecture, fashion and literature. Saint Heron is also slated to launch its dossier with literary and visual retrospectives of radical family and artist’ lineages via SaintHeron.com. Each piece will exist for the span of 7 to 10 days and provide an in-depth exploration of emerging talent and pioneering artists, sculptors, photographers, designers, and artisans. The first digital installation available here, shares the story of Saint Heron, as told by Solange Knowles, its Founder, Creative Director and Art Director.
Periodically, the Saint Heron Dossier will showcase literary exhibitions that tell inspirational stories of familial lineage, returning home, physical exodus and personal reclamation. In the coming days, Saint Heron will explore the career of American visual artist, sculptor, bestselling novelist, and award-winning poet Barbara Chase-Riboud in conversation with award-winning author and educator, Ilyasah Shabazz. Readers can also look forward to interviews with Shala Monroque and artist Cassi Namoda, a conversation between Helga Davis and Okwui Okpokwasili, and archives from Womack & Womack and Composer Charles Stepney.
Honoring the institution’s mission to reinforce the urgency of building archives, the digital dossier is the first of many exciting projects to come from Saint Heron. Supporters can expect a series of gallery exhibitions and installations, as well as an artist in residence programme, a permanent art and design collection, a non-profit library offering free access to Saint Heron’s archived collection, an in-house line of home and fashion collectibles, unique brand collaborations, special music projects via Saint Records, experimental art film releases and more in the near future.
Saint Heron will also be building out their Gallery, Small Matter. With Small Matter, Saint Heron will explore futurism design as a form of cultural expression, with every object being a present force that encompasses light, color, movement, shape, speed, scale, and process. These works range from large and small scale functional sculptures, architectural objects, furniture collection, lighting design, garments, and more. Many of these upcoming works will be designed by Solange herself, and some are designs from other collaborators like architect-designer Jerome Byron and Saint Heron’s own Product Development Consultant, Mark Grattan.
In addition to this, Saint Heron will continue its activism work with the Saint Heron Holism Project, an initiative built to bring holistic therapeutic healing and support to women, girls and communities of color.
Speaking about the creation of Saint Heron and this next phase, Solange said:
“Worldmaking has been a huge part of my practice. The idea of leaving behind cities, meccas, and universes that were occupied and celebrated by bodies, voices, celebrations and rituals to be discovered down the line. As we transition to an institution, the answer and the vision become abundantly clear. We are creating a legacy where we not only continue the work we have already built, but preserve collections of creators with the urgency they deserve. Together we want to create an archive of stories, and works we deem valuable. We want to open up these works publicly, and make them accessible to students, and our communities for research, engagement, and consumption so that the works are integrated into our collective story and belong and grow with us. We are creating an embodiment of living testaments to the glory of expression, and how that recharges and reaffirms the reverence we hold for our own cultural and artistic worth. We look forward to furthering the pursuit of authenticity that empowers the stories of our people.”
Saint Heron launched in 2013 as a call to community; creating a hub for music, arts and cultural conversations of their own. The company built a legacy through the creation of special projects such as the release of an eponymous musical compilation, visionary content from creative talent, and thoughtfully curated events and art experiences in collaboration with Hauser & Wirth, The Met, Parsons School of Art & Design, Nike, Google and Pitchfork.
World News
Major step in malaria prevention as three West African countries roll out vaccine
In a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa, three countries—Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone—today launched a large-scale rollout of the life-saving malaria vaccine targeting millions of children across the three West African nations. The vaccine rollout, announced on World Malaria Day, seeks to further scale up vaccine deployment in the African region.
Today’s launch brings to eight the number of countries on the continent to offer the malaria vaccine as part of the childhood immunization programmes, extending access to more comprehensive malaria prevention. Several of the more than 30 countries in the African region that have expressed interest in the vaccine are scheduled to roll it out in the next year through support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as efforts continue to widen its deployment in the region in coordination with other prevention measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention.
Benin, which received 215 900 doses, has added the malaria vaccine to its Expanded Programme on Immunization. The malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from around 5 months of age.
“The introduction of the malaria vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunization for our children is a major step forward in the fight against this scourge. I would like to reassure that the malaria vaccines are safe and effective and contribute to the protection of our children against this serious and fatal diseases,” said Prof Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin.
In Liberia, the vaccine was launched in the southern Rivercess County and will be rolled out afterwards in five other counties which have high malaria burden. At least 45 000 children are expected to benefit from the 112 000 doses of the available vaccine.
“For far too long, malaria has stolen the laughter and dreams of our children. But today, with this vaccine and the unwavering commitment of our communities, healthcare workers and our partners, including Gavi, UNICEF and WHO, we break the chain. We have a powerful tool that will protect them from this devastating illness and related deaths, ensuring their right to health and a brighter future. Let’s end malaria in Liberia and pave the way for a healthier, more just society,” said Dr Louise Kpoto, Liberia’s Minister of Health.
Two safe and effective vaccines — RTS,S and R21 — recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), are a breakthrough for child health and malaria control. A pilot malaria vaccine programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi reached over 2 million children from 2019 to 2023, showing a significant reduction in malaria illness and a 13% drop in overall child mortality and substantial reductions in hospitalizations.
In Sierra Leone, the first doses were administered to children at a health centre in Western Area Rural where the authorities kicked off the rollout of 550 000 vaccine doses. The vaccine will then be delivered in health facilities nationwide.
“With the new, safe and efficacious malaria vaccine, we now have an additional tool to fight this disease. In combination with insecticide-treated nets, effective diagnosis and treatment, and indoor spraying, no child should die from malaria infection,” said Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone.
Malaria remains a huge health challenge in the African region, which is home to 11 countries that carry approximately 70% of the global burden of malaria. The region accounted for 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of all malaria deaths in 2022, according to the World Malaria Report.
“The African region is taking positive steps in scaling up the rollout of the malaria vaccine – a game-changer in our fight against this deadly disease,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Working with our partners, we’re committed to supporting the ongoing efforts to protect, save the lives of young children and lower the malaria burden in the region.”
Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, noted: “Today we celebrate more children gaining access to a new lifesaving tool to fight one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. This introduction of malaria vaccines into routine programmes in Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone alongside other proven interventions will help save lives and offer relief to families, communities and hard-pressed health systems.”
Progress against malaria has stalled in these high-burden African countries since 2017 due to factors including climate change, humanitarian crises, low access to and insufficient quality of health services, gender-related barriers, biological threats such as insecticide and drug resistance and global economic crises. Fragile health systems and critical gaps in data and surveillance have compounded the challenge.
To put malaria progress back on track, WHO recommends robust commitment to malaria responses at all levels, particularly in high-burden countries; greater domestic and international funding; science and data-driven malaria responses; urgent action on the health impacts of climate change; harnessing research and innovation; as well as strong partnerships for coordinated responses. WHO is also calling attention to addressing delays in malaria programme implementation.
World News
Kid Cudi cancels tour after breaking foot at Coachella
Kid Cudi has been forced to cancel his tour after breaking his foot at Coachella over the weekend. During the fest’s Weekend Two on Sunday night, the rapper went to the hospital with a broken foot after jumping off the stage at the Sahara Tent. (more…)
World News
The Un Certain Regard Jury of the 77th Festival de Cannes
The Canadian actor, director, screenwriter and producer Xavier Dolan will be the President of the Un Certain Regard Jury of the 77th Festival de Cannes. He will be joined by French-Senegalese screenwriter and director Maïmouna Doucouré, Moroccan director, screenwriter and producer Asmae El Moudir, German-Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, and American film critic, director, and writer Todd McCarthy. They will be in charge of awarding prizes for the Un Certain Regard section, which showcases art and discovery films by young auteurs.
This year, 18 films have been selected, including 8 first films. The 2023 Un Certain Regard top prize went to director Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex.
When the light breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson will open the Un Certain Regard section on Wednesday May 15, 2024.
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World News
Kanye West reportedly planning to launch porn studio
World News
Additions to the selection of the 77th Festival de Cannes
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