Grant Inquiry
Date Published:
Dear Sir/Ma,
My name is Nseabasi Akpan, I'm a freelance photographer living and working in Ibadan, Nigeria, dedicated to harnessing the power of photography for positive social change. My lens is a tool for amplifying the voices of those often marginalized in my country. I focus on individuals facing discrimination, including people with physical disabilities and the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria. I am being threatened, harassed and bullied because of my project.
My unwavering belief in the transformative potential of photography fuels my mission to create awareness and bring about meaningful transformation. Through my photographs, I aim to provide a platform and voice for those who might otherwise remain overlooked in society.
On January 7th 2014, signed the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill into law. Criminalizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. The Law prohibits marriage between persons of the same sex and also, forbids any cohabitation between same-sex sexual partners and bans any public show of same sex amorous relationship. The law imposes a ten to fourteen-year prison sentence on anyone who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations or supports the activities of such organizations. And the law has become a tool being used by some police officers and members of the public to legitimize multiple human rights violations perpetrated against LGBTQ people. Violations like torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, violations of due process rights, and extortion.
My ongoing work in progress photography series is titled ‘’All We Need Is Love’’. The series is intended to challenge the stereotypical representation of LGBTQ in Nigerian cultures. I hope this can lead to creating a system to give them protection from violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture in custody, and extortion.
For me it is important to give them a voice and visibility. Above all to promote respect, inclusion and freedom of expression. Because I believe we are all humans and we all desire to love and be loved.
I have been invited for a 2-month Artist Residency by the Plantage Dok Residency Program in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to continue with my project 'All We Need Is Love' but I don't have the financial capacity.
Please, I would like to know if your organization gives grants for projects like mine or if you know any organization you can recommend to me that gives grants.
Below is the link to the project 'All We Need Is Love',
https://gripinequality.org/artist/nseabasi-akpan/
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Nseabasi Akpan
My name is Nseabasi Akpan, I'm a freelance photographer living and working in Ibadan, Nigeria, dedicated to harnessing the power of photography for positive social change. My lens is a tool for amplifying the voices of those often marginalized in my country. I focus on individuals facing discrimination, including people with physical disabilities and the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria. I am being threatened, harassed and bullied because of my project.
My unwavering belief in the transformative potential of photography fuels my mission to create awareness and bring about meaningful transformation. Through my photographs, I aim to provide a platform and voice for those who might otherwise remain overlooked in society.
On January 7th 2014, signed the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill into law. Criminalizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. The Law prohibits marriage between persons of the same sex and also, forbids any cohabitation between same-sex sexual partners and bans any public show of same sex amorous relationship. The law imposes a ten to fourteen-year prison sentence on anyone who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations or supports the activities of such organizations. And the law has become a tool being used by some police officers and members of the public to legitimize multiple human rights violations perpetrated against LGBTQ people. Violations like torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, violations of due process rights, and extortion.
My ongoing work in progress photography series is titled ‘’All We Need Is Love’’. The series is intended to challenge the stereotypical representation of LGBTQ in Nigerian cultures. I hope this can lead to creating a system to give them protection from violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture in custody, and extortion.
For me it is important to give them a voice and visibility. Above all to promote respect, inclusion and freedom of expression. Because I believe we are all humans and we all desire to love and be loved.
I have been invited for a 2-month Artist Residency by the Plantage Dok Residency Program in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to continue with my project 'All We Need Is Love' but I don't have the financial capacity.
Please, I would like to know if your organization gives grants for projects like mine or if you know any organization you can recommend to me that gives grants.
Below is the link to the project 'All We Need Is Love',
https://gripinequality.org/artist/nseabasi-akpan/
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Nseabasi Akpan
