Module 1. Foundations
Weeks 1 to 3
Know where you are going, start making with what you have, and learn to say who you are.
Week 1 ·
Welcome, creative goals and community
Every creator in this cohort starts from a different place. That is the point. This program is a gathering, not a competition, and you will learn as much from each other as from the hosts.
A good 12 week goal is specific, within your control and visible at the end. “Become famous” is not a goal. “Finish and record three original songs” or “Complete a collection of five garments and photograph them” is.
Your starting self assessment is private. It exists so that in week 12 you can see how far you came.
By the end of the week you can
- Introduce yourself and your craft to the cohort
- Set one realistic goal for the next 12 weeks
- Take an honest measure of where you are starting
Discussion questions
- What does a successful 12 weeks look like for you, in one sentence?
- Who in your community already supports your work, and how could you thank them?
Weekly challenge
Write a short introduction (who you are, where you create, what you make) and your 12 week goal. Complete the starting self assessment.
Week 2 ·
Create with the resources you have
Many of the most important works from this continent were made with very little. Nollywood was built on cheap cameras and direct sales. Ousmane Sembène made Black Girl on a tiny budget.
Start by listing what you have, not what you lack: a phone camera, a quiet hour each morning, a cousin who sews, a church hall with a piano, the market where you buy fabric.
Then make something small and finished. A finished small piece teaches more than an unfinished big one.
By the end of the week you can
- List the tools, skills, places and people already available to you
- Make an original piece or show your process using only those
- See limits as a creative choice
Discussion questions
- Which limitation could become part of your style?
- What one tool would make the biggest difference, and is there a way to borrow or share it?
Weekly challenge
Using only what is on your resource list, make an original work sample or record a short demonstration of your process.
Week 3 ·
Creative identity and storytelling
An artist statement answers three questions plainly: what do you make, why do you make it, and what should people feel or understand when they meet it.
Write in your own voice and your own language first. Ngũgĩ and Achebe both show that telling a story from the inside, in your own terms, is a source of strength.
Keep the profile short: your name, discipline, where you are based, one sentence about your work, and how to reach or follow you.
By the end of the week you can
- Explain what you make, why and for whom
- Write a first artist statement in your own voice
- Draft a short public profile
Discussion questions
- What single story do people tell about where you are from, and how does your work answer it?
- Which word would you most like people to use about your work?
Weekly challenge
Write an artist statement of 100 to 150 words and a profile of no more than 50 words.
Module 2. Audience and industry
Weeks 4 to 6
Find the people your work is for, understand how your field works, and protect what you own.
Week 4 ·
Finding and growing your audience
Your audience is not everyone. It is a group of real people with habits: where they spend time online, what they listen to on the bus, which markets, churches, campuses or events they visit.
Pick one or two places and show up there consistently. A small audience that knows you is worth more than a large one that scrolls past.
Ask for something small each time you share: a reply, a follow, a word of feedback.
By the end of the week you can
- Describe the people your work is for
- Choose one or two places where they already gather
- Share one sample in a way that suits them
Discussion questions
- Describe one real person who loves your work. Where did they find it?
- Which place could you show up in every week for the next month?
Weekly challenge
Complete the audience plan and share one sample of your work in one of the places you chose. Note how people responded.
Week 5 ·
Understanding your industry
Every creative field has a structure: the people who make, the people who produce, the people who sell, and the people who decide. Learn their names and what each one needs.
Look close to home first: local festivals, radio stations, galleries, studios, fashion weeks, writing prizes, creative hubs and diaspora networks.
Professional standards are often simple: reply on time, deliver what you promised, put agreements in writing, credit others.
By the end of the week you can
- Map the roles and organizations in your field
- Spot two or three realistic opportunities near you
- Know the professional standards people expect
Discussion questions
- Who are the gatekeepers in your field, and what do they need from creators?
- Which opportunity on your map is closest, and what is the first step?
Weekly challenge
Draw your opportunity map: the roles around your work, three opportunities you could reach within a year, and the standard each expects.
Week 6 ·
Ownership, copyright and rights
In most countries, copyright protects your original work as soon as you create it in a fixed form, such as a recording, a file, a drawing or a written page. Registration rules differ by country.
Know the difference between selling a work, licensing it (giving permission to use it on agreed terms) and assigning the rights (giving them away). Read before you sign, and ask for time to get advice.
Keep dated copies of your drafts and source files. Get written permission for samples, photos of other people and other people's work. This lesson is general information, not legal advice.
By the end of the week you can
- Understand the basics of copyright and related rights
- List what you own, what you share and what you use from others
- Share work safely
Discussion questions
- Is there anything in your current work that you do not have clear permission to use?
- What would you need to see in writing before you let someone use your work?
Weekly challenge
Complete your rights inventory: your works, who owns what, anything you use from others and the permission you have for it.
Module 3. The business of creativity
Weeks 7 to 9
Release your work with a plan, earn honestly, and build fair partnerships across borders.
Week 7 ·
Publishing, platforms and engagement
Publishing is a decision, not an accident. Decide which platform fits your work and audience, what you will share before the release, on the day and after it.
Describe your work in words that help the right people find it. Okorafor gave her genre a name. Give your work a clear description, captions and credits.
Engagement means conversation. Reply to comments, thank people who share, and invite them to the next thing.
By the end of the week you can
- Choose where and how to release your work
- Plan a simple release schedule
- Practice answering and building your community
Discussion questions
- Which platform does your audience trust most, and why?
- How will you describe your work in one sentence that a stranger understands?
Weekly challenge
Write a release plan for one work: platform, date, description, three posts around it and how you will respond to people.
Week 8 ·
Responsible monetization
Creative income usually comes from a mix: services (commissions, teaching, performing), sales (originals, prints, merchandise), licensing (others pay to use your work) and support (fans, grants, sponsors).
Price with your costs in mind: materials, time, transport, data and fees. Write the price down and say it with confidence.
Be careful with anyone who asks you to pay to be discovered, promises guaranteed income, or wants your rights for nothing. No one in this program will ever ask you to pay to take part.
By the end of the week you can
- Identify honest ways your work can earn
- Price one offer with real costs in view
- Recognize risks and scams
Discussion questions
- Which income stream could start this month with what you already have?
- What is the lowest price you would accept, and why?
Weekly challenge
Complete your income plan: two or three income streams, the price of one offer and the risks you will watch for.
Week 9 ·
Collaboration across borders
Some of the strongest African work comes from collaboration across countries and the diaspora: a producer in Lagos with a singer in Nairobi, a designer in Accra with a photographer in Johannesburg.
Ubuntu applies here. Good collaboration is generous, but it is also clear. Agree in writing who does what, who is credited, who owns the result and how any money is shared.
Set a regular time to talk, agree on tools that work on slow connections, and confirm decisions in writing.
By the end of the week you can
- Find collaborators whose skills complement yours
- Agree roles, credit and money before starting
- Communicate across distance and time zones
Discussion questions
- What could you make with a creator in another country that you could not make alone?
- What would make a collaboration feel unfair to you?
Weekly challenge
Write a collaboration brief for a real or imagined project: the idea, the collaborator you need, roles, credit, ownership, money and how you will communicate.
Module 4. Showcase
Weeks 10 to 12
Get ready for the camera, finish a signature piece, and present it to your cohort.
Week 10 ·
Camera and showcase readiness
Being ready for the camera is a skill, not a personality. Look at the lens, speak slowly, and say your name, your discipline and one sentence about the piece you are showing.
Use natural light from a window in front of you, a quiet room and a steady surface for your phone. Record, watch it back once, and try again.
Before you show anything, confirm you have permission for every person, song, clip and image in it.
By the end of the week you can
- Introduce yourself and your work in under one minute
- Rehearse with a phone camera
- Check permissions for anything you will show
Discussion questions
- What is the one thing you want a viewer to remember about you?
- What made you most nervous on camera, and what helped?
Weekly challenge
Record a one minute introduction or rehearsal, or deliver it live in the session. Complete the showcase readiness checklist.
Week 11 ·
Portfolio and signature project
A portfolio is a selection, not a storage cupboard. Choose five to ten pieces that show who you are now, with your best and most recent work first.
Your signature piece is the one you would show if you only had one chance. Finish it properly: edit, mix, photograph, frame or proofread it.
Label everything: title, year, materials or format, your role, and credits.
By the end of the week you can
- Choose your strongest work and finish it well
- Assemble a short portfolio
- Give and receive useful feedback
Discussion questions
- If someone saw only one piece of your work, which should it be and why?
- What feedback have you received more than once?
Weekly challenge
Submit your polished signature work sample and your portfolio for mentor review, using the portfolio checklist.
Week 12 ·
Cohort celebration and showcase
This week is a celebration. You present your signature work, live or recorded, and hear about the work of the creators who traveled with you.
Look back at your week 1 goal and starting self assessment. Be honest and generous with yourself about what moved.
Then plan the next 90 days. The program ends, but the practice continues, here on the EKYOTO Creative Exchange and in the community you built.
By the end of the week you can
- Present your work to your cohort
- Reflect on what changed over 12 weeks
- Plan your next steps
Discussion questions
- What are you proudest of from these 12 weeks?
- Who in your cohort will you keep working with?
Weekly challenge
Present your work at the showcase, complete the reflection and next steps worksheet, and submit for your completion review.
Session replays are posted for enrolled students when the guests and artists involved have given permission.