MVP: Timbi.world - Play or Burst in Mozambique

  • MVP explained:  Our proof of concept is a free-to-play videogame celebrating music and culture from the Chopi Timbila (Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity).
    We fundraised for Maputo Skate - a non-profit organisation established in Khongolote, Maputo. Maputo Skate focuses on edu-skating, which is designed to keep young people away from gang culture, drugs, alcohol and crime in Mozambique. 
  • Videogame release: We released the first version on Sept 8, 2020 as part of a commission from  Ars Electronica Festival 2020 | SOUND CAMPUS METAVERSE (9-13 Sept 2020) to Keep•It•Human founder Ricardo Climent.  The metaverse was curated by Enrique Tomás.
  • With support from EASTN-DC Culture Europe, Climent put a team together to co-develop the MVP (studio manusamo&bzika) and NGO Maputo Skate, along the findings of Keep•It•Human market validation research at ASPECT UK.

We asked for 10 educational skate-packs which included a skateboard, a helmet, four protective pads alongside a collection of educational kits (i.e. a notepad, etc.). Each skate-pack had a cost of £150 - the equivalent of €168, $199 or 14,209 MZN.

100% of the money raised was donated to Maputo Skate, including gofundme commission which was matched by Keep•It•Human.

Started on September 4th, 2020

Maputo Skate • SKATE E EDUCAÇÃO

Our NGO partner Maputo Skate  is a non-profit organization aiming to educate children and young people from 5 to 17 years of age with gender equality, through skateboarding, occupying their free time and at the same time educating so that they do not follow the path of alcohol and drugs.

Routes from Academic Research at NOVARS

In 2011, world-leading Percussionist Miquel Bernat commissioned a number of European Composers, including NOVARS director Ricardo Climent, to write new musical works for the Timbila of Mozambique. The project aimed to merge European and African cultures throughout the Timbila Instrument of the Chopi people, which was investigated as a source for music composition and performance. A number of members of Drumming-GP Percussion group (Portugal) led by Miquel Bernat, undertook several field-work trips to Mozambique, in liaison with timbila player Matchume Zango. Drumming-GP learnt to play the timbila and one by one, acquired a set of instruments to complete a full timbila orchestra.
Climent composed a new work called "Xi" for Bernat, which is documented at http://timbila.org/

Timbila Workshop at NOVARS by Miquel Bernat

Performance of "Xi" for Timbila at xCOAx by Bernat / Climent

Scanning and building 3D models  in Porto (2012)

Pictured above Alena Mesarosova and Manu Ferrer commmissioned by Climent to scan and 3D design a family of Mbilas for "Xi"

Timbi World Collaborators

Keep•It•Human

Ricardo Climent, founder of Keep it Human and Professor of Interactive Music Composition at University of Manchester, UK, where he serves as director of the NOVARS Research Centre and served a decade as head of Composition. Currently partner PI at University of Manchester of Culture Europe Grant EASTN-DC.

Manusamo&Bzika

Alena Mesarosova and Manuel Ferrer. Manusamo & Bzika are an interdisciplinary group created by Manuel Ferrer Hernandéz (visual artist) ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-5334-3045 and Alena Mesarosova (architect) ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-1972-3690. More here

Timbila Percussion

Percussionists involved on the Climent's original Academic Research composition "Xi" with Timbilas http://timbila.org/   back in 2012: 

Development supported by EASTN-DC / Culture Europe

An important part of the development of this game is supported by Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, via EASTN-DC Manchester and its programme or artistic / scientific residencies. EASTN-DC incorporated Spanish/Slovak Interdisciplinary group Manusamo & Bzika to its programme.

Keep•It•Human

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