Emerson Collection Catalogue April 2025
April 14, 2025
Stories · September 2021
The Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation is a special fund for education and culture.
Founded 2014 · Stone Town, Zanzibar
The Foundation
A Special Fund for Education and Culture believes in Zanzibar, in Zanzibaris, and their potential to create a vibrant and self-sustaining future that uniquely reflects the rich history and cultural heritage of these islands.
To that end a fund has been established to support individuals with exceptional talents in artistic and academic fields and to assist local organizations that preserve and enhance the culture of Zanzibar.
The foundation is a non-governmental organization, non-political, non-commercial, non-religious and non-profit making.
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The mission
The mission is to recognize the unique and significant nature of the local Zanzibari talents, which has emerged from the cosmopolitan island of Zanzibar.
Since 2014, the Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation is a leading organisation honoring local Zanzibari artists in music, film and visual arts and writers such as the poet laureate, the late Mzee Haji Gora.
The awards
The Foundation has created film, music and visual art awards to inspire and promote Zanzibari artists, who are pursuing their artistic vision in the archipelago, as well as promoting the culture and history of Zanzibar.
The three awards complement Zanzibar's platforms promoting the arts: the Zanzibar International Film Festival and the Sauti za Busara international music festival, as well as the efforts of the Dhow Countries Music Academy.
It is exciting to see the impact that Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation Awards have had on the recipients' professional lives and what they used the award money for.
Our co-founder
The Foundation was co founded in 2014 by the late Emerson Skeens, a pioneer of boutique hotels in Zanzibar. He was a Zanzibar resident for 25 years and was renowned for founding and supporting a wide variety of creative innovations.
He co-established and promoted the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), the Dhow Countries Music Academy, a thriving NGO, and Sauti za Busara, an internationally renowned musical festival.
Getting involved
Over the past years, various fundraising efforts have taken place to ensure the Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation continues to support individuals and institutions to preserve, promote and enhance Zanzibari culture.
At the last evening of the successful exhibition 'All things Emerson Zanzibar' in 2021, a fundraising dinner was organised in the rooftop Tea House of Emerson on Hurumzi. The Foundation is grateful to all who attended the event in support of cultural projects for the benefit of Zanzibaris.
To get involved and support the Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation, contact us directly by e-mail: [email protected]
We are a nonprofit organisation dedicated to cultivating culture in Zanzibar. Your valued support, sponsorship and membership makes a difference!