OTHER PROJECTS

From 2016 -2018 Lake of Stars worked with international NGO Girl Effect to launch and embed Malawi’s award-winning youth brand, Zathu. Zathu uses the power of music and storytelling to close the gender gap in Malawi and tackle challenging topics such as relationships, stereotypes, self-expression and sexual health. Lake of Stars provided in-country support across a mixture of mediums, including music production, videos, events and marketing campaigns. 

Set It Off was a one-day festival designed and produced by Lake of Stars in January 2018, providing a groundbreaking platform for women in the arts in Malawi. Showcasing poetry, theatre, comedy and music, every performance included at least one female artist in a leading role. Behind the scenes, the event crew also included female representation across all the teams, from sound and lighting through to security and production. The event took place at Malawi’s Chancellor College in Zomba and was created in partnership with HIVOS and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

In September 2016 Lake of Stars Founder Will Jameson took part in the third edition of TEDx Lilongwe, speaking about his experiences of setting up an international festival in Malawi and using cultural tourism to create demand. Here’s his talk:

The inaugural Lilongwe Shorts international short film festival was produced by Lake of Stars in May 2015. Shot, edited, and screened all within a space of 24 hours, this video of the event was created by Malawian filmmakers Mwizalero Nyirenda and Ernest Chikuni. Lilongwe Tots, the short film festival for children, returned as part of the 2016 Children’s Future Festival and the 2017 Festival of Ideas. 2018 saw Lilongwe Shorts expand with screenings in London in May, and the second edition of the festival at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in August.

In 2014, Lake of Stars brought Malawian artists Tay Grin and Mafilika together with Malawi / Swedish duo The Very Best and Scottish musicians Stanley Odd to perform at a special Lake of Stars showcase as part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games cultural activity. The energetic evening of hip hop, afro-indie and dance-pop celebrated Glasgow and Scotland’s historic relationship with Malawi and was the biggest presentation of Malawi music outside of Malawi.