From poets to artists, creatives from around Hawassa are working together, supporting each other and changing the narrative about their city.
In just a few years, the Great Rift Valley city has gone from a rest stop on the way to Arba Minch to a vibrant city with some of Ethiopia’s most promising young creatives.
Hawassa is the capital of the Sidama region and is known as one of the largest industrial parks in the country.
There should be a place outside the capital city for young creators to connect and share their talent, says poet Boni Tesfaye, but most creative opportunities are in Addis Ababa.
Tesfaye was determined to change this. She belongs to a new generation of Ethiopian creatives who wants to bring poets and artists together in Hawassa and showcase their talents.
“I used to envy that and not finding that community from where I am, bothered me,”.
“I used to see poetry events in Addis online and aspiring to be part of it, for a chance to recite my writings, connect with other poets, and grow as a writer,” says Tesfaye. Her enthusiasm led her to do that, helping others convey and express their diverse perspectives.
“I have to say the engagement level is more than we had anticipated. Hawassa has a lot of unseen creative potential, and I believe we’re creating the community we longed for one episode at a time,”.
Tesfaye started writing poetry when she found herself going through an “emotional roller coaster followed by not knowing who to talk to or how to talk about it but somehow wanting to let it out. Writing became the therapy I needed, so I stuck with it,”.
Realising that there was no safe space for others to tell their stories and highlight their talents, Tesfaye and her friends decided to be that change for their locals.
In 2021 Tesfaye took her determination with her co-founders into holding the city’s first open mic event and has since held six further events. Co-founded in 2021 with her friends, Open Mic Hawassa is a creative platform committed to sharing Hawassa’s talent through spoken word poetry, art and music.
But the transformation has its challenges. “We already have our jobs and life. It’s not even a job. We’re not doing it for the monetary gain but for the good,” says Tesfaye.
Although the group found logistics an issue, they are persevering through sponsorship from a local hotel and beverage brand.
Tesfaye devotes much of her energy to creating and encouraging the creative community to come together and share ideas, collaborate, and inspire each other.
The creative scene in Hawassa is growing and changing swiftly as the next generation finds creative ways to have their voices heard, share their ideas and create opportunities.
“I’ve had the privilege of meeting amazing poets who never had the stage to showcase their talent and I can say it has become a safe space for artists to come and unveil their creative side.”.
