Do you have an old
computer,
flat screen, digital camera,
laptop, mouse or anything
you think we can use?
Zanzikids, a
cooperation between the Taartrovers and Zanzibits Zanzikids
is the latest project of ‘De Taartrovers’ (www.taartrovers.nl),
and will start in 2008. ‘De Taartrovers’, a
company owned by Tessa van Grafhorst and Remke
Oosterhuis, are the creators and producers of
educational film programs for and by children.
Through ‘Zanzikids’ we like to share our
experience, skills and knowledge with filmmakers
and children in Zanzibar. For this reason a
Children’s Film School will be founded in
Zanzibar. From March till October 2008 we will
run a pilot to explore the possibilities of such
a project. In 2009 we will decide whether and
how the project will be proceded. In this
leaflet you can read about the pilot project and
the long-term plans for Zanzikids.
Film In the last decade audiovisual techniques
became much easier to use and therefore more
accessible to many people. Children from now
have the chance to explore film, not only by
watching it, but also as a tool to express
themselves. Film is a superb medium. By making a
film children learn how to tell a story, how to
illustrate it by making use of sound and music
and how to work together. Above all, a film can
be shown everywhere in the world.
Children By working with children, we reach
individuals in an early stage of their lives
when they are still openminded and curious to
learn new things. Should they decide to persue a
career within the audio visual field, they still
have the time and opportunities to develop the
neccesary skills and knowledge.
Zanzibits Zanzikids will closely cooperate with
Zanzibits, Centre for Film and Media for young
people (15 to 23 years). Talented en motivated
children of Zanzikids can attend Zanzibits when
they reach the age of 15. The students of
Zanzibits will teach the children of Zanzikids.
Zanzibar Through their films and documentories,
African Filmmakers have the opportunity to show
the world, their view on the African continent
that, so often, differs from the current Western
perception. They can focus on the many different
cultures, old stories, political issues,
artistic developments and any other topic the
filmmakers want to address.
The films can be shown at International Film
Festivals, websites or in cultural exchange
projects. In East Africa the film culture is not
yet as developed as in other parts of the world.
The yearly event of Zanzibar International Film
Festival is an important platform for
stimulating the East African film culture.
Zanzikids can empower this development by giving
children and filmmakers a continuous opportunity
to explore film in filmeducational programmes.
Targets
• Zanzikids aims at giving children in
Zanzibar the opportunity to use film for
cultural development, communication and
expression.
• Zanzikids will be a platform for the exchance
of educational programs between Dutch and
Tanzanian filmmakers in both directions.
• Zanzikids will stimulate the communication
between Tanzanian and Dutch children.
• Zanzikids will contribute to establishing an
East African film culture.
• It will increase the involvement of children
from different cultures in each other’s lives
and give them tools to show and share their
views with each other.
Zanzikids is for children aged 9 to 15 years.
During the pilot we reach approximately 500
children in Amsterdam and approximately 70
during ZIFF and 300 in the follow-up of several
months in Stone Town.
Pilot phase 2008
Phase 1: Under the guidance of the Taartrovers 500
schoolkids from Amsterdam will make stop-motion
films using sand and spices. These materials
have not been chosen at random, but refer to the
abundance of sand and spices on “Spice Island”,
Zanzibar. Each film represents a Dutch or
Surinam song. All films will be edited and
recorded on a compilation DVD that will be
issued in an edition of 3.000 copies. The
children can sell these DVD’s at home, to their
neighbours, friends or relatives.
Phase 2: The proceeds of the DVD sales will be used
to finance the pilot project for Zanzikids. On
Zanzibar we will make sand animation films with
70 children. The children will be divided into
small groups as to be able to support them
closely during the process. This will take place
daily from 10 till 16 July 2008 in close
cooperation with Zanzibar International Film
Festival (ZIFF) and ‘Zanzibits’ Center for Film
and Multimedia. The films made by the children
of Zanzibar, as well as the films made by the
Dutch children, will be shown during ZIFF 2008.
One of our crewmembers, May van Gent, arrives on
Zanzibar on the 10th of June, in order to
prepare the project. She will do this in close
cooperation with Hinda Ajmy of ZIFF and with Guy
Mullens of Zanzibits.
Phase 3: May van Gent will stay on Zanzibar until
October 2008 to cooperate with local filmmakers
and teachers organizing filmlabs and workshops,
which will take place twice a week. The
workshops will be organized in cooperation with
Zanzibits. May van Gent will also train the
students of Zanzibits to teach the children of
Zanzikids what they have learned themselves.
Suitable teachers will be selected who can
continue the project after she has left.
The films made by the children of Zanzibar will
be recorded on DVD as well as the “making off”.
This DVD will be shown to the participating
schoolkids in The Netherlands. All films will be
uploaded to the Zanzikids website. Finally, the
project will be evaluated, the outcome of which
will be taken in consideration during the
planning for the project sequel.
Phase 4 Next year we will again organize a film
exchange and a sponsor project in order to make
Zanzikids a Filmschool for the Zanzibari
children on a permanent base. The Zanzikids film
school is a project in close cooperation with
Zanzibar International Filmfestival and
Zanzibits, Center for Film and Multimedia.
Partners De Taartrovers are the initiators but
Zanzikids will be transformed to an autonomous
foundation.
Zanzibits, Center for Film and Media will
support the organization of the project, provide
shared housing, student/teacher exchange.
500 schoolkids from Amsterdam will sponsor
Zanzikids’s activities by selling the DVD’s with
their own animations in exchange for free film
education.
70 schoolkids from Stone Town will participate
in the pilot project. These children will make
the animations that will be shown during ZIFF
2008.
ZIFF, Zanzibar International Film Festival will
offer a platform for the films made by the
children in Stone Town and share their knowledge
and network with Zanzikids.
Zanzikids
is the latest project of ‘De Taartrovers’ (
In the last decade audiovisual techniques
became much easier to use and therefore more
accessible to many people. Children from now
have the chance to explore film, not only by
watching it, but also as a tool to express
themselves. Film is a superb medium. By making a
film children learn how to tell a story, how to
illustrate it by making use of sound and music
and how to work together. Above all, a film can
be shown everywhere in the world. 
Through their films and documentories,
African Filmmakers have the opportunity to show
the world, their view on the African continent
that, so often, differs from the current Western
perception. They can focus on the many different
cultures, old stories, political issues,
artistic developments and any other topic the
filmmakers want to address. 
May van Gent will stay on Zanzibar until
October 2008 to cooperate with local filmmakers
and teachers organizing filmlabs and workshops,
which will take place twice a week. The
workshops will be organized in cooperation with
Zanzibits. May van Gent will also train the
students of Zanzibits to teach the children of
Zanzikids what they have learned themselves.
Suitable teachers will be selected who can
continue the project after she has left. 
