Diane Affoué Marie Pascale Kra
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: MANSI Art Project - The Most in Art and New System to ImpactCôte d’Ivoire
Diane Affoué Kra has always been passionate about literature and writing. For a decade, she studied the preservation and promotion of the art and culture of Côte d'Ivoire and during that time, discovered the diversity and the richness of art and culture of the country.
Kra now works as a museum curator at the National Costume Museum of Grand Bassam and is also a guide in promoting the costume art featured in the museum. In this work, she has met many people across the globe and has created networks to share about Ivorian art and culture. Recently, she has noticed that though primary and secondary schools in the area come to visit the museum, there need to be more programs to teach young people in the community about their country’s culture.
IVLP Impact Award Project: MANSI Art project - The Most in Art and New System to Impact
The MANSI Art Project taught children and young people of Côte d'Ivoire about local art and culture.
The project consisted of three sections and activities:
- Understanding Ivorian traditional tales and legends
- Learning about typical Ivorian traditional musical instruments
- Understanding local kingdoms and social organizations focused on art and culture in Côte d'Ivoire
This project introduced 134 children and young people to the art and culture of their country, as many of them did not know the richness and diversity of this field. It allowed participants to explore local culture, acquire artistic skills, and build confidence through its activities. Additionally, this project fostered a network to promote and exchange art and culture in Côte d'Ivoire.
"My daughter was able to take a microphone to talk about a story during her classroom activities and she reads more now and she is able to create her own tale." - Mother of a Project Participant
IVLP Exchange Experience
Kra was a participant in the IVLP Project Cultural Outreach for Museums, organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning.
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually
San Diego, CA; New York, NY; Akron, OH; Cleveland, OH