House of Arts Association

In 2016, House of Arts Association began as a group of artists assisting the National AIDS Council (NAC) in disseminating prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) information via various kinds of art. The artists then decided to create an association in order to formalize their activities and broaden their scope to include community concerns. The artists used to get together every Wednesday of the week to rehearse for monthly roadshows that took place across Hatcliffe. The artists then decided to join an association in order to formalize their operations and diversify and broaden their focus beyond sexual and reproductive health, as they had done previously. The organization's main goal is to campaign for artists' rights, the development of slum communities through the use of art as a means of engagement with authorities, and the identification and nurturing of talent so that artists may be nourished by their work. Open Mic sessions, Roadshows, Culture Day, and HA Awards are some of the Association's key events, as well as an Arts Festival, formerly known as HA Fest but now known as Key to the City Festival, which is recognized as one of the larger platforms for grassroot Artists and a platform for dialogue between Young people and Authorities. HAA also awards authorities who do philanthropic efforts for the benefit of the communities during the event. These platforms assist artists in showing their potential and attracting the attention of promoters in order for their talent to be developed further. The HA Awards have provided a platform for artists to communicate with authorities and have their voices heard, allowing them to influence an enabling policy environment. In addition, the Association has been a strong advocate for ending GBV and early child marriages. National AIDS Council and Ministry of Women's Affairs were partners in the organization. As a result, the Association has taken a variety of actions to educate the community about this.