By: Yunus S. Saliu
In an innovative blend of culture and advocacy, Flex Fuzion Dance Academy on Saturday officially launched “Dance for Nature,” under the theme – Dance To Awaken and Protect Our Planet, a groundbreaking project aimed at raising climate awareness through performing arts. The initiative is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund, through REFELA The Gambia.
Dance for Nature, a pioneering project launched in Banjul using dance, storytelling to educate communities, and performing arts to raise awareness on climate change.
In her opening remarks, Ndey Fatou Jabang, CEO of Flex Fuzion, described it as a call to action, noting that 45 local performers will be trained as climate ambassadors. “This is more than performance, it is a call to action, and about empowering youth and sparking environmental responsibility at the grassroots through storytelling, dance, and music,” she emphasized.
Representing the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Matty Jobe, Marketing and Visibility Officer of NCAC, welcomed the initiative and encouraged more artists to harness their creative talents for social impact.
National Assembly Members Hon. Abdoulie Njai and Hon. Lamin Bah of Banjul Central and North, respectively, commended the project as unique and timely, stressing the need for greater investment in arts-based climate education, particularly in vulnerable areas like Banjul. The legislators reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with Flex Fuzion Dance Academy to promote climate resilience, especially in vulnerable urban communities like Banjul.
The launch highlighted a growing recognition of the role of the creative arts in tackling global challenges and bridging gaps in public awareness, especially among youth and underserved populations.
