AfroCreatives WikiProject
The AfroCreatives WikiProject (ACWP) seeks to support and mobilize African cultural and creative industry stakeholders and cultural enthusiasts from across Africa and the diaspora to contribute and enhance knowledge on Wikipedia about Africa’s creative economy and cultural contributions.
Only an estimated 1.5% of Wikipedia’s contributors and 15% of its contributions originate from the continent, and just 5.5% of all geotagged Wikipedia articles across all languages are related to Africa. In the U.S., fewer than 1% of Wikipedia’s editor base identify as Black or African American. (Wikimedia Community Insights Report 2020).
ACWP was launched with an initial focus on African Film and Television, serving as a foundation for learning and future growth across other cultural and creative industries. In November 2025, ACWP is expanding its scope to include African literature, followed by further expansion into African fashion in 2026.
ACWP is spearheaded by The Africa Narrative (TAN), a non-profit dedicated to building capacity in the African creative economy and amplifying the global visibility of African cultural soft power.
Calendar of events 2025-26
editACWP+film 2025 Edit-a-thon activities
In the lead up to the ACWP+film edit-a-thon campaign scheduled from 2nd August - 30th September, 2025, the following activities are scheduled:
Train-the-Trainer workshops
- English: Saturday, 28th June
- French: Saturday, 28th June
- Arabic: Saturday, 28th June
Wikipedia workshops
All campaign participants are encouraged to attend a Wikipedia training workshop before the start of the edit-a-thon.
i. Online workshops:
The online workshop, Mastering the Essentials of Contributing Film & Television Content to Wikipedia, is offered in two formats: either as a one-day workshop or split into two sessions over two days. (The agenda is the same for both formats.) To accommodate as many people as possible, including those from the diaspora, multiple workshops are scheduled.
- English
- Wednesday 23rd July from 15:00 - 17:30 UTC (Day 1 session) and Thursday 24th 15:00 - 17:30 UTC (Day 2 session) or
- Saturday 26th July from 16:00 - 21:30 UTC or
- Saturday 2nd August from 11:00 - 16:30 UTC
- French
- Wednesday 23rd July from 15:00 - 17:30 UTC (Day 1 session) Thursday 24th 15:00 - 17:30 UTC (Day 2 session) or
- Saturday 26th July from 16:00 - 21:30 UTC or
- Saturday 2nd August from 11:00 - 16:30 UTC
- Arabic
- Saturday 26th July from 09:00 - 14:30 UTC or
- Saturday 2nd August from 09:00 - 14:30 UTC
ii. Local training sessions
- Where: Cities across Africa and the diaspora (A list of participating local Wikimedia communities will be listed the week of June 23rd).
- Dates: Starting in July
- Language: Based on local context
ACWP+film 2025 Edit-a-thon
- 2nd August—30th September 2025
ACWP+film Commons Drive
- November: Wikimedia Commons online workshops in English, French, and Arabic aimed at Film & Television industry stakeholders, followed by a month-long drive.
ACWP+literature Campaign
- November: The pilot campaign for AfroCreatives WikiProject+literature will launch in several countries representing Anglophone, Francophone, and Arabophone Africa.
2026
- January: Global online workshops in English, French, and Arabic on How to use the ISA Tool.
- February: ACWP+film Image in Focus drive
Scope
editAfroCreatives WikiProject +film
editThe inaugural effort of the AfroCreatives WikiProject is focused on African film with the aim to:
- Build capacity within the African film industry to contribute knowledge to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
- Increase African-generated content about the continent’s film sector on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects through a network of community organizers.
- Generate awareness and interest among the general public on Wikipedia as a source of valuable information on the African film industry.
- Use this first ACWP to learn how best to expand activities into other creative sectors.
ACWP+film launched its first campaign in July of 2022, featuring edit-a-thons in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Senegal. In 2024 the initiative expanded with a 16-country campaign in partnership with Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision Ouagadougou (FESPACO), Africa’s largest film festival, and other partners that included national film authorities, industry guilds and associations, and US embassies.
Key outcomes of the 2024 campaign included:
- Number of organizing communities: 20 (from 16 African countries: Benin Republic, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, and Tanzania)
- Number of events organized: 30
- Number of editors: 229
- Number of Wikipedia articles created: 620
- Number of Wikipedia articles improved: 660
- Number of Commons uploads: 293
In 2025, ACWP+film continues to broaden its reach with a Wikipedia edit-a-thon campaign from 2 August to 30 September in over 2 dozen countries on the continent and in the diaspora. A dedicated Wikimedia Commons drive will follow the campaign in November.
The ACWP+film Commons drive will be carried out in collaboration with African film and TV industry stakeholders—including guilds, associations, award shows, and festivals— to enrich the visibility of African Film and TV through improved image representation. An October 2024 survey conducted by ACWP of over 2,580 articles of African actresses, actors, and directors on English Wikipedia found that:
- Less than a third (29%) of articles have an image
- 1 in 4 (43%) had a low-quality image
- Almost a quarter (23%) have an image over 10 years old
AfroCreatives WikiProject +literature
editIn November 2025, ACWP is amplifying its activities to include African literature with a pilot campaign that will take place in several countries covering anglophone, francophone, and arabophone markets. Additional details to follow.
Connect with us
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