Wiki Loves Africa 2016

THIS IS AN ARCHIVE PAGE.

For the 2016 photographic contest, see c:Commons:Wiki Loves Africa 2016
For the postmortem, please see c:Commons:Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Results and best practices
For the grant request : Grants:PEG/Yorg/Wiki Loves Africa 2016
For the grant report : Grants:PEG/Yorg/Wiki_Loves_Africa_2016/Report

Wiki Loves Africa (WLA) is an annual contest where anyone across Africa can contribute media that is relevant to their experience to Wikimedia Commons for use on Wikipedia and other project websites of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wiki Loves Africa encourages participants to contribute media (photographs, video and audio) that illustrate the specific theme for that year. Each year the theme changes and is chosen by the community from a few universal, visually rich and culturally specific topics (for example, markets, rites of passage, festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, notable persons, etc).

The theme for the 2014 photo contest was Wiki Loves Africa Cuisine. In 2015 the theme focused on Wiki Loves Africa Cultural Fashion and Adornment.
In 2016, the chosen theme is Music and Dance.

The competition scope will be: To include submissions that promotes Africa's rich heritage and culture expressed through music, song, dance, and movement.

The project is a two-month competition which will start on the 1st of December and end on the 31th of January 2017.

The project will be run at the entire continental level. However, some specific actions (training, communication etc.) will be held in some countries with national organisers. The project will feature a contest to select the best media at the continental level, with a ceremony and prizes as deemed appropriate.

Participating individuals edit

Regardless of whether you are African or not, you are welcome to join!

Consider joining the African Wikimedians mailing list for discussion and announcement (WLAf does not have a specific mailing list).

Here are some examples of the things you may do for a start:

Let other people know about the contest. Your local community can include local Wikip/medians and aligned Open Movement members (enthusiasts from Creative Commons, Open Street Map, Open Data, OER, etc.). Relevant links to provide include
- WLA on Meta,
- WLA on Commons,
- wikilovesafrica.org (Internet Archive),
- WLA on Twitter, and
- WLA on Facebook.
Fix pages on meta or Commons (improve the text, fix typos, translate...)
Help us to translate the Site Notice into those languages (as well as other relevant texts)
Volunteer to help on OTRS to answer questions or comments made by participants (get in touch with us if you want to be a volunteer on OTRS)
Help select the jury: suggest judges who might be interested in taking part in the international contest (perhaps a locally celebrated photographer, fashion designer, filmmaker or journalist). Volunteer yourself!
Participate in writing press releases: Help on crafting a press release template, adapt it, and send it out to your media contacts. Write blogs.
Help categorize and clean up uploaded photos on Commons during the contest
Help use images and videos in relevant Wikipedia articles
other suggestions ?

Participating countries edit

The call for pictures and the contest will run in all African countries and beyond.

As part as our grant request to Wikimedia Foundation, we will be able to fund local events in a handful of countries. There is a small budget allocated for those countries for in-country communication and materials. Your team needs to decide what is appropriate for your country and context.

If you want to submit a funding request, please read these suggested guidelines here (submission closed). and submit your propositions below

(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Nigeria
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Cameroun
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Côte d'Ivoire
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Ghana
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Tunisia
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Egypt
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Algeria
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Uganda
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Tanzania
(funded) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Zimbabwe

(dropped) Wiki Loves Africa 2016/Malawi

Guidelines for Participating Countries edit

Below are some actions to consider working on with your team. We really look forward to working with you on this project and getting some great results! May the best photo/video/audio win!

Here is some examples of the things you may do for a start:

Let your community know about the contest. Your local community can include local Wikip/medians and aligned Open Movement members (enthusiasts from Creative Commons, Open Street Map, Open Data, OER, etc.). Relevant links to provide include WLA on Meta, WLA on Commons, wikilovesafrica.org, WLA on Twitter and WLA on Facebook.
Think about the events, meet ups and training sessions that you can do with your community during the contest. Make sure everyone knows about it (and they are included in the press release).
Look for local partners: groups who might be key partners in spreading the word or hosting events.
If you are interested in hosting events around the project then, before the 15th September, create a proposal and upload the proposal to this page. Suggested guidelines are here. (now closed)
Join the African mailing list [1] (WLAf does not have a specific mailing list)
Provide press contact: When you know who your press person is, put their name and contacts down on this page.
Get together a list of media contacts in your country that you think will be interested in talking about the competition.
Participate in press releases: Help craft a press release template, adapt this for your country, and send it out to your media contacts. Other marketing and communication tools will be written and template created, and we will share everything with you for you to adapt and translate.
Help select the jury: suggest judges who might be interested in taking part in the international contest (perhaps a locally celebrated photographer, chef, filmmaker or journalist) .
Decide on whether you wish to host a national round of judging and prizes - if you do, you will need to organise the judges and the prizes (we can give you guidance on how).
Facebook has been set up - https://www.facebook.com/wikilovesafrica - please like this page - we will repost your info.
Twitter has been set up - http://twitter.com/WikiLovesAfrica - please follow and link your tweets about the competition to our handle.
other suggestions ?

To support your country's participation in the competition, we will supply the following (currently providing links to 2015. 2016 links will be added shortly).

Dedicated space on wikilovesafrica.org for you to talk about your country's involvement in the competition and provide event notices (pre- and post)
We are setting up a FAQ to answer general enquiries and a competition support email system to answer any requests for info, help, complaining etc.
We are providing a curated page to help organise events
A press release and FAQ for press (that you will need to localise for your country) and a list of talking points for you if the press contact you (end of November).
Digital communication material
1. The digital version of a leaflet presenting the project for local printing and distribution (you will have to determine how many prints and where you want to distribute it).
2. The digital version simple A2 Poster for local printing and distribution.
3. The digital version of stickers, badges and bumper stickers (your team should decide what you need to print and how many).
4. A simple T-shirt design (this is not essential given the small budget, but again, is up to your team to decide).
Upon request, a letter of accreditation for the team, that will help when approaching sponsors and partners to be involved. Please let us know if you need a letter like this.

Please let us know if there are other means of communication or channels you would like the competition to consider.

Website and Commons edit

The Wiki Loves Africa website has been created to allow for maximum accessibility, both by the range of local communities and by a global audience. The project’s website is bi-lingual - featured in both English and French.

A portal page has been created on Commons : Wiki Loves Africa on Commons

Timeline edit

This is the third Wiki Loves Africa organised. Very rough timeline below (to be completed very soon)

Spring 2016

The community chooses the theme for the contest;
Finalise the creation of the grant application;
Submit grant application to WMF;
Inform and request support from all possible parties, i.e. every local Wikimedia community or chapter, aligned organisation, etc..

August

Draft then finalize all required conventions and contract to get the funding
Launch call for participation (countries)
Create task management and process system, ensure actions and requirements are acknowledged and agreed upon.

September

Create generic marketing materials, event, training and publicity materials.
Finalise short list of supported countries
Establish DB of press contacts.

October

Decide prizes
Prepare the website/Commons with toolkits, materials, FAQs and other materials;
Fix generic Commons pages and get them translated
Have all communication channels defined and running
Announce focus countries. Collect contact and financial data of focus countries.
Begin soft social media campaign
Finalize marketing and communication material
Clarify all processes with partners, supply all links and materials for printing. Work with country teams to identify networks for distribution of information and materials.
Design and request CentralNotice banners.

November

Finalize OTRS management
Funds wired to focus countries
Finalize Commons pages
Write first press release. Get it translated and localised. Establish press contacts
Send out press releases to the media in each country (both international and local organiser teams) (do not send the press release before the site notice is up!). Answer all press and other related queries;
Local teams to upload and finalise all documentation on local events and posted to Wikimedia Commons, Meta and Facebook
Ensure all spokespeople in each country are briefed.
Request list of potential jurors from participating countries.

December

1st of December: Contest start ! Launch CentralNotice. project launch. monitor all coverage, continent wide. post pics of the first uploads to all social media. write articles, get articles placed. double check all tech and permissions.
Clean-up of entries
Start the work on metrics and statistics
Finalise short list of jurors and sign them up to the process.
Begin the work on the organisers survey
Write blog for WMF, WM UK, WM FR
Collect expenses documentation from focus countries

January

Clean-up of entries
21th of January: Contest end !
Finalize the work on organisers survey
Set up jury tool
Collect expenses documentation from focus countries

February

Final clean-up of entries and categories
Facilitate the voting system for international jury
Send out organisers survey
Analyse contribution statistics (ongoing and during the contest) of contributors.
Collect expenses documentation from focus countries
Community prize set up

March

Deadline for the international jury to select winners. Compile press release announcing winners. Have embargoed translations, blog posts and other media ready for publishing. Inform the winners
Finalise local reports data gathering (local events and budget)
Announce winners and inform all entrants about the results of the contests.
Send out the awards to the winners - ensure they are received.
Collect expenses documentation from focus countries
Publish focus countries central expenses table

April

Analysing the outcomes of the surveys; compile the beginning of the project report; post the outcome of the surveys to Meta
Publish Post mortem
Call for suggestions for next theme.
Do a 4 month contribution assessment (ongoing) of contributors.

May

Sponsors reports
Write project proposal for funding for 2017 contest :)

July

Wikimania presentation