After losing a sponsor and having to hear the word “no” four times, Nelson Mandela Bay singer, songwriter and actress, Mariloe Booysen, pushed through and finally received that “yes,” leading to her launching the second season of the Coloured-In-Girl project.
Originally launched in 2021, the project is looking for 50 women and girls in the northern areas of the metro that are singers, storytellers and poets.
These women will be mentored through virtual and in-person classes by professionals in the industry and also get the chance to be published and given a platform to showcase their talents.
With the project catering for only 30 women last year, it is breaking borders and now has space for 50, with a stipend having been added in 2022.
“This is a second opportunity for our talented women and girls who missed out on the first season to get on board this year. I started this project last year with the hopes of opening up the industry to creative and brilliant minds that can’t afford to get their content distributed and published. I have faced several challenges in the meantime and almost gave up but I am so glad that we have made it this far,” she said.
Booysen added that she is mostly looking forward to the online sessions and workshops as this is going to allow her to unearth fresh and hidden talent.
“I’m even more thrilled about the stipends; we will not only be empowering these women in their chosen fields, but we are now able to pay them as well – something that is life changing in these tough economic times. There’s also a surprise for one of the participants, but I don’t want to give away too much now; let’s get this project off the ground first,” Booysen said, excitedly.
The participants will undergo training for six sessions, which will see them working with a group of experts in the arts industry.
“Another special feature for this season is the heritage element. Tell us what it means to you, how you communicate your historical being to the world and most importantly – what role your heritage plays in today’s life.
“What would you like your great-great grandkids to know?”
She mentioned that there is a lot to expect, such as working with the producers, recording their original material and a final performance, but nothing beats having your work on streaming platforms.
Season one saw 15 ingenious minds publish poems, stories and songs on platforms such as Spotify and iTunes. They also have a book out on Amazon Kindle.
One of last season’s contributors and now a volunteer, Lunique Pedro, is encouraging others to apply.
“This project has a great impact on my life. Not only have I got a song that’s on global platforms but I also gained confidence in putting my talent out there.
“I now know that I am able to do something bigger than I could ever imagine. This will always be a reminder to me that it’s possible if you really want it.”
Another one of season one’s participants, Ellubedine May, who is part of the core team for season two, said that she wouldn’t exchange their sisterhood for anything.
“I am grateful for being a part of this. The project has challenged me to become open-minded and voice my thoughts – to be authentic and vulnerable. I can now define myself as a free-spirited person and writer. I’ve journeyed from being an introvert to a bloomer with a message through writing.”
The last batch had the opportunity to be in the company of local sibling DJ duo, Jay Em, for confidence-building talks, did post-production work with language editor, Nancy Morkel, and picked the brain of Louis Steinhill, producer of The Music Project.
They also received performance training support from G&S Society and performed at a packed Savoy Theatre.
Interested candidates must be between the ages of 16 and 35 years, reside in Nelson Mandela Bay and be able to attend classes at least once a month.
To enter, candidates should submit original content in either the form of an unpublished song (one minute long), a poem (one to three pieces) or short stories (one or two pieces).
The link to the entry form can be found on Booysen’s Facebook page.
