Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda—author and founder of Copper Monster—reflects on writing, publishing, and the power of cross-continental collaboration within the Deconfining project.
The conversation explores:
- her journey as a writer navigating limited publishing pathways and the search for validation and visibility,
- the crucial role of anthologies and Pan-African collaborations in empowering emerging writers,
- how rejection, workshops, and mentorship can become formative tools for artistic growth,
- the motivation behind founding Copper Monster to support writers facing similar barriers,
- publishing as both a creative and professional process that builds confidence and sustainability,
- collaboration as a space of shared intention, learning, and productive challenge,
- the realities of working across regions with different cultural contexts, expectations, and knowledge gaps,
- the importance of in-person exchange, workshops, and aligned values in international projects,
- questions of mobility, equality, and freedom of movement in global cultural collaboration,
- reflections on history, place, and unexpected connections between Africa and Central Europe.
This interview offers a thoughtful perspective on literary ecosystems, institutional knowledge, and the long-term impact of collaboration—showing how shared work across borders can expand voices, bridge gaps, and shape future cultural narratives.
Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Women’s History Museum, reflects on decolonial knowledge production, digital archiving, and the politics of international cultural exchange within the Deconfining project.
The conversation explores:
- the founding of the Women’s History Museum as a fully digital institution dedicated to restoring and centering indigenous knowledge systems created by women,
- how colonialism erased women’s histories and delegitimized oral traditions, storytelling, and artistic practices as valid forms of knowledge,
- the role of digital technologies in democratizing, archiving, and legitimizing non-Western knowledge systems,
- a critical challenge to Eurocentric ideas of museums, institutions, and “four-wall” knowledge production,
- parallels between the museum’s mission and Deconfining’s interrogation of collaboration, power, and cultural structures,
- systemic inequalities in global mobility, particularly visa regimes that position artists and cultural workers from the Global South as “lesser partners,”
- the emotional, financial, and logistical toll of visa processes and border bureaucracy,
- reflections on equality, trust, and reciprocity as essential foundations for genuine cultural exchange,
- cautious optimism about international collaborations as spaces of necessary tension, debate, and transformation.
This interview offers a sharp and thoughtful critique of global knowledge hierarchies while advocating for courageous, equitable, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations as a vital part of meaningful collaboration.
