Words by Hannah Shaw
Disney has teamed up with a University of Hertfordshire graduate to bring West African culture to the screen.
In their attempt to diversify the media industry, pan-African entertainment company, Kugali, have teamed up with Disney Animation Studios to initiate a long-awaited cultural revolution. Launching in 2022, the first-of-its kind collaboration will premiere on Disney +, featuring a breakthrough African sci-fi series which has, somehow, never really been seen before in western culture.
Kugali’s brief is simple: to create comics inspired by African myths, sharing the stories of their culture with the rest of the globe. So, what can we expect from this collab? The series, Iwájú, which translates to ‘the future’ in Yoruba, is an exploration of everything that needs to be challenged through the lens of science fiction. The co-founders of the entertainment company are keen for the series to become an educational platform, where ideas of class and innocence are explored through a futuristic Lagos, challenging the norms which have so casually appeared in society.
Kugali’s co-founder, Ziki Nelson announced: “This show will combine Disney’s magic and animation expertise with Kugali’s fire and storytelling authenticity. Iwájú represents a personal childhood dream of mine to tell my story and that of my people.” As a business that was kickstarted through crowdfunding, it goes to show that we all want this – not just Kugali. Disney and Kugali are still keeping the series on the down low, but some pretty cool graphic concepts have been released and they’re enough to certainly give us something to look forward to at the end of this pandemic (whenever that may be).
The pairing is definitely a step in the right direction, especially after years of backlash criticising Disney’s lack of diversity. We are all aware of Disney’s poor track record in its limited representation of the black community and the disappointing racial depiction of minority groups across various media productions, such as The Jungle Book (1967)and Dumbo (1941). Controversially, Disney’s attempt to diversify their content has only appeared in recent releases, with the first black princess only making her debut in 2009.
These uncomfortable portrayals go to show just how ready we all are for a re-branding of the company, and their collab with Kugali is a great place to begin. The lack of black representation in sci-fi is equally problematic and poses all sorts of questions regarding the societal perception of the future. For a genre that is so ingrained in contemporary lifestyle to lack a whole lot of moral responsibility and social representation, it certainly calls for a desperate reshaping. So, the introduction of African culture into the world of sci-fi is just as revolutionary.
We can only hope that this vision of ‘the future’ is just the beginning, as Tolu Olowofoyeku, Ziki Nelson and Hamid Ibrahim demonstrate the potential for a cultural re-set. Watch out for these names, because they’re well on their way to achieving their dream of global success.
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