He who pays the piper plays the tune: the sponsor’s imperatives and messaging in S.A.F.E (K)’s film ni sisi

Abstract

Patronage in the arts has always been a paradox. This article grapples with this paradox as reflected in the symbiotic relationship between artists and their sponsors. This paradoxical, complex and complicated co-existence of patronage through arts’ sponsorship is scrutinized through the intervention community theatre initiatives of Sponsored Arts for Education in Kenya ( S.A.F.E - K ). The paper argues that the ideology and the messages as framed, circulated and conveyed by the film Ni Sisi on the post-election violence ( PEV ) that visited Kenya in 2007/2008 is immensely influenced by the commercial and publicity interests of its main sponsor. The article as such draws attention to the nuanced subtleties of aesthetic framing in this film and how these are implicated in the sponsor’s intentions of projecting a positive image of itself disguised as a project of ‘demonizing’ violence and foregrounding a peace culture. The article identifies and interrogates the subtle indices that are found in the film that appears to cunningly exonerate the sponsor from any role that might have led to escalation of the post-election violence. The reading of such nuanced subtleties in absolving the sponsor of complicity in the perpetuation of violence remains the focus of this article.