Senegal's graffiti art school - 30th June 2023

Graffiti art's everywhere in Senegal. But some people don't like it. A new school in Dakar wants to change this. It wants people to see graffiti as art. The school's name is RBS Akademya. Some graffiti artists started it.

Graffiti can teach people about their society. Serigne Mansour Fall agrees.

Serigne Mansour Fall: "In fact, the idea wasn't to just educate the young to use this art as a means of making money, even if it's perfectly legitimate and legal. But also, young people who understand the realities of their time, who understand the realities of their people, who also understand the sacrifice that was made to bring us to this point."

The school teaches new graffiti artists. They can learn from expert artists.

Students have lessons every week. They study different painting methods for 6 months. Then, they choose their own style.

Ibrahima Soumaré studies at the school. Now, he's improving his art skills.

Ibrahima Soumaré: "I was at school, but I could no longer concentrate on my studies. And since I felt very comfortable with drawing, I decided to leave school to come here, to better my skill-set here to improve myself further."

Graffiti has strong messages. Libasse Sarr says it's a way to share his ideas.

Libasse Sarr: "For me, graffiti is a tool that allows me to manifest and express myself. While people are in the streets to demonstrate with violence, art allows us to be noble and to put messages on the walls that will not go unnoticed."

Students pay 40 euros to study at the academy. Every month, they pay 23 euros for classes. There are four students in each class. Teachers can help them a lot. At the end of the course, students get a certificate.