Shades of Us at the 2025 Festival of Change

Festival of Change Attendee at the Shades of Us Booth Learning about our Mobile Cinema Project

On June 12, 2025, Shades of Us participated in the Festival of Change 2025, held at the Tayo Aderinokun Auditorium, University of Lagos. This year's festival, themed "CONNECT: Bridging Education and Technology at All Levels," brought together educators, technologists, policymakers, and innovators to explore the intersection of education and technology.

The festival featured a comprehensive program designed to transform education in Africa, including: 

• Keynote Sessions: Inspiring talks from leading experts in education and technology, showcasing innovative approaches and future trends.
  
  

• Panel Discussions: Thought-provoking conversations about the future of education technology with policymakers, educators, and industry leaders.
  
  

• Innovation Showcase: Cutting-edge educational technologies and solutions that are transforming how we learn, teach, and connect.
  
  

• Debate Competition: Engaging young minds in critical thinking and public speaking skills on topics like "AI in Classrooms: Enhancing Learning or Undermining Educators?"
  
  

• Networking and Mentorship Opportunities: Connecting with leaders and innovators in education to foster collaboration and growth.
  
  

• Live Art Exhibition: Showcasing creative expressions related to the theme of education and technology.

At our booth, we showcased the Shades of Us Mobile Cinema Project, a series of films addressing critical social issues such as mental health, gender equality, maternal and child health, and the fight against gender-based violence. Through these films, we aim to leverage technology to educate and inspire change within communities.

The Shades of Us Booth at the 2025 Festival of Change, which happened in Lagos on June 12, 2025

At Shades of Us, we have long believed that storytelling—when rooted in truth and humanity—has the ability to transform communities, challenge injustice, and spark change. For too long, critical issues such as mental health, gender-based violence, and maternal health have remained hidden in silence, especially across many African societies. Silence, however, does not mean absence.

A key highlight of our participation was the screening of "The Dumps," one of our flagship short films under the Mobile Cinema Project. The Dumps explores the lived experience of a young person navigating depression in a society where mental health is often misunderstood or dismissed altogether. 

Mental health remains one of the most pressing yet stigmatized issues in many African communities. For generations, struggles with mental well-being have been explained away as spiritual weakness, moral failure, or even supernatural curses. These misconceptions have created barriers to seeking help and contributed to cycles of silence, shame, and suffering.

Through The Dumps, we are working to break those barriers. We want audiences to see, understand, and empathize with the thought process that leads to depression and the decisions that can be so final as a result of this. More importantly, we want young people—especially students—to know that they are not alone, that their experiences are valid, and that healing is possible.

One of the central messages of the 2025 Festival of Change is that technology must be harnessed intentionally to build inclusive and empowering educational experiences. For us, this philosophy drives how we distribute our content and expand our reach. We recognize that while not everyone has access to formal mental health resources, many people have access to mobile phones and the internet. By sharing our films through digital and social media platforms, we are opening doors to critical information and encouraging informed conversations on a scale never before possible.

More than just screening films, we are building a community—a network of changemakers who believe that storytelling is not just art; it is advocacy, education, and healing. The Festival of Change was a good platform for this kind of work. Its mission to bridge generations and disciplines aligns seamlessly with our approach. We are not only screening our films but also engaging attendees in conversations about the role of digital media, film, and storytelling in transforming educational systems and cultural narratives.

While screening our film at the Festival of Change was a key milestone in our 2025 calendar, it is only one stop on a much longer journey. The issues we tackle are ongoing, and so is our work. We are expanding the Mobile Cinema Project into more communities, translating films into local languages, and launching discussion guides to facilitate deeper conversations among students and community groups.

We are also exploring partnerships that will allow us to train more storytellers and filmmakers who want to use their craft for social good. Our mission is to build a storytelling ecosystem that centers the voices of the marginalized and celebrates the unsung efforts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

The Festival of Change is a reminder that we are not alone in this mission. There are thousands of others—educators, tech innovators, youth leaders, artists—who are equally committed to seeing Africa thrive. But real change does not happen by accident. It happens when people come together, share knowledge, and act with intention.

We invite you to be part of this movement. Watch our films. Share them. Talk about them. Partner with us to host a screening. Challenge a harmful stereotype. Support a young person struggling in silence. Advocate for policies that protect the vulnerable.

Because change begins with awareness. And awareness begins with a story.

Join the Conversation

Stay connected with us and follow our updates from the Festival of Change on social media:

Facebook: Shades of Us

LinkedIn: Shades of Us

Instagram: @shadesofusafric

X: @shadesofusafric
Website: www.shadesofusafrica.org
Email: info@shadesofusafrica.org

Engaging Attendees at the Shades of Us Booth at the 2025 Festival of Change, which happened in Lagos on June 12, 2025