Studio Mozaik is a training studio for radio journalism and audiovisual production, based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It was created at the beginning of 2014 by an Ivorian association, the Dr. Peter Graze Foundationww, with the support of Culture Counts, an association of German journalists, and Fondation Hirondelle. For two years, Fondation Hirondelle brought its pedagogical and editorial expertise, organizing training courses, the production of programs by students and trainees, for broadcast on a network of 42 radio partners in the country. Studio Mozaik contributed to the professional and ethical training of a younger generation of Ivorian journalists, in a country where the abuses of the press have often fueled the factors of conflict.
After a first exploratory mission to Abidjan in June 2011, following the violent post-election crisis, Fondation Hirondelle was contacted in 2012 by the Dr. Peter Graze Foundation, an association created by Ivorian media professionals, supported by a German organization (Culture Counts Foundation) that had set up training workshops in Côte d’Ivoire. These two organizations asked Fondation Hirondelle to provide expertise for the creation of a news and information radio station contributing to peace and the process of national reconciliation. This project finally materialized as a radio training studio, set up in response to a call for tenders from the European Union.
The project "Studio Mozaik" was born in 2014, with the support of the EU. Implemented by the Culture Counts Foundation in partnership with the Dr. Peter Graze Foundation, it benefitted from the expertise of Fondation Hirondelle, through the presence of an editorial leader on site within the studio. In two years, 84 students and journalists from partner radios were trained over three-month periods followed by three months of practical training. This training covered the basic principles and techniques for professional, impartial and responsible journalistic work. The programs produced during the course enabled young journalists to practice their learning. They also provided programs for the network of 42 partner radio stations of Studio Mozaik across the country. More than 500 hours of programs were provided to them in two years.
The year 2015 in the Ivory Coast was marked by the re-election of President Alassane Ouattara. Fondation Hirondelle helped implement a specific project supporting Studio Mozaik to cover the election. A team of 12 freelancers was formed from former trainees of the training studio. For three months, supervised by the editorial chief of Fondation Hirondelle, they provided daily coverage of the campaign and the elections, with a focus on the needs and expectations of the population. Their productions were broadcast by 19 partner radios equipped with VSAT kits, including 12 hours live on Election Day. The programs were also broadcast on a web-radio. A web-documentary was produced by Fondation Hirondelle to interactively present the work carried out: Jour d’élection à Studio Mozaik.
After European Union funding ended at the close of 2015, Studio Mozaik continued its activities in 2016 with the support of Fondation Hirondelle as part of a 6-month transition that enabled it to find new sources of funding. Since then, Studio Mozaik continues to operate by developing new fee-paying courses for individuals and groups, as well as audiovisual communication campaigns for organizations based in Côte d’Ivoire on topics of general interest.
