In this episode of Creative Development, IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop sits down with Idris Elba–actor, producer, humanitarian and UN Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Together, they discuss the importance of agricultural investment in Africa and the plight of smallholder farmers. This wide-ranging discussion about social justice enterprises and causes includes first-hand perspectives on the potential of the creative industry.

International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)

S'able Labs - a project on coupledom by Idris and Sabrina Elba

In the fifth episode of Creative Development with IFC, IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop talks to French-Tunisian artist eL Seed about his unique public art pieces in "calligraffiti"--a blend of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti. They also discuss the artist's recent exhibit at the Women's Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, where eL Seed was the only male artist to participate in the exhibit, and why it's so important for men to get behind the cause of gender equality.

Related links:

eL Seed exhibits at the Women's Pavilion, Expo 2020, in Dubai

eL Seed's website

IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop sits down with Sauti Sol, one of Kenya's most well-known afro-pop groups, to discuss the evolution of music education and copyrights in Africa, music as storytelling, and how artists can document and share the complexity of their sounds with the world.

In the latest episode of Creative Development with IFC, Managing Director Makhtar Diop talks with Senegalese fashion designer Selly Raby Kane about how artists can help design the future. They also discuss how Kane's international experience and exposure to diverse forms of art inform her work today, and how artists can create ecosystems to support other artists.

IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop talks with world-renowned Senegalese musician Baaba Maal about how music can help raise awareness of a changing climate, give voice to the issues that matter to people, and bring people together to make change happen. He also discusses his efforts to combat desertification in the Sahel and to raise awareness for gender equality.

IFC's new podcast series explores how finance and economic development influence--and are influenced by--creative industries around the world. We're trying to answer the biggest question of all: how people, working together, can create meaningful change. In our inaugural episode, IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop sits down with filmmaker, actor, and climate justice activist Don Cheadle to talk about how art and storytelling can raise awareness of a changing climate and inspire people to live their lives differently.

2021 IFC Sustainability Exchange

Video: Makhtar Diop & Don Cheadle: 2021 IFC Sustainability Exchange

IFC's Work in Climate Business