Multi-award winning comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka affectionately known as Long John is calling for donations so as to raise money for his trip to the United States of America.
In May 2021, Long John was selected as a finalist for the Steel City Arts Foundation (SCAF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
SCAF is a programme for comedians where they live, work and play at a house.
The announcement was made last week by SCAF via social media where they congratulated the finalists.
The Steel City Arts Foundation (better known as Steel City AF) consists of many parts which include a detached three-bedroom home which houses comedians for six months at a time on a rotating basis, free of charge.
There are bays of computers where comedians can write, design and edit.
There is a home gym and a library for the comedians.
The main house will be used for occasional guest comedians and artistes passing through town.
The lower level will be split into two: a podcast or recording studio and a digital showroom with broadcasting capabilities that can be used for open-mics and Zoom shows.
The house was created by Steve in memory of his father after the latter (Martin Hofstetter) died in 2014.
According to Steve, the goal was to help up-and-coming comedians come up a bit quicker, providing them with grants, help with rent, car payments, and other bills so they could quit their day jobs and concentrate on their art full-time.
