Residency Programme

Boutiq intends to extend its residency programme and push for aesthetic innovations in the cultural output with which it is now associated. The foundation will focus on feminist expression and work with different makers to create works that challenge the suppression of feminist expression in East Africa. Boutiq plans to host at least five different programmes, including ‘Radical Feminist expression through music’, led by Polish feminist punk act Siska, who will hold a series of workshops and exchanges to inspire the formation of an East African feminist punk band. In the ‘Future Traditions’ workshops Boutiq Foundation invites traditional instrumentalists from all parts of Uganda to engage with music producers from the region and internationally, as well as with each other. The goal is to breathe new life into traditional and electronic music. Boutiq also plans to host a scriptwriting workshop with Ian Masters, which will be held over several short-term residencies. The final goal is to have several scripts ready by the end of the residency and to support these with production facilities and expertise.

Boutiq Foundation is an integrated arts and culture incubator aimed at supporting and nurturing talent in the arts and culture spheres of East Africa. The foundation’s activities include training sessions, audio-visual productions, transnational collaborations, performance opportunities, artist management and promotion, music and film distribution, and a general open door policy for creative expression. These components are then transformed into final artworks such as films or music albums, which are then performed or exhibited to a wider audience. Boutiq’s current departments include a residency space with community studios, two record labels and a music festival, amongst others. The residency programme is the beating heart of the foundation’s collective effort. By carefully curating the incoming residents while constantly keeping an open door for regional talent, Boutiq accelerates skill-sharing while also creating opportunities for artists to develop very personal works under the best conditions. The foundation primarily supports forms of artistic expression that fall under the non-commercial, political, and socially critical landscape.