Working at the intersection of culture and human rights, the project will create three multidisciplinary (music, spoken word, dance and food) public platforms for freedom of expression and community engagement at Creatives Garage (Nairobi), AfriKera Dance Theatre Hub (Harare) and Bluez Cafe (Bulawayo). The project strives to present the potential of the arts as a medium for creating a free and diverse approach for cultural expression. Through this collaboration the three organisations want to enable performing artists and producers of culture to develop works that further the ideals of acceptance, tolerance, peace and nation-building. Their objective is to enhance the capacity of art practitioners in Nairobi, Harare and Bulawayo to explore their own practice and their role in society as cultural and social activists and motivators for positive change.
Formed in 2012 and currently based in Nairobi, Kenya, Creatives Garage is a multidisciplinary space that not only allows for innovators to create and collaborate, but also utilizes creativity as a tool for social change. Here, creatives come to network, share ideas, learn, gain market accessibility and push the boundaries of their practice. They work with visual artists, performing artists and tech innovators, providing them with a thriving creative eco-system.
Bluez Cafe is a venue in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, aimed at establishing a vibrant and multi-dimensional cultural maker space for artists and arts practitioners. The space also creates a point of intersection between the arts and civil society, by using the arts as an agent for social change.
AfriKera Arts Trust is a multi-disciplinary performing arts entity located in Harare, Zimbabwe, with a focus on dance. AfriKera Arts Trust wants to be a consistent fixture in the local, regional and international performing arts scene. AfriKera Arts Trust aims to work towards the recruitment and formation, professionalisation and promotion of local talents into world-class dancers.