In Summary
- The Australian High Commission commissioned three (3) female artists to collaborate on a special Kenya/Australia mural as part of the wider rejuvenation
- The space will be officially opened today by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports, Hon Ababu Namwamba
A special partnership between the Australian High Commission and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports has rejuvenated the Wasanii (Artiste) Corner, an outdoor space for emerging artists at the Kenya Cultural Centre in Nairobi.
The space will be officially opened today by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports, Hon Ababu Namwamba EGH and the Australian High Commissioner to Kenya, H.E. Luke Williams.
The Australian High Commission commissioned three (3) female artists to collaborate on a special Kenya/Australia mural as part of the wider rejuvenation of the Wasanii Corner. In partnership with the Darwin Street Art Festival (Australia) and Buni Media (Kenya) – Australian artist Kaff-eine, Australian Aboriginal artist Mim Cole and Kenyan artist, Joy Kito, have collaborated to design and paint this special mural.
Quote attributable to the Australian High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr Luke Williams:
“This partnership has provided a rewarding cultural exchange between Australian and Kenyan artists. It’s exciting to see three female artists, who knew little about each other’s countries or cultures, work together to produce this beautiful mural, which is so seamlessly connected.
“Australia and Kenya have a strong relationship and this mural celebrates the diverse cultures of each nation, while also showcasing our deep connections – our landscapes, our rich cultural heritage, and our diverse, vibrant and warm people.”
Quote attributable to the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports, Hon Ababu Namwamba EGH:
“The Kenya Cultural Centre is vital to our creative sector, developing and nurturing talents through capacity building and partnerships. We welcome this partnership with the Australian High Commission, which has helped rejuvenate a key space for long-term benefits.
“Situated on the grounds of the Kenya Cultural Centre, the Wasanii Corner is a space for creative expression and development. Emerging artists rehearse, create and perform their work at this site. This space is also the official location for our flagship program called ‘Performances After Lunch’ (PAL). PAL is a talent spotting, development and nurturing program that targets young upcoming poets and other artists. Previously, this space lacked colour and inspiration. Now it does. This is a direct fruit of our ‘Talanta Hela Initiative’ that is dedicated to nurturing and monetising talents to support sustainable livelihoods for our people.
“We were pleased to partner with the Australian High Commission to improve this outdoor performance and rehearsal space, and we are certain this beautiful mural will inspire the many artists and audiences who use this space each year.
“Creating this outdoor space for use by our emerging artists is a clear testament to our commitment as government for providing platforms in which talents can be monetised. From this space, under the ‘Talanta Hela Initiative’, a talent could be identified, nurtured and converted to an economically viable product. Ultimately, there will be money in the pocket of an artist through this improvement.”
