Catalyst Grant Grantees

The project partners, Douglas Mutai of Standup Collective (Kenya) and Creatures Comedy (UK) aim to bridge the comedy scenes of Nairobi and Manchester through a transformative partnership. Leveraging their shared commitment to promoting comedy as cultural exchange, the project facilitates an exciting collaboration to showcase comedic talent from diverse backgrounds. 

The partner organisations, Jermyn Street Theatre from the UK and KIT Fest from Kenya will embark on a co-production scoping project to deepen their collaboration and understanding, laying the groundwork for a joint theatre production in 2025. Building on their shared commitment to theatre excellence and previous interactions, the project aims to facilitate exchanges between key members of each organization's artistic team.

The two partners, Mina, a music producer and DJ based in London, and Raph, co-founder of experimental nightclub The Mist, will connect grassroots electronic music venues in Kenya and the U.K., aiming to share resources and foster collaboration, creating a global network of independent electronic music venues. 

The Kenyan partner, Sounds of Freedom, together with UK-based geolocative audio company partner intend to conduct a comprehensive exploration and preparation phase for the launch of Episode 2 of the Cinema in Nature series which focuses on the theme of Kenya's fight for independence and the role of Karura Forest in Kenya as a sanctuary for the revolutionary movement. 

The partners, EAMAN a digital academic museum based in Kenya, and National Museum of Scotland will advance research and preparation for a publication by facilitating an exchange of expertise between Kenyan curator and art historian Muhunyo Maina and the UK national curator of the National Museum of Scotland and expert on Makonde sculptures, Dr. Zachary Kingdon.

Both the UK and Kenyan partner, Tony Cealy of 492 Korna Klub based in South London and Afrigamer in Nairobi, will conduct a comprehensive exploration of gaming's potential in promoting social activism, focusing on addressing Climate Change. This includes raising awareness among young gamers and developers in Kenya about climate change causes, impacts, and solutions through participatory theatre, storytelling and role-playing exercises.

The Catalyst Grant will help address the fading of traditional dances like Blaqleey and Disoow due to historical marginalisation, Salafist influence, and generational disconnect. The project includes, a needs assessment involving interviews, focus groups, and videos to capture community perspectives on traditional dances and Salafist impact, collaborative workshops led by Mohamed Yusuf from Kenya, and UK-based Somali musician Osman Rooble and Wajir Horseed Culture.

National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) and Youth Theatre Kenya (YTK) will enable young people in the UK and Kenya to explore the international relevance of addressing the creative response to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how early career storytellers & theatremakers in both countries can embrace and support each other to benefit from its creative storytelling potential.

Antonio Bukhar Ssebuuma and artist from the UK in collaboration with Diana Akinyi Odhiambo a dancer and choreographer from Kenya intend to create an interdisciplinary duet that blends dance, visual art, and film. Together, they will utilize practice-based research to explore the process of making barkcloth and the regenerative characteristics of the tree. The aim is to initiate a dialogue between humans and nature, prompting audiences to reflect on this relationship.