British Council unveils year-long UK/Kenya cultural programme to empower young creators

Set against the backdrop of a shifting global arts landscape and a growing appetite for cross-border collaboration, the Season brings together artists, educators, institutions, and communities in a shared dialogue on creativity, identity, and innovation. 

With events spanning music, film, literature, architecture, fashion, visual arts, and more, the initiative promises more than just spectacle, as it investigates the intersection of indigenous knowledge systems, technology, and contemporary expression.

Sandra Chege, Head of Arts at the British Council Kenya, described the Season as timely and necessary.

“We hope to bring the intersection of art and education together in a way that is meaningful,” she said, pointing to the planned collaborations between creatives in Kenya and across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. 

The Season's central theme is young creators supporting their ideas, expanding their audiences, and positioning themselves to shape the future of cultural dialogue.

This initiative builds on the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, which was signed in 2020 and identified people-to-people connections, mutual prosperity, and cultural exchange as key pillars for engagement.

For Kenya, a country with a rapidly growing creative economy and a vibrant youth demographic, the Season arrives at a time when the global gaze is increasingly drawn to African cultural capital.

Rather than presenting a one-way showcase, the British Council emphasizes that the programme is designed with collaboration and co-creation at its core.

Some of the featured partnerships include the Creative DNA fashion incubator—co-run with Mastercard and Barraza Media Lab—and the Learning and Design Lab, which unites students and academics from both countries to develop solutions around climate resilience.

There are also nods to heritage and innovation, such as a historic joint UK-Kenya commission for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Catalyst Grants for collaborative art and technology projects, and a cultural heritage symposium that will investigate how traditions evolve in the digital age.

The Season’s literary front will be anchored by collaborations such as the Hay Festival and Nairobi’s NBO Lit Fest, with themes this year delving into alternative knowledge systems and rethinking how stories are told and shared.

Tom Porter, British Council Country Director, described the Season as a catalyst rather than a conclusion. “It’s not an end in itself,” he noted. 

“It’s a moment for reflection, but also for imagining what future partnerships between Kenya and the UK can look like.” That imagination is not confined to official partnerships alone, but extends to youth, communities, educators, and artists who are often on the margins of international programming.

As global institutions continue to reckon with questions of equity, representation, and power in the arts, the UK/Kenya Season offers a case study in how cultural diplomacy can move beyond performance to provoke thoughtful and necessary conversation.