Creatives Garage served as the implementing partner in Kenya for the African Women Cultural Leadership (AWCL) Programme, an initiative developed by Arterial Network and funded by Africalia. The programme aimed to break down structural, economic, and cultural barriers that prevent women from rising to leadership positions in Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
Designed by women, for women, the six-month mentorship-based pilot brought together 12 participants from diverse creative backgrounds, including film, media, visual arts, and performance, paired with 6 accomplished women mentors who were already leading in Kenya’s arts and culture sector.
Participants engaged in:
A preparatory retreat to align expectations and set personal and professional goals
Milestone workshops on advocacy, women’s rights, public speaking, and leadership
Mentor-mentee review sessions for guidance and evaluation
Public seminars on women in cultural leadership, planned and hosted by mentees
A final graduation ceremony and certification
A highlight of the programme was an international cross-cultural exchange in Zimbabwe, giving participants regional exposure, deeper continental connections, and collaborative learning opportunities.
As the Kenyan implementing partner, Creatives Garage coordinated all programme elements including mentor recruitment, communications, event logistics, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. The programme not only fostered leadership capacity among women in Kenya’s creative sector but also helped lay the groundwork for a continent-wide model of empowerment through arts-based mentorship.
