Unfold Conversations is your quarterly reality check (with snacks!) in a world where AI can sketch your face, remix your beats, and argue like your ex. It’s no longer science fiction, it’s here, it’s fast, and it’s busy flipping every creative table we thought was nailed down.
This is your rare offline moment, possibly the only time AI isn’t eavesdropping. A physical space where artists, makers, digital tinkerers, and curious minds come together to unpack trends, challenge the status quo, and figure out how to ride the AI wave without losing our human touch.
From machine learning tools that zhuzh up your visual designs to neural networks writing your next banger or screenplay, creatives are no longer just competing with tech, they’re in full-blown collab mode. But to truly co-create with machines, you need to know your stuff: the tools, the terms, the tea.
That’s what Unfold Conversations delivers bite-sized insights with big-picture energy.
Our first Unfold Conversations will take place on 31st July 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EAT, at Creatives Garage, The Mall.
We’ll be diving into the complex and timely conversation around AI & Culture: Who’s Telling the Story Now? Asking who holds the pen (or prompt), who gets left behind, and how we can protect and reimagine our stories in an age of synthetic creativity. We are proud to host this conversation in partnership with AFRICALIA, as they celebrate 25 years of impact supporting creativity and cultural exchange around the world.
The keynote address will be delivered virtually by Dr. Harriet Deacon, Lecturer at the Centre of Excellence for Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Modelling (DAIM) and a Research Associate at the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull, (UK), whose work explores cultural preservation in the digital era.
She will be followed by an in-person panel discussion featuring:
Grace Murugi – AI and Digital Strategist
Sarah Malia – Co-founder and Producer at Freehand Studios & Pungulu Pa Production
Caroline Kimutai - Journalist and digital media strategist
The panel will be moderated by Bukonola Ngobi, host of Ongea AI, a Pan-African podcast that delves into AI and AI trends across the globe.
Keynote ADDRESS
Dr. Harriet Deacon is a lecturer at the Centre of Excellence for Data Science, AI & Modelling at the University of Hull, and a research associate at the Wilberforce Institute. With a background in history, intellectual property, and cultural heritage, she has worked with UNESCO and WIPO on projects linking intangible heritage, sustainability, and data governance. She is the Principal Investigator of the British Academy-funded DAIL-ICH Project on AI literacy and community data governance in Africa.
Panelists
Grace Murugi is an award winning AI and digital Strategist, known for driving business growth, brand equity and social impact through digital innovation. A former digital lead at Safaricom and now Head of Digital Strategy at Oxfam, she has led transformative campaigns such as Eliud 159, Mpesa App, among others. Passionate about AI's role in shaping global digital landscapes, Grace is also a Top 40 under 40 women in Kenya honoree.
Sarah Mallia is a co-founder of Freehand Studios and Pungulu Pa Productions, two Nairobi-based digital arts and social impact studios. She produces “Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes”, a 2D animated children’s following the adventures of two siblings in search of Africa’s disappearing nursery rhymes, and “Boy Boi”, a show about a six-year-old’s adventures in Nairobi. She previously led the impact campaign for The Letter and was Arts & Culture Programme Manager at PAWA254. Sarah served as a 2024 Emmy Awards Animation Juror and a 2025 Digital Lab Africa Juror.
Caroline Kimutai is a seasoned journalist and digital media strategist with over 20 years of experience in content creation, editorial leadership, and digital communication strategy. She is the former Digital Editor at Standard Group Plc, where she led the newsroom’s digital transformation and significantly grew its online platforms.
Caroline was also the founding Managing Editor of Tuko.co.ke, Kenya’s first viral mobile news website. She has contributed to both local and international publications, authored the Toto Series, and hosted the popular Workplace Talk podcast for Gen Z professionals.
She holds a BSc in Journalism and Communication from Moi University, an MA in New Media & Society from the University of Leicester, and an Executive Masters in Leadership and Innovation (Distinction) from Aga Khan University.
Caroline is a member of the Kenya Editors Guild and sits on the Supervisory Board of WAN-IFRA. She is also a global trainer and coach in digital media development and sustainability, including as a coach for the Women in News Digital ABC Course.
Moderator
Bukonola Ngobi is an urban designer and a creative with over 8 years’ experience using design and project management skills in a broad range of roles (delivering a variety of projects and creative outputs) in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Bukonola is interested in the role art and design play in capturing, shaping and reshaping culture. She is also interested in the question of institution building in the African context, how to make art and art spaces more accessible, and the preservation and showcasing of contemporary East African art. She leads the public programming at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute and is focused on creating delightful and art-full experiences that enable audiences to have a deeper engagement with the arts, artists and the local art scene.
As a creative Bukonola is interested in story-telling (through film and the written word), baking and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2024 she authored a first of its kind report about the impacts of AI on creatives in Kenya. She is also the co-founder and host of the OngeaAI podcast, a podcast that explores the adoption and use of AI in Africa with a view to understanding how Africans -and particularly Kenyans- perceive the technology and how it will affect the continent.
Come curious. Come skeptical. Come ready to ask weird questions, flip the script, and reimagine what it means to be creative in the age of machines.
Seating is limited, so come early, bring your big questions, and don’t miss this chance to be part of Nairobi’s boldest conversation on creativity and tech.
Entry is free, but your brain will definitely be charged.
See you at Creatives Garage.
See you at Creatives Garage.