The UK/Kenya Season 2025 was officially launched on Friday, marking a new chapter in the vibrant cultural and creative partnership between the United Kingdom and Kenya. The event, held in Nairobi, was presided over by His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan OBE, and brought together artists, government officials, and creative industry leaders from both countries.
The Season is a flagship initiative driven by the British Council, designed to strengthen people-to-people connections and amplify creative collaboration between the UK and Kenya. It aligns with the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership signed in 2020, which includes key focus areas such as Mutual Prosperity, Security, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Cultural Exchange.
In his opening remarks, High Commissioner Neil Wigan emphasized the transformative power of creativity and culture in shaping diplomatic relationships and driving economic growth.
“This Season will reflect and celebrate creativity and innovation, raising the profile of the UK in Kenya and Kenya in the UK,” said Wigan. “It’s about fostering deeper understanding and offering a platform for young creatives to shape the cultural conversations of our time.”
The UK’s creative economy, valued at approximately £124 billion in 2024 and employing 2.4 million people, has become a major pillar of economic output. Kenya’s creative industries, likewise, are showing rapid growth and global relevance in areas like fashion, music, gaming, and film.
The British Council, which has been active in Kenya since 1947, has a long history of supporting the arts, including through the influential WAPI (Words and Pictures Initiative) program that nurtured a generation of Kenyan artists.
The UK/Kenya Season features a robust calendar of events and projects. Key highlights include:
Making Space: Inside, Outside – A collaborative project supported by Catalyst Grants that connects young creatives from Nairobi’s GoDown Arts Centre and Leeds’ Transform Festival.
NBO Litfest x Hay Festival Collaboration – A new literary exchange between Kenya, the UK, and Brazil, curated by Book Bunk, that seeks to amplify African storytelling on global stages.
Venice Biennale Collaboration – For the first time in the Biennale’s history, a UK-Kenya team is co-curating the British Pavilion, led by Kenya’s Cave_bureau and UK-based partners. Their exhibition, Geology of Britannic Repair, reimagines architecture as a practice rooted in environmental responsibility.
The Season also celebrates the Kenya Cultural Centre (KCC), which has received over £164,000 in British Council grants, including support for the Kenya International Theatre Festival and Poetry After Lunch (PAL) initiative. PAL, funded by the ACP-EU Culture programme, has led to the development of Africa’s first poetry training curriculum—now officially adopted by Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Training Authority.
Michael Pundo, CEO of the Kenya Cultural Centre, lauded the partnership for its role in nurturing talent and building institutional capacity in Kenya’s creative sector.
The Africa Centre, based in London, will lead delivery of the UK side of the Season. High Commissioner Wigan acknowledged their efforts in connecting Africa and its diaspora, calling it “central to the vision of this cultural exchange.”
As the UK/Kenya Season unfolds, it promises to be a dynamic celebration of shared creativity, bridging generations, geographies, and genres—while spotlighting the voices of emerging artists who are shaping the future of culture on both sides of the continent.