KENYA: Africa Nouveau Festival Is Back For It's 2nd Edition

Described as “The future of festivals on the continent” by Okayafrica, Africa Nouveau Festival founded in Nairobi  is back this year to a fascinating set up away from the city. Back for its 2017 edition under the theme “Afrobubblegum” derived from fun, fierce and fantastical Africans creating art simply for the love of it. The event is this year supported by the 'British Council’s East Africa Arts' programme, Planning Systems, Ofgen solar and Goethe-institut.

As Africa Nouveau gears towards unveiling an exhilarating lineup filled with Africa’s cool, new, funky and avant-garde talent, experiences will be key. Festival goers and revelers are guaranteed a fun camping experience at Small World Country Club. They will be treated to a number of fun activities among them Live Music, DJ Stage, Virtual Reality, Wellness areas, Art installations and a Fashion Market.

The 2-day/2-night festival that will this year take place in Athi River at Small World Country Club (10^th - 12^thNovember) brings together curators and creators from across Africa to Kenya. Highlighting unique facets of Music, Culi’N’Art, Fashion and Film, Africa Nouveau – 2017 is out to impress and expand beyond its current legacy. Speaking on Africa Nouveau’s return, the CEO and Founder Muthoni Ndonga asserts that she is “completely thrilled!” She says, “It feels great to congregate again. We have the power to decide what our story is, and we think that we are Fun and Fierce and our imagination is simply fantastical.”

Under the 'British Council’s East Africa Arts' programme’s skills and networking activities that connect East African and UK festivals with the aim of sharing festival management skills, networking creatives, and showcasing innovative new art by East African and British talent. Muthoni says, “British Council is an instrumental partner in making the general festival experience come together, and very specifically, enabling a special focus on the fashion component and programming this year,” adding, “we are also pleased to have been put in a peer-to-peer learning environment with a festival in the UK, and together, we are working on a long term, mutually re-enforcing relationship to increase collaborations between the UK and East Africa. Finally, we look forward to the skill transfer between Kenyan, Ugandan and UK journalists covering arts and culture also fostered by the British Council.”

Different from its past edition hosted in Nairobi, this year’s festival will be tucked away from the hustle of the city. Muthoni talks on why the festival’s management picked Athi River. “We want to be among the hills and the sky and the earth. We want to be in our true nature and escape the man-made cities and their mania.”

AnyikoPR