Taking the stage!

To roaring applause, dancer Lilian Maximilian Nabaggala leaves the stage — a temporary platform set up in the parking lot of a Japanese restaurant in the heart of Kampala. It’s a mild March evening, the daytime heat has faded, and the air hums with laughter and conversation. Around 150 culture enthusiasts have gathered here tonight to witness the closing event of the Obulo Bwaffe Festival. For the occasion, Nabaggala performed a choreography that blends influences from traditional dances with elements of contemporary street dance.

For two weeks, the festival — initiated by the Njabala Foundation — celebrated the creative diversity of African women artists, with exhibitions, workshops, and panel discussions taking place across the city. Among its international partners are the British Council, the Institut Français, and AWARE – the French Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions. What stands out, however, is the near-complete absence of Ugandan institutions. It’s a telling sign of how little institutional support women in Uganda’s cultural sector receive. “We now hold leadership positions in the cultural scene,” says curator Martha Kazungu, “but that’s hardly appreciated.” She is one of the few professionally trained curators in Uganda and the founder of the Njabala Foundation.

Sexism and misogyny are part of everyday life for women artists
 

In the deeply patriarchal country, female artists continue to face immense obstacles. The cultural sphere remains male-dominated; experiences of sexism and misogyny are commonplace. Added to this are a lack of resources, government surveillance, and the fact that art is not recognized as a legitimate profession.To counter this, more and more women are taking matters into their own hands — like curator Kazungu, who founded the Njabala Foundation in 2021 after completing her master’s degree at the University of Bayreuth. Driven by her passion for visual art and her frustration with patriarchal power structures, she created a space centered on female perspectives. Over the years, Kazungu had noticed that whenever African women were in focus, it was usually through an external lens. She wanted to build a platform that allowed African women to present their art through their own eyes. It was a bold move — especially since she launched the initiative in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people in Uganda, particularly artists, were struggling with severe income losses.

The Njabala Foundation has a staff of eight and is entirely funded by donations. It defines itself as a platform for supporting Ugandan women artists, offering exhibitions, mentorship programs, and research projects. This year marked the first edition of the Obulo Bwaffe Festival.

Despite limited resources, Kazungu has managed to make a name for herself across Africa, and her work is having a real impact: the Njabala Foundation has become a key institution and voice within Uganda’s cultural landscape. Internationally, her efforts are well recognized — Uganda is no longer an insider tip but a destination attracting artists from around the world eager to engage with its vibrant local scene. Among them is movement artist Nabaggala, who co-founded the dance organization AfroRooted with American dancer Karla Flores. The collective combines street dance with traditional African movements and organizes workshops and dance competitions.

State funding for the arts in Uganda is virtually nonexistent — one reason why the Njabala Foundation can only afford to organize one major event per year, according to Kazungu.

Many Ugandan women artists know how to create spaces of togetherness

At the same time, cultural production in Uganda is tightly controlled by the state. Every theater performance requires approval from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), at a cost of around 25 euros per show — a significant expense for smaller productions with limited budgets. For many artists, this raises concerns about the future of theater in Uganda. “These regulations are pretty discouraging for anyone wanting to make theater right now,” says actress Aganza Kisaka.

The lack of institutional support is also evident in arts education and training. “As a writer, I lack opportunities to develop and refine my craft,” says author Goretti Kyomuhendo, founder and director of the African Writers Trust. She sees this structural deficiency as one of the greatest challenges to literary creation in the region.

To stay connected to the international scene, artists must take the initiative themselves. The African Writers Trust offers seminars, workshops, and conferences, actively fostering exchange between Ugandan and international writers. Through this work, Kyomuhendo has helped Uganda become far more connected within Africa and the diaspora than it was three decades ago. Still, a structural gap remains: compared to other African countries, Uganda continues to lack diverse platforms for literary and artistic networking.

Under such difficult conditions, the work of Ugandan women artists is all the more vital. Art thrives in community — and many of these artists have mastered the art of creating and sustaining precisely such spaces of connection. “Women are natural storytellers; we preserve and pass on stories,” says Kyomuhendo. These stories take shape in literature, theater, dance, and visual art — connecting people across social and cultural divides, and nurturing a sense of belonging.