From September 18 to October 9, Nairobi will come alive with RIKA25: Generations & Memories, a three-week cultural showcase celebrating contemporary African creativity. The event is a partnership between The Nairobi Print Project (NPP) and the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH).
The citywide festival invites audiences to reflect on themes of memory, legacy, and intergenerational connection through a bold mix of art, performance, and storytelling.
At the heart of the programme is a central exhibition at the Hazina Trade Centre (Formerly Nakumatt Lifestyle) in Nairobi’s CBD, where visitors can explore works that span visual art, installations, and multimedia presentations.
Beyond the exhibition, RIKA25 will activate galleries, performance spaces, and venues across the city.
Additionally, community events will be held at partner locations, offering free admission to all. Partner locations include:
- Nairobi Drum Circle, Hilton Square
- Cheche Books, Lavington
- Kuona Studios, Kilimani
- GoDown Arts Centre, Industrial Area
- Kairos Atelier, Industrial Area
- Wajukuu Arts Centre, Industrial Area
- Art Zone Dance Studio, Industrial Area
- Brush Tu Studios, Buruburu
- Paa ya Paa Arts Centre, Parklands
The festival’s programming is organised around four artistic “strands”:
- Gardeners, who focus on sustainability and renewal
- Griots, who explore history and storytelling
- Tricksters, who challenge power and authority through subversion
- Wanderers, who connect across boundaries and geographies.
Organisers of the event have said that these frameworks are meant to spark collaborations and new works that invite audiences to engage, question, and imagine.
To learn more about the event, podcast conversations with featured artists from each strand are available on Spotify on the NPP channel, offering listeners a deeper look into their ideas and creative processes.
