History in Progress has been mining images from Uganda’s official and unofficial archives for years. Through the process they published 8 books, unearthed many stories (some public, some personal, some institutional and more). Most importantly, they have created a space for history to be uncovered, or looked at anew with a community and collaborative focus.

The work they have produced will be on display, for the first time as a whole, during KLA ART 18, Off The Record

How do we as visual artists engage in humanitarian subject matter in our region without perpetuating the NGO visual language around African images born in photography the 80s? How do we as visual artists work around the visuals, once just life, now coded with NGO rhetoric and expectation, to give earnest portrayals of a variety of lives? This workshop is a part of the Politics of Return residency at 32° Degrees East, in conjunction with London School of Economics, curated by Kara Blackmore.

SoFar Sounds is an intimate live event, with extra attention paid to the artist. Starting out in just one city, it has spread like wild fire across more that 79 and keeps growing. It’s unique and fun! On the 12th, of the month, they invite you to a secret location to enjoy the work of surprise guests and artists. Join us in a collaborative event between SoFar Sounds and KLA ART 18.

In our program is live music, dance and poetry. And this SoFar is particularly special, taking place at a unique and little known but very important historical gem in our city. SoFar sounds is by its very nature “Off The Record”. Join us at a secret location on the 12th of August with surprise guests and artists. We’ve got to keep mum about it, but we’re excited to surprise you with 3 short performances from song, to dance to poetry!
To register for a spot, use this link! Hurry, spots are limited.

32° Degrees East, through KLA ART, British Institute of East Africa and Newcastle University have been embarking on a series of workshops designed to better understand the entrepreneurial nature of public art. Simply put, how do we as artists make a living.

One of the key aspects that has come out over the first two workshops is artists needing the toold to better present themselves in professional spaces, mainly through their writing.

Our last workshop will focus on how artists can shape written material about themselves to open themselves up to opportunity. Quite uniquely, this workshop will also include some sensory exercises which look writing as a result of a sensory experience in creative spheres of our thought as well.

Join us in the day and in the night for a Nakasero Market Night party. During the day, artists Darlyne Komukama of Rage Room, William Kane of Masks and Maasai Mbili of Ya Tola  (see our “artists” section above for their work[pls link] ) will open up their respective market booths to the audience.

During the day, this is a fun chance for femmes to release all their rage in Darlyne’s specially constructed rage room, or for you to engage with Maasai Mbili’s interactive room in the market, or take your own photograph in William Kane’s “Mask” self-photo booth. The day will end with a DJ set from our very own Darlyne and a performance from the one and only Mr Mankwa! Darlyne’s work will also be active on the 19th of August from 2pm onwards.

History in Progress x UPPA photographer’s discussion at Uganda Museum

Join us in celebrating Kampala’s finest. Click to see all events. All KLA ART Artists will be in attendance and there you can get to learn more about their pieces from silent protest performance pieces, large scale tapestry installations, photobooths in Nakasero Market and more. And MTN NYEGE NYEGE doing some live scoring for our video projection!

Join us on a tour of different exhibitions to close the festival. A specially hired matatu will take us from Kiyembe, to Nakasero to Kampala Road and more as our artists take you on their journey of creation and sharing their work with our city. After the tour, there will also be a discussion with KLA ART artists about their time at the festival, their pieces and their interactions with audience members. What have we learnt, what have we done and where might we be going from here.
If you would also like to organise a private tour, please get in touch with [email protected] to book!

The Square Place KLA ART 18 and Writivism are joining forces this year to deliver a unique intersection of their themes, Off the Record and Legacy respectively, and visual arts and literature. Christine Ayo and Karis Upton (see our “artists” section above for their work[pls link] ) are artists who are actively invetigating the impact of legacy and the creation of narrative in both of their KLA ART works. They will be in a panel discussion with reknowned writer David Kaizer and moderator Musoke. Parts of their work will also be on display at the Writivism festival location, the Square.

Title: Collaborative and Sustainable Practices

32° Degrees East, through KLA ART, British Institute of East Africa and Newcastle University have been embarking on a series of workshops designed to better understand the entrepreneurial nature of public art.

This workshop, the second of three, focuses on art as a collaborative practice and investigates ways that artists can find sustainability within and beyond financial resources. Looking at groups of artists such as Maasai Mbili, they will discuss with us ways that they identify, enjoy, replenish non-financial resources to sustain their group practice. And when there is financial gain, how does one manage and re-invest it so it equally benefits the group?

They will also discuss how they manage time/labour/skill as a resource between their collective and individual projects; And how they determine who owns the rights to the works produced. How do you find ways to financially support members in the group through the work produced? Workshop participants will also understand more about how they navigate content creation and distribution with and without an injection of cash, how can workshop participants can replicate that in their own environment?

What do we mean when we talk about collaboration?

Are you looking for something a little faster? Beat the traffic and fly through the city on our safe boda tours. With these, you’ll get a free ride from SafeBoda to explore the city and the work in KLA ART

Seven years have passed since HIPUganda started to share photographs on Facebook and, slightly later, through exhibitions and on its website and the publishing of 8 books. ‘Ebifananyi’, marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. It is time to evaluate what the efforts made so far have led to, and to think where things could go in the coming years. The Uganda Press Photo Award and HIPUganda are hosting an intimate soft opening of this exhibition to create room for conversation around these archives.

This event will have the character of an intimate collective brainstorm about the presentation of histories through photographs, and the relationships between past and present.

Ekyoto with History in Progress and Robinah Nansubuga at Ham Mukasa House, Mengo.