Nairobi Design Week 2023 Recap

It takes a community to make a festival.

Transcript

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The 8th edition of the Nairobi Design Week festival took place at Opportunity Factory on March 11th-19th, under the theme

**‘It’s What We Make It’. **

The festival has evolved into a place that encourages creativity and expression from participants, partners and visitors.

NDW 2023 attracted:

50+ physical & 50+ digital exhibitors, mainly local.

15+ partners, both local and international.

2500+ attendees throughout the week.

100,000+ Instagram posts reach in just March 2023 alone.

Partners

We are grateful to the following partners who came through in phenomenal ways:

More information about the partners can be found in the following links. Please note that they are not arranged in any particular order.

Other logistical partners included: Local suppliers for consumables, casual laborers, Iko mobile toilets, Karen Police, Lavington Security, TCL and Hustle Sasa

Open Calls

We had open calls for those who applied to join us as:

  • NDW Digital exhibition
  • NDW Physical exhibition
  • Festival Crew

These were all free applications and participation. We are thrilled to have featured 50+ Digital, 50+ physical and 30+ festival crew members; who made the festival a success.

Programmes

  • Tracing The Wild (TTW) Project
  • Design Intelligence Awards (DIA)
  • Kibera Fashion Week - Mural, photos, documentary, meet the makers
  • The Bamboo Residency - Bamboo dome & products
  • Hisi Studio braille writing
  • New Comma open call & exhibit
  • Shifting Narratives with Afrika Design
  • Graffiti Girls
  • Cosplay with Jess
  • Africhibi X Ocean Sole
  • Kanairo Space Station - Kairos Futura
  • More Melano or Less? - Wakianda, Emmaus & Goethe Institute
  • Lila Bare fabric dye and photoshoot
  • KolaKisa designs launch at Afrika House
  • Liquid Lmn photoshoot

Workshops

  • Wellbeing sessions - Safia & Free Mind Sessions
  • Careers in Design - Think Place Kenya, New Comma and Hisi Studio.
  • Art Law Kenya
  • The Design and Art of Tracing the Wild
  • Emerging Tech And Its Role In Supporting Human Coexistence With Wildlife (Tracing the Wild)
  • Afrika Design - Mugendi M'Rithaa, Kenneth Kanaabi & Adrian Jankowiak
  • Creative Identity Workshop with New Comma
  • Sustainable Fashion panel with Free Mind Sessions and David Avido
  • Co-create a rug with Africa Collect Textiles
  • ENN Ceramics pottery workshops
  • Dragonfly Screen printing masterclass
  • The Art Club
  • BlackRhino VR - Usoni VR Experience
  • Goran Hielscher - Creative wellbeing workshop
  • Walkthrough Sandstorm Factory

Opportunity Factory Makers

  • Sandstorm Kenya
  • ENN Ceramics
  • Dragonfly screenprinters
  • Nakshi glass
  • Greenthing Kenya
  • Africa Collect Textiles
  • Coolcatsclub

Performances

  • Kake Wakake
  • Mwalimu Nyatiti
  • Karan’s band
  • Kuiyu.
  • Fana Ka

Thank you for NDW2023.

See you at NDW2024 in March 9th-17th!