The national elections in March 2013 are just around the corner. On one hand, these elections will provide an opportunity to choose our political leaders and on the other hand, they will (by design) trigger a series of constitutional and governance changes, which are bound to transform our citizen interactions and our relationship with the state.

As we cross over to a better democratic system--as defined in our new constitution--we are reminded that democracy is more than the sum of its institutions. Democracy depends largely on the civic culture of the citizens. In a democracy, citizens make free decisions about where they will work, what kind of work they will do, where they will live, whether to join a political party, what to read and so on. These are personal decisions, not political decisions and it is in helping construct these decisions that the arts play a central role. Through their art, artists provide an ongoing reflection of who we are.

They suggest solutions. They grieve and roar in pain and anger. They know when things aren’t fair and they speak out. Then they encourage us to think and feel along with them. The arts remind us that we are in this together, that we are not alone in our individual thoughts and feelings. Art persuades us that things can be made right and whole, if even just for a few fleeting moments. We are reminded that the individual can do great things, and individuals acting together can do even more. In some way, the arts can help unravel the tensions between our need for autonomy as individuals and the responsibilities which come with belonging to a group including tribes, social classes, generations, counties or nations.

It is true that democracy and art can only thrive in a condition of freedom; freedom to create, to self-define, to experiment, to explore the world of the human mind and spirit as citizens in a free society pursuing their interests, exercising their rights, and taking responsibility for their own lives. For these reasons, the challenge for cultural institutions and curators of artistic excellence lies in developing people as a resource. By linking together individuals for collaboration and experimentation in order to give way to new stories, cultivate new audiences and build a community around the exploration of new ideas, because the arts are permanently entangled within life itself. The Nest is one such cultural organization that is willing to become a useful playground in which artists and curious minds can test solid new ideas unconditionally within a context of vigorous debate.

We have come together to create an environment for the development of artistic outputs through fun programs: active workshops, individual consultancy, group critiques, inter-artist dialogues and project funding. At the Nest, we would like to go beyond getting audiences to fill seats and watch interpretations of their lives. We want to stir them to take part in developing that which is not yet created. Something different from what we know and have known. The arts can help us create a shared language, shared experiences and ultimately, shared values. An important value intractably linked to democracy is respect for all values, even the ones we do not share.

We believe that we can become a better democracy because the arts nourish us. We can have a vigorous economy because the arts inspire and model our creative responses. We can be healthy individuals because of the insights and space for insight that the arts continue to provide. Deep down, we are convinced that the arts are central to the sustenance, renovation, celebration and re-creation of our life together in Kenya.

George Gachara (www.georgegachara.com) is a youth worker, an author, a designer of learning programs and a speaker. He is also a co-director at The Nest, a Global Fellow of the International Youth Foundation and the recipient of International Development Committee’s Outstanding Leadership Award (2011).