Creativity Carnival in Nairobi’s CBD as International Youth Day is marked

The iconic bronze Tom Mboya statue was last week turned into a spectator when the International Youth Day 2013 was celebrated right under its watch. The event saw young people drawn from Nairobi, Pawa 254, rapper Juliani, and the County Government of Nairobi teaming up to showcase diverse creative talent as the day was marked in simultaneous festivals the world over. Dubbed “Art in the streets”, it was a splendid meeting of art and culture that saw the area around Kenya National Archives and all of Taifa Road in Nairobi’s CBD engulfed in a carnival mood. The space was then handed over to the youth to share their talent with city residents, passers-by and tourists. Young dancers, musicians, acrobats, and graffiti artistes then took over the fete that ran from August 8th to 11th 2013-and did not disappoint. Besides Juliani, other star performers who blazed in their prowess during the week-long event included Eko Dydda, H_Art the Band, Berry Muga, and Nuru the Poet. This formed just part of a pioneering effort to cement Nairobi’s place as a socio-cultural, and art powerhouse in Africa. “Art in the Streets” seeks to reclaim Nairobi’s potential as an arts capital on the continent by exploiting the creativity that abounds in Nairobi youth. This cuts across the fields of poetry, art, music, fashion, and visual arts exhibitions. It was indeed a splendid forum for nurturing raw youth talent in the city; for now and for the future. More images of the event can be viewed here. And if you missed the action, watch this clip courtesy of Pawa 254. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxCDH8Yf6JE