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The British Council has unveiled the UK/Kenya Season 2025, a dynamic cultural programme designed to foster stronger connections between Kenya and the UK through a broad array of artistic and educational exchanges.
This initiative is a response to the increasing demand for global collaboration within the creative industries.
The Season aims to facilitate impactful interactions and partnerships among artists, institutions, cultural organisations, and communities, while engaging in discussions on the role of creativity in shaping societal change within both Kenyan and UK institutions.
The programme will feature a rich selection of public events across both nations, covering a wide spectrum of fields including music, film, visual arts, architecture, design, fashion, and literature.
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In line with the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, signed in January 2020 by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Season is built on five pillars: mutual prosperity, security and stability, sustainable development, climate change, and people-to-people relations.
This partnership acknowledges culture and education as vital components for advancing diplomacy, innovation, and inclusive development.
As a key regional partner for the UK, Kenya stands to benefit greatly from this programme, which offers a significant opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties. The initiative also complements the UK's wider cultural diplomacy efforts, aiming to foster enduring relationships and expand opportunities through the arts, culture, and education.
Making history at La Biennale di Venezia
A standout event within the Season is the British Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. Since 1937, the British Council has curated exhibitions to showcase the UK’s creative talents and promote international dialogue.
This year’s Pavilion, a groundbreaking UK-Kenya collaboration, features a diverse team of curators: Kabage Karanja and Stella Mutegi from Nairobi-based architecture studio Cave_bureau; UK-based curator and writer Owen Hopkins; and academic Professor Kathryn Yuso.
Titled 'Geology of Britannic Repair', the exhibition presents architecture as an earth practice and explores the links between architecture and colonisation as intertwined systems.
Catalyst Grants making a difference
Ahead of the Season, the British Council launched an Open Call in 2024, offering Catalyst Grants of up to £5,000 to support creative collaborations between the UK and Kenya. Nineteen projects were selected, paving the way for new cross-border partnerships that will be highlighted during the Season.
In 2025, eleven of these projects have received further funding to enhance their collaboration and showcase their work to wider audiences as part of the programme.
READ: Where creativity met conversation: Inside the British Council Kenya Open Day
“We have been deliberate about bringing together diverse voices from both Kenya and the UK to shape the Season. It’s important to us that these collaborations are rooted in mutual exchange and long-term value. It aligns with Kenya’s ambitions to grow its creative economy and reach new local and international audiences, positioning creativity as both an economic driver and a space for connection, dialogue, and innovation.
"We’ve engaged artists, collectives, cultural hubs, and educational institutions, because we want the programme to reflect the energy and innovation we see every day in the creative scenes across both countries,” said Sandra Chege, Head of Arts at the British Council Kenya and Director of the UK/Kenya Season.
READ: British Council partners with BBC to launch 29th International Audio Drama Competition
UK/Kenya Season events in London
In the UK, the Season is being delivered in partnership with The Africa Centre, a cultural organisation based in London with a long-standing mission to educate, connect, and advocate for Africa and its global diaspora.
The Season is also supported by the British High Commission in Kenya and the Kenya High Commission in the UK, whose diplomatic and cultural engagement have been instrumental in shaping the programme.
For the past 60 years, we have been delighted to be a platform for showcasing excellence from all across the African continent. The UK/Kenya Season gives us a unique opportunity to highlight Kenya, to help diasporans and wider UK audiences learn more about Kenya’s dynamic arts scene, and to showcase the incredible work coming from artists, cultural hubs, and communities across the country.
"We’ve got an exciting line-up of events and exhibitions planned in the UK, and we’re proud to be part of this partnership," said Olu Alake, CEO, The Africa Centre.
Alongside the arts programme, the Season places a strong emphasis on education, reflecting the British Council’s broader commitment to enriching learning and promoting global citizenship.
Learning and Design Lab, part of the UK–Kenya University Partnerships initiative, for example, brings together students and academics from UK and Kenyan universities to collaborate with local industry to co-design solutions around climate resilience throughout the Season.
The Season reflects the British Council’s long-standing relationship with Kenya. It showcases work that centres youth voice, explores the impact of technology, responds to the climate crisis, and reflects on cultural heritage and identity, sparking dialogue and offering fresh perspectives.