![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/40a1ab48-0da8-4411-8935-99456aa0310c.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Maureen Anzaye<\/p>\n
Kenya\u2019s creative economy is brimming with potential. It is growing
\nfaster than conventional industries and recent studies indicate that Kenya\u2019s
\ncreative economy has the potential to double its contribution to GDP from the
\ncurrent 5% to upwards of 10%. From theatre shows and fashion, architectural
\ndesign to digital narratives, the nation is brimming with talent and culture
\ndriven by energetic young people.<\/p>\n
However, this rich source of human resources in creativity has, in
\nmany cases, not been utilised fully due to lack of funding and poor
\ninfrastructure. Conventional financing models do not take into account the
\npeculiarities of the creative industry and as a result, many talented people do
\nnot have the resources to grow their businesses.<\/p>\n
There is a quiet revolution occurring, though. One that will not be
\ndriven by big investments or legislation, but by little grants that are
\naccomplishing large change. These grants are becoming a vital tool for enabling
\ncross-cultural exchange, innovation, and sustainable creative enterprises.<\/p>\n
The small grants, which usually range between \u00a35,000 – \u00a350,000, may
\nnot seem to be much in comparison to large-scale funding projects but they have
\ntremendous effects, especially for creative practices in emerging economies
\nsuch as Kenya.<\/p>\n
By lowering barriers to entry, small grants are the essential
\npre-starter capital that gets grassroots organisations off their feet. This is
\nespecially crucial for Kenyan artists and groups which are considered high risk
\ngroups by traditional financiers such as banks and private investors.<\/p>\n
Culture Responds to Global Challenges is one of four pillars of the
\nBritish Council\u2019s work in the Arts.\u202f
\nProgrammes under this pillar focus on the transformative power of arts and
\nculture. It supports artistic and cultural expression recognising its potential
\nto challenge and change mindsets for a more inclusive and sustainable future.
\nWe do this by supporting artists and creative organisations to respond to
\nsocial and environmental issues through arts, culture, and heritage.<\/p>\n
Braid Fund, which directly sits under the Culture Responds pillar,
\nwas implemented due to a noticeable gap that we saw in the heritage sector,
\nwhere small grants were quickly being phased off by limited opportunities for
\nearly career practitioners in Kenya and East Africa in general.<\/p>\n
For instance, the British Council Catalyst Grant programme recently
\nprovided \u00a35,000 in funding to the Kenya International Theatre Festival. This
\ninvestment, which is part of the UK\/Kenya Season 2025 programme, facilitated
\nthe development of innovative theatre productions between Kenya and UK based
\nartists. Successful implementation of the initial phase of the project enabled
\nsubsequent provision of a \u00a310,000 grant to continue the festival\u2019s
\ncollaboration with the Jermyn Street Theatre of London.<\/p>\n
Small grants also provide room for experimentation. While major
\nfunding organisations may require demonstration of past success before
\ninvesting, small grants enable creatives to test ideas, innovate, improve, and
\ncreate ground-breaking work.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the British Council\u2019s Catalyst Grant programme enabled 19
\nprojects by UK and Kenya based creatives across a range of disciplines
\nincluding sustainable fashion, digital storytelling, and trans-national music
\ngenres. This funding allowed the creators to test their ideas and gather steam
\nat their initial stage of development.<\/p>\n
Additionally, minor grants are keen on enhancing cross-border
\npartnerships. As part of the UK\/Kenya Season 2025 festival of cultural
\nexchange, these grants are guiding the passage between artists from the two
\ncountries and facilitating long-term partnerships between the beneficiary
\nindividuals, organisations, and institutions. These partnerships not only
\nconsolidate artistic networks but also set an example of how British and Kenyan
\ncreatives could work together in the future.<\/p>\n
Small grants produce sustainable value beyond immediate
\nimplementation of a project by building capacity, economic development and
\nadvancing cultural diplomacy. In the process, artists acquire project
\nmanagement, fundraising and international cooperation skills with successful
\nprojects creating jobs and gaining access to additional investment. Such
\nUK-Kenya collaborations also deepen understanding between the two nations and
\nopen up new markets thus demonstrating the functionality of culture in international
\nrelations.<\/p>\n
The British Council\u2019s Braid Arts & Culture
\nFund further
\ncascades these efforts across the East Africa region. Developed through a
\ncollaboration between the Trust for Indigenous Culture & Health (TICAH) and
\nthe British Council\u2019s Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth programme, the
\nfund strategically bridges traditional heritage with contemporary innovation.<\/p>\n
The initiative’s impact extends across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania,
\nwith 23 projects supported in its inaugural cohort. The Fund creates crucial
\nopportunities for individual artists, cultural practitioners and organisations
\nwho often face limited access to financing. By partnering with TICAH, the
\nprogramme ensures culturally sensitive and community-rooted approaches to
\ncreative development.<\/p>\n
Notable outcomes of this initiative include the democratisation of
\naccess to funding, preservation of indigenous cultural practices while
\nencouraging modern artistic expression and building sustainable creative
\neconomies. The fund strengthens regional cultural networks, enabling knowledge
\nexchange between practitioners across borders. This initiative also addresses
\nthe critical funding gap in East Africa’s cultural sector, empowering creatives
\nto develop innovative projects that celebrate heritage while addressing
\ncontemporary social challenges, ultimately contributing to the region’s
\ncultural vitality and economic growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The creative economy is not waiting for transformation, it is
\nalready happening, one small grant at a time. The task now is to scale these
\nmodels, replicate the successes and create a more enabling environment for
\nartists, curators, storytellers, and cultural entrepreneurs across the country.
\nIn doing so, we not only unlock economic potential but also elevate artists\u2019
\nvoices on the global cultural stage.<\/p>\n
Small grants. Big change. That is the story of Kenya\u2019s creative
\nresurgence.<\/p>\n
The Author is the Programme Manager, Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth
\nat the British Council, Kenya.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Maureen Anzaye Kenya\u2019s creative economy is brimming with potential. It is growing faster than conventional industries and recent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[351,352,98,100,353,152,101,350,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-6485","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tanzania","8":"tag-kenya-news","9":"tag-star","10":"tag-star-news","11":"tag-star-news-kenya","12":"tag-star-newspaper-kenya","13":"tag-tanzania","14":"tag-the-star","15":"tag-the-star-kenya","16":"tag-the-star-newspaper"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}