French Embassy equips Swahilipot

The Embassy of France in Kenya, together with Mombasa-based arts and tech hub Swahilipot Hub, on Friday launched a newly equipped amphitheatre.

The new space in Mombasa Old Town has sound and light equipment for live performances. 

The project is supported by the Creative Arts Spaces in Kenya project through the French Government’s Solidarity Fund for innovative projects, civil societies, Francophonie and Development.

Swahilipot Hub received technical equipment worth Sh3.3 million and a further Sh2million to facilitate a national tour for artistes from Swahilipot across other CASiK venues in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kisumu.

Swahili Pot Hub is one of the five venues across the country that makes up the Creative Arts Spaces in Kenya network.

Swahili Pot Hub’s amphitheatre has been upgraded with state-of-the-art sound and light equipment for live performances. Its personnel have participated in security, sound and light, and cultural projects management training.

Mahmoud Noor, the executive director at Swahilipot Hub, said Swahilipot has been a home to artistes and techies.

"Our key ambition has been to create avenues for artistes and techies to network, as well as provide the right environment for the youth to make something of themselves."

He encouraged young people to make use of the space to build their future.

French Ambassador Arnaud Suquet said art unites people and creates employment.

The occasion was marked through spoken word performances and music by Malindi-based Katoi wa Tabaka, the Mijikenda Jazz band as well as Mombasa-based Lelele Afrika.

Katoi wa Tabaka is a singer-songwriter from Malindi who fuses traditional coastal music, especially Mijikenda music with soul and jazz.

Lelele Afrika, on the other hand, is a Mombasa-based Taarab band with origins in Lamu.

Launched in 2021, the Casik project is supporting five different arts and cultural spaces in Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi, Mombasa and Lamu.