Wabwire Joseph Ian is one of the most recognizable figures within the Culture and Arts scene in Kampala, Uganda and East Africa at large.
Having left Legal practice, In 2012 Wabwire decided to focus his attention together with a bunch of other creative colleagues to Co-Found and start KQ Hub Africa an East African based collective + virtual hub of Creatives that are putting their best feet upfront to revolutionize the Arts and Culture ecosystem working across visual, digital and performing arts through the production of monthly networking, knowledge sharing experential and imaginative events like the Creative Talks Africa sessions, Ubuntu Rave Festival, artists exhibitions, workshops, film labs + screenings, fashion and design incubators among others
Taking on the role of Culture Producer & Creative Director, with his vast experience in the creative economy, he had helped develop engaging programmes, facilitate capacity building and created platforms for skills and knowledge sharing for creatives and cultural organizations across East Africa.
He is also a culture consultant consulting and working in collaboration with, the Ministry of Culture & Arts, Nesta UK, UNESCO, European Union, Hivos among others on issues about cultural policy and East Africa’s creative economy. An alumni of the British Council Creative Hubs Academy. A nominee of the Young Achiever’s Awards 2017 and a passionate enthusiast of the “growth and Development of the visual and performing art scene in East Africa’s cities
Wabwire strongly believes in the role that cultural hubs and centres play in the promotion of urban arts and culture. As such, he helped co-create what has become one of the largest urban city industrial warehouse co-working and cultural space called Design Hub Kampala situated on a 300sqm space in the urban industrial Area of Kampala, Uganda. Helping to turn and renovate a dissuesed, dilapidated industrial warehouse space into a community centre with co-working space, events space, shops, café, sports centre among others.
Wabwire initiated and produces a quarterly cultural community festival called Ubuntu Rave. “Ubuntu” meaning togetherness. To bring together various diverse cultural professionals in Africa who use authentic African inspired fashion, music, culinary practices to cement cultural values and celebrate the uniqueness of African culture and other diverse cultures.
Projects
- Creative Talks AfricaI produce and oversee event production of a series of monthly talk sessions with local chapters across East Africa bringing together influential and emerging creative arts & cultural professionals in conversation on how creatives in Africa are navigating today's most pressing global issues, sustaining their creative endeavours and also fostering a safe space for networking, idea exchanges and sipping some coffee. These talks are brought in partnership and with support from the British Council
Work history
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Retail ConsultantMotiv
AfricaFreelance
Skills
- Design
- Digital Campaign
- Digital Branding
- Digital Marketing
- Project Conception
- Project Management
- Content Curation
- Event Communications
- Event Collaborating
- Event Content