for creatives to self organise portfolio reviews in and activists to meet and work towards social their country and this gave Liz the idea to host their change. Early 2013 own. Sure, we admit this was not original but it was Art was (who are we kidding it still is) considered ‘DOING SOMETHING’. more of a hobby than a career path. Our sec- Liz’s friends helped them register Creatives Garage at However, coming up with the idea for an event isn’t ond intern didn’t think that, she even dropped the Ministry of Lands as a trust. Why are trusts reg- the same thing as hosting one. Gigs like this need out of law school to work at CG. Her parents did istered at the Ministry of Lands? We don’t know, but money, space, seating and a host of other things agree with this sentiment and two weeks into her Creatives Garage was finally legit. Still broke, but legit. that Liz didn’t have sitting about. Add to that zero tenure with us they came for her. It’s hard to de- The newly registered trust survived on hope, prayers event experience, no staff, no budget and an office scribe the fight that followed but she (the intern) to several gods and the goodwill of the creatives and that could fit possibly 2 other creatives squeezed won. She eventually did quit her unpaid intern- interns who joined. Our first official office was the size in so tightly you would need a crowbar to pry them ship at Creatives Garage to go back to university of a public toilet, little more than a glorified corridor. out. but not to study law, she went on to study media. Getting to your desk if you were late was like playing Like another ray of sunshine in Liz’s dreary world, That little bit of drama aside, Liz’s friends started human Tetris in a BM (Before Michuki, the the British Council came to the rescue like a knight to buy into their idea and helped align the goals government minister who told Kenyans that 14 seater in shining armour (too much? Yeah we thought so of Creatives Garage. The events had changed vans should only have (drumroll) 14 people in them (mind blown). We were all shocked to learn too). The British Council had already been support- from portfolio reviews into temporary spaces this) packed matatu. Some people would have to get out if you needed to get to the back. ing various arts programmes such as WAPI. After where creatives from all walks of life would come hearing Liz’s pitch they offered space for the portfo- together, (cut through the bureaucracy and bull- lio review. 40 creatives attended this first event and sh** that populates our various creative indus- 6 portfolios were reviewed. The artists networked, tries) to collaborate and push the boundaries of contacts were exchanged, people learnt stuff etc the creative scene. etc etc. The gig was over and it didn’t Mid 2013 seem like much had changed or been done. Time to head back to Liz met Mwalimu Gregg Tendwa a multimedia artist an unfulfilling life in the arts. and afro-futurist who would later go on to found Ubuni- Liz did not factor in Euticus. Euti- cus fu Hub in Machakos. Gregg bought into the idea of was a promising spoken word performer who Creatives garage and helped Liz pitch it to Hivos. That was in much the same situation as Liz meeting resulted in the first round of funding for Cre- when he attended the portfolio review. atives Garage. He emailed Liz looking for a job or attachment or “an anything”. The first gig With the funds from HIVOS, CG moved out of the had made an impact in his life and this glorified toilet to a new suite of offices in the Green- spurred Liz on to turn one event into a house building on Ngong Road. The funding also went series of them. The next few events were to hosting the first-ever Sondeka Festival, a 50-hour held at Pawa 254, a hub for journos, artists festival celebrating the 50 years Kenya had been inde- 50nd3k4 16 50nd3k4 17 50nd3k4 16 50nd3k4 17