BOLDTheatre & Film institute

How the Learn & Earn Model Works

Outstanding and disciplined students may be considered for paid performance opportunities within the Bold Theatre & Film ecosystem.
You are not training in isolation
You are training inside a working theatre and film movement.
This is where training meets opportunity. Our Previous Cohort Didn’t Just Train — They Delivered
At Bold Theatre & Film, training leads to real work.
Our previous cohort created bold, socially impactful, and internationally collaborative theatre and film productions. Actors performed publicly, built strong portfolios, and earned moderate professional fees comparable to theatre standards across East and South Africa.
Here’s what they produced

Theatre: Dreams kwa Mathree-Created in collaboration with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.

Toshanisha– A cross-cultural collaboration with Os Satyros.

Njogu – Produced in partnership with SEP Kenya, one of Kenya’s largest networks of Special EducationProfessionals working directly with persons with disabilities, including autism and cerebral palsy.

Sharpshooter– A Forum Theatre production developed in partnership with NGOs in Migori County, addressing urgent community issues through participatory performance.

Richi wa Utat – Bold Theatre & Film’s re-imagining of Richard III in Sheng and English, directed by Adam Parker, a Los Angeles-based theatre director. Staged as community theatre within Nairobi settlements, the production amplified youth voices and elevated Sheng as a powerful dramatic language, integrating Sikuti dance, matatu culture, indigenous music, and spiritual symbolism to draw sharp parallels between Shakespearean power struggles and Kenya’s political realities

These were not classroom exercises. They were public productions. They shaped conversations. They built careers. They paid actors.

Finally, the cohort also participated in the Bold International Symposium — a cross-cultural creative gathering bringing together local and international artists for dialogue, workshops, performance exchange, and collaborative development. The Symposium strengthened global partnerships and directly led to new productions and long-term artistic collaborations.

You are building both your craft and your professional foundation. Program Details
Duration: 12 Months
Structure: 3 Academic Terms
Admission is competitive and based on artistic potential, discipline, and readiness for professional growth.

• Join the next cohort

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUMS & EXCHANGE

Bold Theatre International Symposiums are creative gatherings that bring together artists from different parts of the world to train, collaborate, and create new work.
They function as:
-Performance labs
-Intercultural exchange spaces
-Mentorship platforms
-Collaborative production environments
Artists share techniques, develop projects, and explore how different cultural influences shape performance. Participants train together, devise material, and present new work at the end of the programme.

International Collaborations

Through symposiums and exchange programmes, Bold Theatre has worked with institutions and artists from around the world, including:
Seoul Institute of the Arts (South Korea)
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (USA)
International artists from Paraguay, Brazil, and Europe
These collaborations have included:

• Cross-border devising workshops
• Joint digital productions
• International mentorship sessions
• Collaborative performances
Our work continues to build bridges between local and global artists, positioning Nairobi as an active hub for intercultural performance.

Intercultural Productions

Bold Theatre’s intercultural collaborations are built through the mentorship programme,
where local and international artists work together to create new performance projects.

Richi Wa Utat (Richard III)

One of our flagship intercultural mentorship projects is Richi Wa Utat, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by international collaborator Adam Parker. Set in Nairobi’s informal settlements, the story follows Richi, a young man rising from the streets of Korogocho through ruthless ambition, betrayal, and survival. The adaptation reflects the social and economic realities faced by many young people in the city. The play is performed in Sheng, Nairobi’s most widely spoken urban language, and blends East African culture, mythology, and street aesthetics. This allows young artists from marginalised communities to see their own stories represented on stage.

A Mentorship-Led Production

Richi Wa Utat is part of Bold Theatre’s Learn & Earn mentorship model. Through this project:
Young artists from informal settlements receive performance training.
Participants are supported with meals, transport, and rehearsal resources.
Artists gain experience working with international directors.
The production creates paid opportunities for performers, musicians, and designers. The process creates a space for:
-Artistic development
-Social awareness
-Community advocacy
-Youth empowerment