BOLDTheatre & Film institute

Current Programme

Mentorship Cohort A structured Learn & Earn pathway where emerging artists receive professional training, direct mentorship, and paid performance opportunities in stage and screen productions.

Through our Learn & Earn model, artists gain skills, income, and purpose while creating spaces for self-expression and social change.

What We Do

Learn

Professional performance and production training for theatre and film, including diplomas, intercultural exchanges, and hands-on production practice

Earn

Paid participation in stage and screen productions, workshops, and commissioned creative projects.

Welfare

Financial literacy, savings culture, and collective welfare structures that support artists beyond short-term gigs.

Impact

Productions that address real social issues, strengthen communities, and create spaces for dialogue and transformation.

OUR WORK

Our Foundation

Vision

A world where storytelling is recognized as a vital social and economic force shaping societies, bridging cultures, and powering sustainable livelihoods.

Mission

To mentor and empower artists through a learn-and-earn model that produces impactful stage and screen productions, strengthens communities, and advances storytelling as social and economic infrastructure.

Core Values

Access to opportunity
Creative self-expression
Community advocacy
Social awareness
Collaboration across cultures
Artistic excellence

For Artists

For Partners

FOUNDER

AROJI ORIENO

Founded & Led by Aroji Otieno Aroji Otieno is a Kenyan actor, playwright, director, certified LAMDA teacher, and acting coach with over two decades of professional experience across stage and screen. He has starred in major productions including Kito (Citizen TV), Salem (Showmax & Maisha Magic), and the widely viewed feature film Superstar. He made his breakthrough with the acclaimed biographical stage production My Moving Home, a celebrated East African work that established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary African theatre. Since his debut, he has written and produced numerous highly regarded stage and screen plays, contributing significantly to Kenya’s evolving performance landscape. He is the founder of Bold Theatre & Film Institute and Bold Theatre & Film Community Trust, where he leads a structured Acting Diploma model built on discipline, artistic excellence, and long-term ecosystem development. His mission is to build a disciplined and sustainable theatre and film institution in Kenya — developing actors who are creatively formidable, professionally grounded, and globally competitive. artists grow best when they are mentored, trusted with real work, and connected to the world.

A Vision Rooted in Mentorship

Aroji’s work is driven by a belief that training should not be separate from professional opportunity. He developed the Learn & Earn mentorship model, where young artists are trained through real productions, paid projects, and community-based performances. His approach focuses on:
Practical performance training
Direct mentorship from experienced artists
Paid creative opportunities
Community-based storytelling
Intercultural artistic exchange
Through this model, many young artists—especially from marginalised communities—gain both skills and dignity through creative work.

Intercultural Collaboration

Aroji actively builds partnerships between Kenyan artists and international collaborators. His projects have connected local performers with institutions and artists from countries such as South Korea, the United States, Brazil, Paraguay, and across Europe. These collaborations create:
Performances
International mentorship experiences
Joint training programmes
Global platforms for emerging artists
He believes that intercultural exchange not only strengthens artistic technique but also expands empathy, understanding, and creative possibility.

Ongoing Work

In addition to leading Bold Theatre, Aroji:
-Directs theatre and film projects.
-Mentors emerging artists.
-Teaches acting and performance.
-Develops original scripts and novels.
-Works on community-based theatre initiatives.
Across all these roles, his mission remains the same: to create spaces where artists can learn, earn, and use their voices to transform their communities.