Culture, Music and the Arts

The Directorate of Culture, Music and the Arts was established in May 2019 and has the following vision, mission, strategic objectives and mandate:

Vision

A dynamic, vibrant and transformed culture, music, arts and heritage sector.

Mission

To develop, preserve, protect and promote arts, culture and heritage.

Strategic Objectives

• To develop, promote, preserve and protect the arts, cultural and creative sector;
• To develop, preserve, promote and protect heritage;
• To develop, promote and support the performing arts;
• To develop, promote and preserve music in Kikamba and other languages;
• To develop, promote and protect Kikamba language and literature; and
• To enhance public entertainment and recreation activities.

Mandate

• Arts and culture promotion and development (arts, culture and heritage policy, promotion and development of culture, music and the arts);
• Music development, promotion and preservation;
• Performing arts development and promotion;
• Heritage development, preservation, promotion and protection;
• Language and literature (books) development and promotion; and
• County parks and recreational facilities.

In fulfilment of its strategic objective to develop, preserve and protect the arts, cultural and creative sector, the directorate is pleased to present a digital exhibition of cultural and creative industries products. This initial exhibition covers the products developed by Dorcus Beads and the Makueni Handicrafts Cooperative Society.

The cultural and creative industries in Makueni County are greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. By placing an order and purchasing the beautiful products showcased in this exhibition, you are contributing to the livelihoods of artists, their families and other dependents that they support.

Dorcus Beads

Dorcus Beads is a community based organization (CBO) situated in Kasikeu Market, Makueni County. The CBO begun in March 2008, with the intention of strengthening the economic base for a local facilitation team that was actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness reaching out to local communities, through making of products from recycled glossy magazines and beads project. Another reason for its inception was to create a safe space that acts as an informal system for learning, sharing and support for other local artisans with like mind.

Its vision is: ‘Bringing back life to our communities without discrimination’.

Dorcus Beads started with five ladies in 2008, and now it has grown to accommodate over fifty women. The women come from mixed backgrounds: some are youth, single mothers, married, widows, people living with disability and an older generation of grandmothers. The group also has 2 young men who have recently joined.

Home visits to each other’s homes is a key way of working that enhances connectedness. The team of women of Dorcus Beads, as confirmed by a recent mapping exercise done in 2018, are women who have leadership potential and support community work. Currently, the team is supporting communally organized kids and youth clubs in 10 villages giving counseling services and initiating activities such as tree planting.

These women are highly effective as indicated by their capacities to meet deadlines whenever orders are given, improved quality of products and creativity for sourcing local markets. This team has grasped the concept of transformational learning for transfer which enables the participants to be accountable to each other. In addition to the beads project, in order to supplement their income, the older women specialize also in basket making. The baskets are decorated with recycled paper beads.

The younger women and youth, on the other hand, specialize in the main handicraft specifically rolling, cutting, varnishing and creation of all paper products which include seasonal items such as Christmas Reindeers and the Easter Chicken, housing items such as picture frames, door hangings, coaster sets, jug covers and personalized items such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, among others. These products are marketed locally and abroad whenever there are orders.

The major objective of the project has been to empower the most vulnerable groups through income generating activities and psychosocial support to alleviate the emotional and physical suffering of orphans and vulnerable children in the community. All efforts are geared towards:

• Enhancing quality bead production, training more people and diversifying the products;
• Improving the living standards of vulnerable groups, that is, children, women, youth, the aged and people living with disability; and
• Building the capacities of the most vulnerable to cultivate resilience.

The long term vision for Dorcus Beads is to construct a building which can house the production workshop, bead production space, counseling room and conference facility. The building will also accommodate all other artisans in the community so that it is a co-creation and innovation hub that also serves as a tourist attraction and sales hub for cultural and creative products and services.

Dorcus Beads participates in ‘Others’-The Salvation Army’s global social enterprise (see <www.tradeforhope.com>).

Makueni Handicrafts Cooperative Society

Makueni Handicrafts Cooperative Society was founded in 1994 in Emali/Mulala Ward, Makueni County and has 282 members. The cooperative specializes in handicrafts particularly wood carvings for both the local and international market with international tourists being the main customers. The cooperative utilizes hard woods such as Muvingo (ebony), Mwaa wa usi (rosewood) and Jacaranda tree to make an assortment of wood carvings ranging from wildlife carvings, assorted functional items and people. Women members specialize in light duties such as sand papering and other finishing duties as well as engaging in basket weaving. Often, tourists stop over at their curio shop at Emali along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway for shopping on their way to other major tourist sites in the country.