Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya
Korogocho is an informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. It is home to approximately 100,000 people living in extreme poverty, with the community suffering from malnutrition, violent crime, disease and poor sanitation.
C&T has worked in Korogocho, Nairobi, for over fifteen years, building a sustained, values-led programme of creative practice rooted in long-term relationships, local leadership, and mutual exchange. Central to this work is our partnership with local artists and practitioners led by Peter Mwashi Litonde, whose leadership, cultural knowledge, and commitment to young people have shaped the direction and integrity of the collaboration from its earliest stages.
Together, we have developed participatory theatre and creative learning projects with children and young people that respond directly to lived experience in Korogocho. These projects address complex themes including migration, displacement, climate change, and social inequality, using creativity as a means of expression, dialogue, and agency. Rather than importing models wholesale, C&T’s approach has prioritised co-creation, capacity building, and the development of locally relevant methodologies that can evolve over time.
A major strand of this work is the Rock Art Project, delivered in partnership with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the Trust for African Rock Art, and the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi. This project connected heritage, performance, and contemporary issues, enabling young people to engage with ancient rock art traditions while responding creatively to present-day challenges, including environmental change and cultural continuity.
Across fifteen years, C&T’s work in Korogocho demonstrates a long-term commitment to ethical international practice, placing local leadership, creative voice, and global exchange at the heart of everything we do.
The Korogocho work has also formed a key part of C&T’s international collaborations, connecting artists and young people in Nairobi with partners in the UK and New York. Projects such as Push Pull explored global migration narratives, enabling participants to share stories across borders and understand how local experiences connect to international systems and movements. This transnational dialogue has been central to C&T’s belief that young people should be able to situate their own lives within wider global contexts.
