“NTARE” is a word that means Lioness/Lion in the Language of the Bantu Tribe found in Western Uganda called the Banyankole. In different dialects by the Bantu the Lioness is celebrated for her strength, cunning, hunting skills, prowess, and Roar. In this project we would love to elevate the voices of Femxle Creative Artists in East Africa, they are the Lionesses of our time, and we believe its time for them to RISE.

Celebrating Womxn in the arts is very important, we are often looked as objects of desire but not respected a curators of Art. Through conversations with Creatives in the industry we will shade more light on the need for gender equality and the need for documentation of folklore so that we can help preserve narratives from the past.

Ntare African Arts Festival is our Pride and time to Roar. We are here to celebrate and elevate Queer Refugee and indigenous creative artists in Africa. Art is the story of creatives, it’s how we express ourselves. How we show love and communicate our fears and dreams. Art is not just our language.

It’s who we are, ART is our DNA. It transforms us and drives us to higher vibrations where we exist in love and celebration as we convene with our ancestors and create meaningful connections with each other #NtareFest We believe that every moment in our lives should be a celebration of art love and life. You are warmly invited to the 4th edition of the Ntare Festival, a unique one-day festival that bridges art, scholars, and activism. This year’s theme is "Strengthening Feminist and Decolonial Knowledge Production and Methodologies in the Study of Social Policy and Economies in Africa" will be a vibrant gathering where creativity becomes a tool for reimagining our futures. Date: 14th December 2025 Time: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM VENUE: Stormchild Hotel (Nyanama) FREE ENTRY Hosts: Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation (SAF) & Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) What to Expect: • Interactive Creation: Roll up your sleeves! Choose from hands-on workshops to co-create a new folk song, contribute to a collective mural, explore the stories behind a futuristic clothing line, movie screening or learn a dance piece rooted in stories of Afrocentric resilience. • Dynamic Dialogue: Engage in a keynote panel and small-group discussions (Creative’s Legacy Café) with artists, storytellers, and scholars. We’ll explore how hair, song, textiles, dance, and folk tales offer powerful methodologies for decolonial research and policy. • Immersive Showcase: Experience the results of our collaboration through live performances from Refugee youth, seasoned global artists and a dance troupe, a fashion presentation and an Installation, the unveiling of our co-created mural, a movie screening for a Ugandan film production “The Cell (into the dark room)” and the launch of new audio-visual knowledge resources. • Community Celebration: Conclude the day by connecting with over 40 creative and cultural practitioners including Refugees, Key Population and 100 guests at a lively reception with live music, food, dance, cocktail bar and rich conversation. This is more than an event it’s an active space to build, question, and celebrate African feminist decolonial knowledge. Come add your voice, your hands, and your vision. [Link to RSVP https://ntarefestival.rsvpify.com ] [Link for VENUE https://maps.app.goo.gl/zFWts6vrEpGi1rDEA ]