At KICF, our goal is to foster a sustainable musical community, within Kenya and beyond. To support this community, our focus is both top/down and bottom/up. We have experienced unrivaled enthusiasm for music in Kenya, along with a pre-existing network of string players. To ensure long term sustainability, we regularly engage with three groups: 

NEW AUDIENCES

We regularly present interactive performances for kids and adults alike. Many of our audience members have never seen a violin before. We also host masterclasses both online and in person for any Kenyan who wants to join. 

EUGENIA STRING PROJECT

Our KICF intern Sanya Wanjiru has begun to introduce young musicians to the violin at the Eugenia Arts Center. We have expanded Sanya’s role and this partnership to include the Thika School for the Blind.

PARTICIPANTS

We work intensely with a core group of veteran string players both online and in person. Several players receive weekly Zoom coaching; each teaches students of their own. Twice a year, we hold live festivals on the ground in Kenya. Partnering with Tafaria Arts Center, we host week long workshops, where we perform 4-6 concerts per festival, reaching audiences of over 1000 per trip. In June 2024, we offered a 10 day Luthier Repair Workshop to a group of KICF participants. They each received a tool kit upon completion. They hit the ground running; several have already gone into business repairing instruments in their own communities.