Our Team Members

Rashida Namulondo

Team member

Rashida Namulondo is a youth worker, actress, award winning performance poet and co-founder of an all woman theatre group Afroman Spice.

Her works seek to use narratives and stories as a source of social healing and development. She is the founder of The Sophie Muwanika Institute of Art for Change, a social venture that uses theatre modules to provide psycho social support and alternative education to vulnerable communities.

Her work has been appreciated on both national and international stages including festivals like MASA, Zinduuka, Ubumuntu Arts Festival and conferences like One Young World Summit, UNAOC Global Youth Forum where she has shared her works with various practitioners on using theatre for change.

Kagayi Peter

Team Member

A lawyer by profession, Kagayi is a Ugandan oral poet, storyteller, author and teacher. He has performed poetry at the National theatre for 9 years and his works have been adopted for theatre, screen, audio productions, street performances and academics in East Africa.

His efforts have inspired many young people to start their poetry initiatives like; Katochi Poets, Verse In Vac, Rock Pride Poets, Kelele@Makerere, the Makerere Law School ‘Ben Kiwanuka’ Memorial Poetry Night, and the Zonzorra Poetry Night, all started by students he has mentored.

Kagayi is also the founder of Kitara Nation, a company that advocates for the preservation of oral traditions through poetry and storytelling. The ‘kitara’ Poets have staged various poetry shows both locally and internationally in various communities and festivals. Kitara Nation also runs KINAPO BOOKS, a ‘poets only’ publishing house in Uganda.

Barbara Kayaga

Team Member

Barbara Kayaga is a Ugandan singer, song writer and recording artist. At the age of seven (7), she begun touring with the African Children’s Choir performing in various countries in Europe, Canada and the United States. She went on to become one of the choir directors and later East African Music director for performances. Barbara has also developed and/or worked on music programs in different countries such as Rwanda (Asanti Children’s choir), Burundi and South Africa. At undergraduate level, she studied at the department of performing arts and Film at Makerere university.

Barbara is co-founder at the charity based organization, Siyabonga Music Africa.

Nabaggala Lilian Maximilian

Team Member

Nabaggala Lilian Maxmillian is a Ugandan dance performer and choreographer specializing in a wide array of dances such as traditional Ugandan dances, Latin, Afro house, waacking and contemporary dance.  She previously and continues to be involved with different festivals, dance battles, showcase competitions, concerts, theatre productions, community outreaches and exchange programs. Her engagement with dance has seen her grace festivals and competitions, collaborative productions in different countries such including Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, Rwanda, Netherlands, Germany. She is also an events hostess, wardrobe stylist and make -up artist.

She works with Batalo East and is a member at BreakdanceProject Uganda(BPU).

Abass Hassan Muhammad Ibrahim Amin

Team Member

Popularly known by his stage name, General UGLY (U Gatta Love Yourself) Emcee, Abass is a Ugandan Hip Hop activist, artiste, poet, script writer, actor among others. A grand child of the late President of Uganda his Excellency Iddi Amin Dada, he was born in Goma in the Democratic Republic of congo. He lived his childhood and part of his youthful years as a refugee in different countries. It is this experience that has shaped much of his work as an artist and advocate for positive social change, “with so much fire”, as he would say.

He is the founder and creative director at Bonfire Uganda, a youth led artistic organization inspiring and empowering young people in Uganda and beyond since 2001.

Joana Mbabazi

Team Member

Joana is a recent Dance Major graduate from the Department of Performing Arts and Film, Makerere University where she developed her skills in choreography and Pedagogy.  A versatile performer, Joana has been engaged with a number of different dance performance groups including the Uganda National Contemporary Ballet(UNCB), Musica Para Salva Vida, and Af Ndanza which has seen her perform at different events and festivals both in Uganda and internationally.

Joana exudes an unmatched passion for dance along with an open mind receptive to new ideas and eagerness to share her skills. Soon she will launch her own dance company. At 21 years old, the sky is the limit. The Cultural Avenue is proud to have her on board.

Kaddu Yusuf

Team Member

Kaddu identifies as a drummer, dancer, singer and art entrepreneur; fields in which he possesses vast experience gained from active participation in several performances, curation, production and training activities both locally and internationally.

He studied performing arts at Makerere majoring in dance. In 2004, at the age 22, he founded Kika troupe, the resident performing group at Kika arts performing arts. The troupe’s performances exude a progressive interpretation of African traditional music and dance which gives them a wider appeal. Its no wonder the troupe has been well received both locally and internationally.

On top of the regular performances, Kika arts center hosts various artistic social change events and guests. Kaddu serves as the Director at Kika Arts Performing Center.

Keith Mark Nyende

Team and Projects Coordinator

Nyende currently serves as the Team and Projects coordinator at The Cultural Avenue. He studied a bit of performing arts at Makerere University. His engagement with the Ugandan art and cultural scene saw him work for and/or with different artistic entities including Bayimba Cultural Foundation and Theatre Factory Uganda in coordination, logistics and stage management roles. He has also worked with medical research in field management and coordination capacity.

As a student, Nyende has a particular interest in Migration and Peace Studies.

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