Kenyan women artists have demonstrated extraordinary resilience through sixteen years of organizing Support Women Artists Now Day, proving how creativity and community can thrive even in times of national crisis. Their first festival in 2008 took place under martial law and political unrest, yet the Make It Happen Team—five long-time collaborators from a progressive theatre collective—refused to be silenced. Their decades of friendship, trust, and shared activism form the foundation that sustains the celebration today. This deep sense of collective responsibility has created an environment of warmth, respect, and solidarity strong enough to attract artists from across the country, including performers willing to travel for hours just to participate in a community that understands their struggles.
The festival’s power comes not only from artistic expression but also from its larger purpose within national and global movements for justice. Each core organizer is both an artist and an activist engaged in issues like women’s rights, climate justice, community health, and food sovereignty. Their work shows how art becomes a vehicle for amplifying women’s voices and influencing public attention. These relationships extend beyond the stage; when floods devastated Mathare, the same team mobilized resources for affected families. Recognizing the emotional toll of activism, they also launched Healing Through Art—small-group sessions where women can express their stress through dance, painting, writing, and theatre. By prioritizing mental health, they create space for artists to remain hopeful in the face of hardship.
From their example, several lessons emerge. Movements survive when built on trust, respect, and consistency. Artists stay strong when they see their work as part of a global struggle for justice. Mental health must be protected as fiercely as any other resource. And above all, hope must be cultivated deliberately. As Sophie Ogutu says, change begins with a single step—and then the courage to keep organizing, again and again.