Line drawing of a stylized goat head with teal ear and abstract dots.

Uganda

Core region | Refugees and Host Communities

Artolution has been leading programming in Uganda since early 2019, with our dedicated teams of local artists– Ugandan, South Sudanese and Congolese– affecting the lives thousands of vulnerable children and families who have participated across the country.

Our longest-running program has been in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda, the largest refugee settlement in Africa. Our projects feature community murals, sculptures, performance and virtual activities, strengthening social cohesion between social groups and promoting mental health for those who have faced the trauma of war and displacement.

Three people in blue vests posing in front of a colorful mural with a peace sign and smiles, showing vibrant street art in the background.

Three members of our talented Artist Team in Uganda.

In 2022 We led the first-ever fashion show designed and modeled by youth in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, where we also celerbated the opening of a new Artolution Art Center!

This year, we are partnering with UNHCR on a big new program in Kampala with urban refugees and host community members. Together, we are promoting sustainability through art-making with repurposed materials, while promoting livelihoods for refugees living in Uganda’s capital.

A vibrant mural depicting faces in colorful hues on a building wall, with a group of children playing and standing in front. The scene conveys community and creativity.

Mural created with students at the Alaba Primary School in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement

Aerial view of a group of children and adults sitting and standing around a colorful mural on grass, with shoes and paper nearby.

Painting a collaborative canvas commisioned by the World Economic Forum for Artolution’s Colour of Resilience project.

Video Spotlight

Movements of Freedom: A Dance Project in Africa’s Largest Refugee Settlement

During Artolution's 2019 arts programming in the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, CJ Thomas led dance workshops with South Sudanese youth. The project culminated with a huge public performance attended by hundreds of community members and
UN staff.

Video directed by Angelo Kinyua / Produced by Joel Bergner
DOC: Willie Owusu / Editor: Job Wanderi

Thanks to Education Above All, UNHCR Uganda, Windle International and Finn Church Aid

People painting a mural on a wall with brown and blue paint, outdoors during daytime.
Group of four people joyfully standing in front of a colorful mural, with paint on their clothes.
Three people outdoors filming with a camera on a tripod; one person is adjusting the camera, another is holding a microphone, and a third person stands in front of the camera. There's a rural landscape with trees and huts in the background.

Help us keep building strong, sustainable programs in Uganda!

Group of people posing in front of a colorful building with a vibrant mural, in an outdoor setting with grass and a clear sky.

The team closing a week of art activities during summer of 2022

Follow the Bidi Bidi team on social media to keep up with their work!

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