STREET PERFORMANCE ◆ PUBLIC MURALS ◆ HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY National settle ◆ COMMUNITY LEAGUE ◆ ELECTIONS SURVEY ◆ CIVIC EDUCATION ◆
STREET PERFORMANCE ◆ PUBLIC MURALS ◆ HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY National settle ◆ COMMUNITY LEAGUE ◆ ELECTIONS SURVEY ◆ CIVIC EDUCATION ◆
FLASH MOBS, MURALS AND URBAN POLITICS
SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRES TRAVELLING THEATRE
As Kenya moves toward the 2027 General Election, urban spaces—particularly in Nairobi—are once again becoming sites of heightened political tension, polarisation, economic anxiety, and intensified state surveillance. Young people, who are disproportionately affected by unemployment, austerity measures, and political exclusion often experience elections not as moments of democratic renewal but as periods of uncertainty, repression, and contested citizenship.
This project uses theatre flash mobs and public mural installations as creative, non-partisan forms of civic engagement that respond directly to the political climate surrounding the 2027 election. By intervening in everyday urban spaces, the project uses art to open public conversations about democratic participation, political accountability, peace, and social justice, without aligning with any political party or candidate.
Through flash mobs and murals, the project captures the anxieties, hopes, and demands of ordinary citizens during a politically sensitive period, while also contributing to scholarly reflection on art as a form of democratic practice ‘from below’.
MEDIUM
THEATRE / PUBLIC ART
YEAR
2026
COLLECTIVE
SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKING GROUP
PLACE
NAIROBI, KENYA
THEMES
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT / SURVEILLANCE / POLARISATION
MURAL PHOTO
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Social Justice Centres Travelling Theatre
Social Justice Centres Travelling Theatre — NAIROBI, KENYA
The Social Justice Centres Travelling Theatre (SJCTT), under the Social Justice Centres Working Group, was formed in 2019. The team has made considerable progress towards enhancing social change and democracy especially in the informal and grassroots settlements nationally.
The group’s performances are aimed at localising and amplifying the significance and the essence for community members to stand up against any form of injustices in their communities. Through street shows and performing arts, the group sensitises various communities on human rights and has successfully influenced social change in more than 40 diverse communities across Kenya.
