Multidisciplinary
The Nest Collective (2012-2021)
An art collective
My ten-year journey with the Nest Collective began in 2012, when I joined as a co-founder and Creative Director/General Manager alongside co-founders and partners George Gachara, Dr. Njoki Ngumi and Sunny Dolat. I worked alongside them to create an environment where a fusion of skills and interests could coalesce, where medical doctors, social workers, accountants, and actuarial scientists had room to transform into DJs, performers, and creators alongside those of us who had already been working in creative fields—a space where artistic practice could flourish outside conventional training paths.
Scenes from ten years of practice with the collective
Behind the scenes on the set of 'Let This Be A Warning'
Members of the collective at the premiere of 'Tuko Macho'
A performance during a 'Strictly Silk' all-women/all-femme party
Members of the collective perform a DJ set in Copenhagen
The all-women crew of the 'Strictly Silk' party events
Dr. Njoki Ngumi speaks at the Het Nieuwe Institut, Rotterdam
Image from 'You Can't Sit With Us' photo series
Members of the collective in conversation during a hybrid residency at Stroom Den Haag
Fena performs for a 'Strictly Silk' audience
Members of the collective on location during the 'Let This Be A Warning' VR film shoot
The Early Days (2012-2013)
Coming from Just a Band and my own work in music and visual arts, I was excited by the possibility of using creative media work to unpack and explore the difficult sociopolitical and identity issues that are a fixture of Kenya's cultural imagining. From my own experience as a self-taught artist who had studied information technology, the collective took shape around a radical idea: that artistic practice could be cultivated in anyone with genuine interest, regardless of formal training which was (and largely still is) sorely lacking in Kenya.
Our first year was spent working between and across established artistic disciplines in Nairobi. We organized gatherings, screenings, and collaborative events that connected previously separate creative communities. A pivotal moment came in 2013 when we organized a performance by poet and activist Staceyann Chin in Nairobi. Our engagement with her inspired us to create more boldly intersectional work merging art with life and activism.
Our first year was spent working between and across established artistic disciplines in Nairobi. We organized gatherings, screenings, and collaborative events that connected previously separate creative communities. A pivotal moment came in 2013 when we organized a performance by poet and activist Staceyann Chin in Nairobi. Our engagement with her inspired us to create more boldly intersectional work merging art with life and activism.
Ground zero: the Nest's first location in Nairobi
Staceyann Chin performs for a Nairobi audience
Silas Miami and Winnie Chris records songs from 'Legacy' in the Nest's bathroom-turned-studio
Podcast hosts Liz Maina and June Njenga hosted at the Nest
The Human Rights Tattoo Project makes their Nairobi stopover at the Nest
Santuri Safari's music production workshops hosted at the Nest
Monthly 'Eye See Film' screenings hosted at the Nest
Workshop participants break for the evening
Dr. Njoki Ngumi leads workshop participants in a movement exercise
Visual artist Syowia Kiambi leads an artist's roundtable discussion at the Nest
Transformation + Growth (2014-2018)
The creation and release of Stories of Our Lives in 2014—an anthology film based on interviews with LGBTQ+ Kenyans—marked a defining moment for our group. Our work on the archival and oral history project caused the Kenyan government to ban the film and arrest George in his capacity as the film's producer.
The ban and resulting visibility around the film—which was warmly received by international critics and went on to screen in over 90 countries despite its domestic ban—forced members of the collective to confront public visibility and the risks associated with supporting LGBTQ+ lives and narratives. This shared challenge deepened our bonds and led us to evolve from "The Nest" to "The Nest Collective"—reflecting our commitment to stand together despite external pressures.
The ban and resulting visibility around the film—which was warmly received by international critics and went on to screen in over 90 countries despite its domestic ban—forced members of the collective to confront public visibility and the risks associated with supporting LGBTQ+ lives and narratives. This shared challenge deepened our bonds and led us to evolve from "The Nest" to "The Nest Collective"—reflecting our commitment to stand together despite external pressures.
Behind the scenes on the set of 'Stories of Our Lives'
'Stories of Our Lives' film poster
Still from 'Athman', one of five anthology stories featured in 'Stories of Our Lives'
George Gachara in a post-screening discussion at Movies That Matter
A sampling of festival screenings featuring works by the Nest
Progression of the Nest's brand identity from a space to a collective
Members of the collective host a discursive event at the International Film Festival Rotterdam
Moving into the Nest's second home in Nairobi
Building on this foundation of shared risk and commitment, we developed several significant multidisciplinary projects such as:
Tuko Macho: A web series exploring crime and justice in Nairobi through interactive narrative, where audiences participated in moral decisions about vigilante justice
We Need Prayers: A mini-series examining urban life through interconnected stories
Let This Be A Warning: A virtual reality project examining African futures
Strictly Silk: Dance events creating safe spaces for women and non-binary people
HEVA: Initially a project within the Nest, HEVA evolved into East Africa's first creative economy fund. The fund emerged from our desire to connect artistic practice with sustainable livelihoods. For years, the Nest team worked inside both organizations, experiencing the creative sector from two perspectives: as practicing artists at the Nest and as part of HEVA's effort to strengthen the broader creative economy. Our dual roles offered unique insights the complex dynamics between art and commerce.
Tuko Macho: A web series exploring crime and justice in Nairobi through interactive narrative, where audiences participated in moral decisions about vigilante justice
We Need Prayers: A mini-series examining urban life through interconnected stories
Let This Be A Warning: A virtual reality project examining African futures
Strictly Silk: Dance events creating safe spaces for women and non-binary people
HEVA: Initially a project within the Nest, HEVA evolved into East Africa's first creative economy fund. The fund emerged from our desire to connect artistic practice with sustainable livelihoods. For years, the Nest team worked inside both organizations, experiencing the creative sector from two perspectives: as practicing artists at the Nest and as part of HEVA's effort to strengthen the broader creative economy. Our dual roles offered unique insights the complex dynamics between art and commerce.
'Tuko Macho' series poster
'Let This Be A Warning' VR film poster
Textile workshops facilitated by HEVA
Photography workshops facilitated by HEVA
Nest and HEVA team members at an UNCTAD side-event hosted by HEVA
Front cover of 'Not African Enough', a fashion book by the Nest Collective
'To Catch A Dream' fashion film poster
'We Need Prayers' short film series poster
Cultural Research + Activism (2018-2021)
My work on the International Inventories Programme alongside colleague Njoki opened our eyes to Kenya's complex historical narratives. Documenting displaced cultural objects led us to confront the structural injustices that shaped our country and how these histories have been sanitized over time. This work culminated in my TED talk "Why are stolen African artefacts still in Western museums?" but more importantly, it revealed how difficult emotions shape international dialogue in invisible and unacknowledged ways. This emotional gulf helped us understand broader challenges in Global North-South relations, where Northern institutions often seek to approach history with detached logic while Southern partners need to address the deeply felt impacts of historical trauma.
Jim Chuchu and Dr. Njoki Ngumi browse the library of the Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt
Object Movement Dialogues curated by the International Inventories Programme
Dr. Njoki Ngumi and Jim Chuchu take part in an interview about the Invisible Inventories exhibition in Nairobi
Members of the International Inventories Programme visit a storage facility at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne
Members of the International Inventories Programme conduct an object movement workshop in Nairobi
Artistic Approach
Unlike traditional artist collectives where established artists merge their individual practices, the Nest Collective developed a model of collective authorship that challenged traditional notions of individual artistic practice. We believed in nurturing artistic talent regardless of formal training, reflecting the limited opportunities for arts education in Kenya. Our projects integrated multiple art forms, drawing on members' diverse backgrounds in music, fashion, social development, and feminist and queer theory.
Sometimes this meant pushing back against industry pressure to credit individuals, insisting on our works being credited simply as "by the Nest Collective".
Sometimes this meant pushing back against industry pressure to credit individuals, insisting on our works being credited simply as "by the Nest Collective".
Behind the scenes on the set of 'We Need Prayers'
Pre-production research for the VR short 'Let This Be A Warning'
Dr. Njoki Ngumi hosts a workshop during the Social Safari
Collective members on location during the 'Let This Be A Warning' VR film shoot
Collective members on location during the 'Let This Be A Warning' VR film shoot
Casting for the 'Tuko Macho' series
Collective members on location during the 'Tapi!" speculative documentary shoot
Collective members on location during the 'Emergency' music video shoot
Personal Impact + Reflection
My time with the collective fundamentally changed how I approach artistic creation. I learned that powerful art can emerge from collaboration and lived experience, and that technical skill serves emotional honesty rather than the other way around. The experience of creating work that sparked difficult but necessary conversations helped me understand art's potential for social impact, and I learned to value the courage and scope that is easier to obtain when working alongside others.
The Nest Collective became a second family to me, and my ten years there represent more than just a period of artistic production – they mark a fundamental shift in how I understand my role as an artist in the sociocultural context of a country like Kenya.
The courage to tell complex stories, the understanding of art's role in social dialogue, and the value of collective creative process – these lessons continue to influence my work today. My journey with the collective concluded in 2021, but the impact of our shared work continues to shape my understanding of art's potential to create change, challenge narratives, and build community.
The Nest Collective became a second family to me, and my ten years there represent more than just a period of artistic production – they mark a fundamental shift in how I understand my role as an artist in the sociocultural context of a country like Kenya.
The courage to tell complex stories, the understanding of art's role in social dialogue, and the value of collective creative process – these lessons continue to influence my work today. My journey with the collective concluded in 2021, but the impact of our shared work continues to shape my understanding of art's potential to create change, challenge narratives, and build community.