Refugee Artist Support Circle. Start Here!
Free & Paid Subscriber info, Monthly Posts, Art Expos, and More!
Welcome to the Refugee Artist Support Circle, a special section of The Creative Convergence devoted to celebrating, sharing, and supporting the artists of Nakivale Young Talent Community (NYTC).
Note: This post is your landing page for all NYTC news and will be updated regularly.
Nakivale Young Talent Community (NYTC) is a community-based organization founded by Akon Deograce, a 22-year old artist, community organizer and changemaker, and several artist friends in 2021. NYTC has since developed into a full-fledged young refugee artist collective of 15 emerging artists ages 15-22 that provides free arts education program 6 days a week to over 50 children ages 5-18.
Where in the world is Nakivale Young Talent Community? NYTC is located in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, home to over 170,000 refugees from 13 countries experiencing war, conflict, food insecurity and climate change. NYTC artists are primarily from Democratic Republic of Congo, which is still suffering from a decades long war, and Burundi and Rwanda.
Want to see a fantastic video of Nakivale? Check out this “One Day Tour” YouTube video produced by
who was featured on Day 27 of the RainMakers & ChangeMakers art and storytelling series.
Become a Paid Subscriber, Support the Artists
The Creative Convergence is a GiveBackStack! 100% of your paid subscription benefits the NYTC artists. While most of the content here remains free to all, there are some perks and benefits for paid susbscribers.
Read the “Join the Circle” post to see a gorgeous video of the artists at work and learn about how 100 percent of your contribution benefits the artists!
You Can Help In Other Ways Too
There are other ways to support the artists. Choose the one that works for you!
Contribute to the Tip Jar. The Nakivale Artist Tip Top Jar which I manage on their behalf (100% goes to materials and supplies)
Contribute to their GoFundMe building fund. the Grand Opening of the Art Education Center is August 29th. But, there is still more work to do!
Purchase a ticket to an upcoming Art Expo. Our next one is September 28th. 100% will be shared between NYTC and their Kenyan counterpart Future Within CBO.
Purchase a print or tshirt from the “Support Refugee Artists” section of the RainMaker Design Etsy site (my site) that has a growing collection of NYTC art.
Purchase an original art piece. It is possible! I’ve done it and am awaiting two pieces to arrive in the United States thanks to shipping support from partner Faces Up Uganda. Check out the NYTC gallery for available original art.
A Month-In-The-Life of NYTC
Every month I write a monthly post with input from Founder Akon Deograce and other NYTC artists chronicle their artistic adventures. Fifteen young artists between the age of 15 and 22 collectively make up the Nakivale Young Talent Community. Together, they teach ar to over 50 children and youth.
Online Young Artist Expos
09 | 28 | 2024 “The World Through My Eyes” International Expo
Join us for this engaging and eye-catching international online expo celebrating emerging youth artists! Nakivale Artists collaborate with three Kibera Slums artists and three US artists to produce their second online expo. More artists will be listed as we get closer to the date.
06 | 01 | 2024 “Nakivale Young Refugee Artist” Expo
Did you miss the June 1st Online Expo? 10 NYTC artists showcased their work and raised enough money to purchase materials and supplies to produce 30+ new artworks! Read more here:
Non-Stop Nakivale Arts
The easiest way to view the work of NYTC artists is this compilation page. Portrait practice, professional commissions, and expo art!
Meet the Artists!
Read more about each of the talented emerging young artists on the NYTC Artist Profile page.
