With and By Maya Quilolo.
Kisuko Nkenda — from the Bantu language, Kisuko means “island” and Nkenda “the path within” — is an artistic residency and research project in dance that explores ways of life among Bantu peoples in Africa and the diaspora in the Americas. The initiative connects traditional dance practices such as capoeira, rosary drums, and congadas with contemporary research developed at the Ensibuko Arts Foundation, a dance research center located in Jinja, Uganda.
The project focuses on rebuilding cultural and spiritual ties disrupted by diasporic experiences, through a shared artistic journey between two researchers and dancers: Maya Quilolo, a multidisciplinary quilombola artist from Brazil, and Koloto Siraji, a Ugandan artist rooted in Bagisu tribal philosophy. Together, they address themes of isolation, mourning, reconnection, and belonging in the post-pandemic world, through four key actions:
- Artistic Residency in Uganda (2 months), including workshops and collaborative exchanges;
- Open Studio Uganda, a free public presentation for youth in vulnerable situations;
- Open Studio Brazil, held at Parque Lagoa do Nado (Belo Horizonte), including a discussion circle;
- Bilingual Webpage sharing the research process through videos, texts, drawings, and with audio description.
The project aims to strengthen cultural exchange between Brazil and Uganda, and to expand public access to African diaspora artistic practices in the Global South, with all events being free and accessible.