Muda Africa

MuDA Africa was registered as a not-for-profit Company, ltd by Guarantee in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in February 2012. The main aim of the organization is to set up a School for Music and Dance for local children and youth which teaches contemporary music and dance up to certificate level.

Instruments, Accessories, scholarships and administrative assistance are provided in order to make the services accessible to low-income sectors of society and to thus establish a means for alternative skills building, vocational training, and poverty alleviation.

MuDa is short for Music and Dance, and also means 'time' in Swahili. Muda Africa seeks to integrate a contemporary, urban modern Africa with traditional knowledge and wisdom, a circular understanding of time that represents the present with firm roots in the past and a clear understanding of the way forward into the future.

The concept of time also alludes to movement, rhythm and space – all integral aspects of both music and dance.

The main objectives of the organization are as follows:
1. To teach dance and music as well as related performing and visual arts and all performance related skills (recording, stage and arts management, engineering, sound technology, stage sets, language skills, life skills, stage design, costume design, make-up skills, etc)up to certificate and diploma level.
2. To sell instruments and all related accessories and to offer training and services in instrument repair.
3. To use music and dance as a tool for poverty alleviation through skill building and vocational training
4. To build libraries, archives and other spaces for the preservation of culture.
5. To build and operate a recording studio.
6. To organize meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, forums, lectures, competitions, events and festivals.
7. To network, promote and develop Tanzanian and East African dance and music locally, regionally and internationally.

MuDa Africa partners with Music Mayday 'Sounds of Tomorrow' in the music training center in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam. Contemporary dance training takes place in Nafasi Art Space and Muda Africa organizes the annual Time2Dance Festival in Dar es Salaam.

The founding Directors of MuDa Africa are Hilda Kiel (project director for Music Mayday 'Sounds of Tomorrow', formerly Director of the Dhow Countries Music Academy) and Rachel Kessi (Makutano House, Mawazo Gallery and Visa2Dance Festival).

Both directors have extensive experience and track record in arts management, event production, fundraising and networking in East Africa and abroad.