Shifters is a documentary-style podcast series exploring the creative organizations, collectives, and communities reshaping Kenya’s cultural landscape from one extraordinary hub: The Mall.
Produced for the Frequency Shift Programme, the 11-episode series takes listeners inside the spaces where innovation, collaboration, and creativity meet. Each episode uncovers the people, ideas, and movements driving change, from sound labs and skate collectives to sustainable fashion, digital storytelling, and community-led cultural initiatives.
Blending immersive sound design, candid interviews, reflective narration, and archival textures, Shifters offers an intimate portrait of the creators and spaces daring to reimagine what art, technology, and social impact can look like in East Africa.
Narrative-driven and deeply human, the series captures The Mall not just as a location, but as a living ecosystem full of rhythm, resilience, experimentation, and possibility. With a distinctly Pan-African futurist sensibility, Shifters documents the voices and visions shaping Nairobi’s creative future, one story at a time.
EPISODE ONE: THE KANGWANAS
Tucked within Nairobi´s Westlands district, The Mall stands as a landmark and quiet witness to the city´s transformation. Owned by longtime investors in Kenya´s media sector, Family Kangwana, the building reflects a legacy of shaping creative industries while remaining true to its vision. From pioneering private television in Kenya to developing urban spaces, Kangwana´s influence has been foundational and understated.
Now, The Mall is entering a new chapter, creating spaces for cultural, creative and experimental minds and talents to collaborate, connect and experience together.
In conversation with Tabitha and Jared Kangwana themselves, we kick off the Shifters Podcast series, offering a rare, personal glimpse into the story behind the space. From its origins and architectural identity to its contemporary influence on Nairobi´s urban evolution. Exploring the creative renaissance unfolding within The Mall where a young generation of artists, entrepreneurs and cultural voices are reimagining its future in an urban setting.
EPISODE TWO: TAMASHA CORPORATION
Tamasha Corporation is one of East Africa’s leading music archive and distribution companies, preserving and managing a vast catalog of iconic recordings from some of the region’s most celebrated artists while connecting this legacy to global audiences. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Drusila Nyaboga, General Manager at Tamasha Corporation, whose decades of experience in the music industry help steward one of East Africa’s most important musical archives, and Winnie Mokaya, Content Officer, whose work spans digital marketing, content management, and audience engagement in bringing this rich musical heritage into the digital age.
EPISODE THREE: SANTURI
Santuri East Africa is a Nairobi-based music innovation hub shaping the future of East African electronic music through artist development, creative experimentation, and inclusive platforms that push sonic culture forward. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Amondo Onyango-Obbo, SEMA Project Lead and Junior Managing Director at Santuri East Africa, whose work sits at the intersection of culture, strategy, and social transformation, using creative practice to challenge power and amplify new possibilities.
EPISODE FOUR: MUNYU
Munyu is a community-based artistic space and evolving experiment in space-making, bringing together artists and practitioners to create exhibitions, conversations, workshops, and collaborative cultural projects through shared responsibility and collective care. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Joy Mala, a curator, writer, and multidisciplinary creative exploring the intersections of storytelling, science, and contemporary art, and Emmaus Kimani, founder of Culture Contemporary, whose work in documenting, archiving, and publishing contemporary culture helps preserve the evolving histories of African artistic practice.
EPISODE FIVE: BLACKRHINO VR
BlackRhino VR is a Nairobi-based immersive technology studio pioneering virtual, augmented, and extended reality experiences across Africa, using XR to transform storytelling, education, innovation, and digital engagement. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Brian Afande, a creative technologist driving XR adoption and innovation across the continent, and Abo Abraham, BlackRhino VR’s Chief Operations Officer, whose work bridges systems, governance, and emerging technology to help scale immersive solutions for African markets.
EPISODE SIX: CALOTROPIS
Calotropis is a community-based radio that believes in the importance of the ongoing pulse of music and making; aiming to stretch the radiophonic by dancing in the archives, collaborating with the underground, and, in their words, ‘never forgetting the skies beyond the sky’.
EPISODE SEVEN: SKATING SOCIETY OF KENYA
The Skateboarding Society of Kenya (SSK) is a community-driven collective growing skate culture in Kenya by building spaces for expression, accessibility, and community through skateboarding. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Milango, a skateboarder, designer, and experimental music artist passionate about making skate culture more accessible, and George, Chairman of SSK, whose mission is to grow skateboarding in Kenya and shape the culture through a distinctly Kenyan lens.
EPISODE EIGHT: GIRL SKATE NAIROBI
GirlSkate Nairobi is a community-led skate collective creating safe, inclusive spaces where girls and young women can access skateboarding as a tool for confidence, self-expression, and community. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Jelimo Cheboi, cultural producer and co-founder of GirlSkate Nairobi, whose work sits at the intersection of sport, art, and social impact, using skate culture to build access, visibility, and connection for the next generation.
EPISODE NINE: NADHARIA CBO
Nadharia CBO is a community-led organization advancing dignity, safety, and economic empowerment for sexual and gender minorities across East Africa through advocacy, education, protection, and community-driven support systems. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Jamila Odera (Millah), a finance and analytics professional and community advocate whose work focuses on building systems of resilience, inclusion, and long-term empowerment for marginalized communities in Kenya.
EPISODE TEN: THE MIST
The Mist is Nairobi’s first venue dedicated to underground and experimental music, creating a home for non-mainstream sound, culture, and creative community while serving as a space for experimentation across music, media, and technology. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Coco Em, multidisciplinary artist, DJ, and Artistic Director of The Mist, whose work as a curator, performer, and cultural advocate continues to shape Nairobi’s underground music scene on both local and global stages.
EPISODE ELEVEN: CREATIVES GARAGE
Creatives Garage is a Nairobi-based creative hub and community space that supports artists, cultural practitioners, and innovators through collaboration, experimentation, and programs that sit at the intersection of art, technology, and social impact. In this episode, we’re in conversation with Thayu Kilili, exploring the work, ethos, and evolving practice of Creatives Garage as a catalyst for creative ecosystems and community-driven cultural production in Kenya.