Renowned Ghanaian-Scottish architect, academic, and novelist Professor Lesley Lokko has launched an innovative educational initiative known as the Nomadic African Studio. 

This dynamic program will function as an annual series of architecture studios and workshops, uniquely positioned across the African continent, empowering a new generation of architects and fostering creativity and collaboration in the field.

As announced on the African Futures Institute (AFI) website, the Nomadic African Studio originated during a dinner at Il Ridotto in Venice, where a group of six individuals discussed the possibility of establishing an annual studio on the African continent following their experience at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. 

According to the website, while Accra, home to the African Futures Institute, emerged as a potential starting point, the group also considered basing their locations on thematic elements rather than specific places. As they explored the overarching themes of decolonisation and decarbonisation, the concept of "nomadic" began to resonate with everyone at the table. 

Image courtesy of the African Futures Institute (AFI)

Over the next two years, they held numerous workshops, engaged in conversations, and participated in Zoom meetings that led to constructive debates and brainstorming, as stated in the AFI website.

This collaborative effort resulted in the formation of a dedicated team, the establishment of core faculty, and the involvement of global critics, culminating in meetings in various cities, including Accra, London, Fez, and Dakar. 

After Fez, the studios will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; and Port Louis, Mauritius.

Lesley Lokko invited applications from graduate students, recent graduates, early-career academics, and emerging practitioners for the inaugural Biennale College Architettura, which took place from June 25 to July 22, 2023, in Venice.

Image courtesy of the African Futures Institute (AFI)

"New territories of thought and action"

The annual series of studio sessions will be held either in July/August or January/February each year. This scheduling is designed to accommodate the different academic calendars of the global North and global South, as well as to consider the weather conditions in our chosen locations. 

The program is open to graduate-level students, practitioners, and academics under the age of 35 and described as "an opportunity to explore ideas in a focused, supportive, and experimental format." 

Participants will engage in design projects, seminars, lectures, field trips, readings, films, and discussions. With guidance from tutors, they will "open up new territories of thought and action", addressing some of today’s most pressing issues: cultural identity, migration, displacement, climate change, race and social equity, public health, governance, and city-making.

Professor Lesley Lokko. Image © Debra Hurford-Brown

The first studio will take place in Fez, Morocco from 18 July to 15 August, 2025. 

The AFI website also published a 48-page Guide for the program, which includes FAQ, eligibility, costs, application process, the team members and the theme. The fully-funded program is supported by Open Society Foundations and watch brand Rolex. 

The top image in the article: Professor Lesley Lokko. Image © Debra Hurford-Brown.

> via African Futures Institute

Lesley Lokko Nomadic African Studio program