PAWA 254, the arts organization known for graffiti and social change initiatives will no longer be based at AAYMCA building following termination of their lease agreement.
The organization first opened the space at the building located off State House Crescent road in 2011.
Many have synonymized the space with eye-popping protests, like using donkeys and spilling blood outside Parliament.
The space was started by photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi through their savings.
In a message circulated to members of the public, they said “It has been great watching the organization’s transformation over the past 9 years. We started small and grew, thanks to the love and support we got from young people and our partners, who believed in our dream to use art for social change.”
The message continued “sadly, our watch at AAYMCA Building has come to an end. We created great memories in this building, over the years, and it is a bittersweet feeling for us as we move out. We wish there could have been a party – with graffiti, music, poetry, photography, and dance – to celebrate the great achievements we all shared together at AAYMCA. We managed to bring graffiti into the mainstream, delivered pigs to parliament, reclaimed a grabbed public-school playground, produced some memorable protest music and inspired a new generation of fearless artists and activists.”
A few years ago, PAWA received core funding which was to partly help them secure a permanent office. It was believed that they were acquiring half of the Sarakasi Dome, but the deal did not materialize as Sarakasi felt they could be swallowed. They therefore have no space to operate at the moment as an office.
The organization confirmed this by saying “we are looking for a new, hopefully permanent, home to move into. We shall let you know our new address once we have become established and you can all come and celebrate a new beginning with us.”
