Call for Researchers, Anthropologists, Artists & Designers (Local & International)

Tafaria Museum of Philosophy Residency

Tafaria Castle & Center for the Arts – Kenya

March 2026

Preamble

Across Kenya’s communities lies a vast body of traditional wisdom expressed through proverbs, stories, cultural practices and everyday reflections about life. Over generations, many of these insights have been carefully preserved and documented through research, literature, and cultural archives.

Yet while much of this wisdom is documented, it is rarely presented in ways that allow it to be fully experienced and internalized.

Most traditional knowledge today exists primarily in written form within books, academic papers, and cultural documentation. While these records are invaluable, they often limit how deeply people engage with the ideas they contain.

Educational research, particularly experiential learning theory, demonstrates that people understand and remember ideas more powerfully when learning engages multiple senses and involves direct experience. Knowledge that can be seen, heard, touched, explored and interacted with becomes far more memorable than knowledge encountered only through reading or listening.

Experiential learning suggests that people retain knowledge more effectively when the know knowledge is accessed through multisensory pathways where we can see, touch, feel, hear and taste and when we

1. encounter ideas in real environments
2. engage physically or emotionally with them
3. reflect on those experiences
4. connect them in context

In such settings, learning becomes immersive rather than abstract, allowing ideas to remain vivid long after the experience itself.

This insight is especially relevant for traditional wisdom and philosophical ideas, which were historically transmitted through oral storytelling, lived experience and communal practice rather than through written texts.

The Tafaria Outdoor Museum of Philosophy seeks to revive this experiential dimension of wisdom by transforming philosophical ideas into multi-sensory outdoor installations.

Instead of presenting philosophy solely through written interpretation, the museum will translate cultural insights into:

1. Sculpture
2. Landscape design
3. Sound installations
4. Interactive artworks
5. Environmental storytelling

Visitors will encounter philosophy not only through reading, but through walking, listening, observing and interacting with ideas embedded in the landscape.

By doing so, the Tafaria Outdoor Museum of Philosophy aims to bridge the space between knowledge and lived experience, ensuring that the philosophical insights embedded in Kenya’s cultures remain accessible, engaging and meaningful.

Why participate in this Project

The Tafaria Outdoor Museum of Philosophy presents a unique opportunity to participate in the creation of a cultural project that incorporates research, art, philosophy and landscape.

Importantly, the ideas and installations developed through this residency will form part of a permanent outdoor museum, ensuring that contributors’ work continues to engage visitors, students and communities for years to come.

The Project

The Museum of Philosophy & Ideas seeks to collect, interpret and translate community wisdom, proverbs, life lessons and philosophical insights from across Kenya into physical outdoor installations.

Each Kenyan community will contribute 2–3 core philosophical ideas, which will be interpreted through:

1. Sculpture
2. Landscape design
3. Sound installations
4. Interactive artworks
5. Storytelling

The result will be a multi-sensory landscape of ideas where visitors walk through the fields and encounter philosophical insights expressed through art, environment and cultural storytelling.

The Residency

Tafaria invites researchers, anthropologists, artists, designers and creative thinkers to participate in a residency focused on developing the conceptual and artistic foundations of this museum.

Residents will work collaboratively to:

• Document and interpret wisdom traditions from Kenyan communities

• Translate philosophical insights into visual and spatial concepts

• Design multi-sensory outdoor installations

• Explore new ways of presenting philosophy through landscape, art and storytelling

The residency is designed as a cross-disciplinary collaboration between cultural research and artistic creation.

Who We Are Looking For

We invite applications from:

Anthropologists & Cultural Researchers

Researchers interested in:

1. Oral traditions
2. Indigenous knowledge systems
3. Cultural philosophy
4. Community narratives

Artists

Artists working in areas such as:

1. Sculpture
2. Land art
3. Installation art
4. Sound art
5. Storytelling
6. Multimedia art

Designers & Architects

Designers interested in:

1. Landscape design
2. Experiential design
3. Spatial storytelling
4. Interactive installations

What Residents Will Do

During the residency participants will:

• Conduct cultural and philosophical research

• Work with community narratives and oral traditions

• Develop concepts for installations

• Collaborate across disciplines

• Design and prototype installations that may become part of the permanent museum

The residency will culminate in the development and implementation of installations across the Tafaria Nano Farm landscape.

Who Should Apply

This residency welcomes participants who:

1. Are pursuing academic or research interests in culture, philosophy, or society in general
2. Wish to explore new creative horizons through interdisciplinary collaboration
3. Need time away to refresh their minds and work ollaboratively with othere
4. Seek to immerse themselves deeply in culture and creative freedom
5. Foreigner looking for a cultural immersion through applied arts
6. Desire to share knowledge and ideas with wider communities through art and storytelling

The project especially welcomes individuals who wish to contribute to something lasting and meaningful, where their work will become part of a permanent cultural landscape accessible to future generations.

How to Apply

Researchers, anthropologists, artists, designers and creative thinkers interested in participating in the Tafaria Outdoor Museum of Philosophy Residency are invited to submit an expression of interest.

Applications and all inquiries should be sent to:

The Residency Director

thearts@tafaria.com

Applications close May 1st 2026

Please include the following information:

1. Personal Introduction

A brief introduction about yourself, your background and your current work.

2. Discipline or Area of Practice

Indicate your primary area of work, for example:

1. Anthropologist
2. Cultural researcher
3. Artist
4. Designer
5. Architect
6. Landscape designer
7. Sound artist
8. Storyteller
9. Other relevant discipline

3. Community or Cultural Area of Interest

Indicate if you are particularly interested in exploring wisdom from a specific Kenyan community or cultural tradition.

4. Motivation and Project Interest

A short description explaining:

1. why you are interested in the Tafaria Outdoor Museum of Philosophy
2. how your work or research could contribute to the project
3. any ideas you may wish to explore during the residency

5. Proposed Length of Stay

Applicants should indicate their preferred duration of stay.

Residencies may vary depending on the nature of the work. Currently, Tafaria is open to hosting residents for extended periods, allowing sufficient time for research, collaboration, and the development of meaningful installations.

Applicants are therefore encouraged to propose a residency period that supports thoughtful exploration and creative development.

6. Portfolio or Research Background (optional but encouraged)

Artists and designers may include a portfolio of relevant work.

Researchers and anthropologists may include a short summary of previous research or publications.