The Nkwe Convergence · 24-31 May 2027

Apply to perform or exhibit.

Four-step application. Five tracks available — Music Performer, Dance & Movement, Spoken Word & Storyteller, Crafts & Exhibitor, Workshop Facilitator. Curatorial review by House On Fire + UIEE Faculty within 14 business days.

Step 1 of 4

Choose your track

Five ways to participate in The Nkwe Convergence programme and Bushfire bridge days.

Music Performer

African musicians, pan-African bands, DJ collectives

Perform at the Nkwe Sunset Sessions (Mon-Wed evenings on the Palazzo terrace) and the Bushfire Bridge Days (Fri-Sun at Malkerns). Selected acts receive a Bushfire festival slot recommendation from the Bushfire curatorial team.

Fee: R 8,500 - R 35,000 stipend + travel + 3 nights accommodation

Dance & Movement Artist

Traditional African dance troupes, contemporary dance companies, Sibhaca groups

Perform at the Cultural Immersion programme (Mon afternoon) and during the Bushfire Bring Your Fire Zone. Traditional troupes (Sibhaca, Reed Dance, Incwala-inspired) are particularly encouraged.

Fee: R 6,000 - R 18,000 stipend + travel + accommodation

Spoken Word & Storyteller

Poets, oral historians, griots, indigenous-knowledge storytellers

Perform at the Nkwe Sunset Sessions and the Royal Patronage Dinner (subject to royal office approval). Especially seeking storytellers grounded in Eswatini / siSwati tradition and pan-African oral histories.

Fee: R 5,000 - R 12,000 stipend + travel + accommodation

Crafts & Exhibitor

African artisans, craft cooperatives, fashion designers, visual artists, NGO exhibitors

Exhibit at the Nkwe Craft Market (open Mon-Mon at Palazzo Skywalk) and the Bushfire Marketplace (Fri-Sun at Malkerns). Includes booth space, lighting, security, and one booth attendant pass.

Fee: R 4,500 (Palazzo only) or R 7,800 (Palazzo + Bushfire)

Workshop Facilitator

Practitioners of African leadership pedagogy, Ubuntu dialogue, indigenous knowledge systems

Lead a 90-minute workshop in the Nkwe Convergence programme (Tue-Thu mornings) on a topic aligned with one of the five Nkwe pillars. Workshop facilitators are not paid a stipend but receive a complimentary Strategist Pass.

Fee: Complimentary Strategist Pass + travel + accommodation (no cash stipend)

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