The Kitchen, an Eswatini-based creative platform known for its multidisciplinary approach to art, music and poetry, is taking its creative offering beyond Southern Africa, with its first showcase in Bristol, United Kingdom.
In a statement, the team announced that its sonic and visual curation had landed at Old Drumbank Studio and Hot Wax Record Store, venues located just off Gloucester Road in Bristol.
The move marks an opportunity to introduce elements of Eswatini’s creative scene to an international audience while establishing connections between artists and creatives in the two locations.
The selected venues are home to artisans working across different disciplines, including jewellery making, content creation, painting, tattooing and music.
According to The Kitchen, this multidisciplinary environment reflects the kind of creative experience it has been developing in Eswatini.
The first UK show is intended to build a bridge between Bristol and Eswatini, while recognising the artistic work that has developed locally and creating an opportunity for British audiences to experience it.
The programme will feature a performance by Hannah Allen, who is set to present an unreleased project developed in Eswatini.
The project was created in collaboration with London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Mrisi, who will bring traditional Southern African instrumentation into the performance. Double bass player Bill Frampton will also contribute to the musical arrangement.
Music will form another central part of the showcase through a specially curated playlist by Mlandvo Masuku of The Kitchen Radio.
The selection will take listeners through Southern African jazz, soul and hip-hop, with particular attention given to some of Eswatini’s established music artists.
The event will also extend beyond live music, with photography by Swazi writer and photographer Noncedo Msibi, as well as artwork by Swazi writer, musician and painter Sakhile Gumbi. Their contributions will bring a visual dimension to the showcase, placing photography and visual art alongside the musical programme.
The inclusion of artists from different creative disciplines reflects The Kitchen’s approach to presenting art as an interconnected experience rather than limiting its programming to a single form of expression.
For Eswatini’s creative community, the Bristol showcase provides an opportunity to introduce local artistic work to audiences outside the country.
It also places the work of Swazi creatives within a different cultural setting, where music, photography and visual art can be experienced alongside contributions from artists based in the United Kingdom.
The Kitchen’s expansion into Bristol represents a new chapter for the platform, taking an experience developed in Eswatini into an international creative space while maintaining a focus on the artists, sounds and visual expressions that shape its identity.
