Upon arrival, I couldn’t help but notice his modish flair, from his glittering watch to his glinting pair of glasses. It’s a leaden morning and the Head of Theatre and Film at the Nairobi Institute of Music and Performing Arts (NIMPA), Boniface Kanyuîra is solicitous to have a sit-down to discuss the activities undertaken in the institution.
It is a story about how what started as a children’s art bootcamp advanced to become one of the leading creative arts institutions in the country.
NIMPA is a world-class Christian institution that provides competence-based education and training in creative arts to the service of God and humanity. It seeks to nurture talents and develop tech-savvy professionals in creative arts through industry driven practical training and promotion of moral values.
Since its inception in 2018 by PCEA Zimmerman Church, NIMPA offers trainings in the form of workshops, seminars, short courses, certificate and diploma courses through the Knec-approved TVET courses for level 3,4,5, and 6 in Music, Film, Theatre, Graphic Design and Animation.
An artist himself, having started off from performing setbooks, Boniface Kanyuîra recounts instances where his previous workmates from ten years back haven’t been able to scale up in avoidance of seeking competence training. This acts as a motivation in his teaching profession, equipping impactful skills to his students so as for them to have an in-depth understanding of the Creative Industry, this of course backed up with his years of experience as an Actor and Writer.
NIMPA offers a learning opportunity for every individual no matter the grade they come with, offering short courses as a starter, later advancing to a Certificate then Diploma course. Resources in the institution are quite up to the onerous task, with students having the privilege to unlimited access to state-of-the-art facilities including a theatre auditorium in which the institution not only performs their own pieces, but also partner up with other theatre outfits by offering the space.
NIMPA also strives to walk with its alumni from attachment to employment, connecting its students to production companies and keeping track of its alumni’s progress. The institution has been generous enough to offer free access to their facilities to their alumni, for instance, their theatre auditorium, to showcase and premiere their projects.
Seasoned industry players have had the opportunity to share their knowledge on arts by holding workshops and masterclasses, one that has stood out is the institution’s partnership with the premiere online creative arts platform, Sanaa Post to nurture the students in learning not only the performing aspect in the industry but also the business aspect of it through the online masterclass platform, Sanaa Academy.
In line with their academic prowess, the institution has become a treasured facility in its community, partnering up with the local government administration in holding forum theatres for the purpose of addressing pressing issues through art. Trust in the institution has therefore been gained from the society not only heightening the rate of admission of young students but also individuals of advanced age rediscovering their adoration of the arts.
Courses offered in the institution include,
- Animations
- Digital Journalism
- Film Production
- Graphic Design
- Music Performance
- Music Technology
- Theatre Arts
For more information about the Nairobi Institute of Music and Performing Arts, visit their website. https://www.nimpa.ac.ke/
For masterclasses on arts from the best in the creative industry, visit https://academy.sanaapost.com/
