This publication is a culmination of the experiences and contributions of the participants of Kraftor’s inaugural Art & Architecture Journal Workshop Series That took place from March to May 2026.
A Recap
Three months ago, Kraftor embarked on a new programme under its Kraftor 101 programming: the Art & Architecture Journalism Workshop Series. Conceived as an initiative to strengthen local capacity for cultural production and creative documentation, the programme set out to introduce emerging writers, photographers, and cultural practitioners to practical approaches for engaging with art, architecture, and public space through writing and visual storytelling.
The Art & Architecture Journalism Workshops were developed as a condensed, hands-on learning programme focused on writing, photography, and basic digital documentation. Rooted in the practices of art and architectural journalism, the workshops encouraged participants to think critically about how local art, architecture, and cultural histories are documented, interpreted, and communicated. Working within a modest structure and budget, the programme prioritised intimate learning environments, experimentation, and direct publishing outcomes.
Held between March and May 2026, the programme brought together a small cohort of participants through a series of in-person workshops hosted at Goethe Zentrum Kampala (GZK), alongside guided field visits at Makerere University, and remote editorial support. The central subject of study became the Makerere University murals and surrounding architectural spaces, approached not only as historical artworks, but as living cultural archives embedded within everyday campus life.
By Team Kraftor
The programme began with an architecture writing session facilitated by Christine Matua. Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of architectural storytelling, learning how to contexualise architecture, communicate design, and develop compelling narratives that convey both the technical and spatial dimensions of architecture.
This was followed by a photography workshop led by Franklin Kasumba, in which participants explored photography as a means of storytelling and archiving. The workshop emphasised ways to convey design and capture the essence of space, equipping participants with practical tools to document and communicate art and architecture with intention and creativity. Discussions during the session offered fresh perspectives on both the technical and conceptual dimensions of visual storytelling.
The final in-person workshop session, facilitated by Carol Kagezi, focused on critical engagement and interpretation. Through discussions around description, analysis, interpretation, and connection, participants reflected on the role of attention and curiosity in art storytelling. The session encouraged participants to move beyond surface-level observation and into more personal, analytical, and experimental forms of engagement.
The programme extended beyond workshop sessions into active field-based learning. On Saturday 21st March 2026, participants took part in a guided walking tour of the Makerere murals led by Professor George Kyeyune. The tour introduced participants to the historical contexts, artistic themes, and social relevance of the murals and surrounding spaces, while encouraging them to identify their own entry points for documentation and interpretation. Participants were invited to engage the sites with curiosity and attentiveness, using journals, sketchbooks, cameras, phones, and recorders to collect material that would later shape their contributions to the final publication.
Additional site visits included a return session at St. Francis Chapel on 1st May, guided by the chapel custodian Mr. Joseph Tumusiime, where participants revisited the murals and architectural spaces for further documentation and reflection. The visit also created room for experimentation with projection and digital mapping for what we referred to as a “virtual museum,” expanding the possibilities of how these works might be experienced and shared with wider audiences.
The programme concluded with a guided remote editing and publishing phase, during which participants refined their texts, and visual work for Kraftor’s digital magazine. The resulting publication became both an archive of the programme and entandikwa – a beginning – for many of the contributors’ journeys into cultural writing and documentation.
By the end of the programme, participants had produced articles, visual essays, journal entries, and photographic documentation that collectively explored questions of memory, preservation, artistic legacy, multispecies existence, architecture, colour, public space, and representation. Beyond the published works themselves, the programme created a space for participants to experiment, question, and develop confidence in their own creative and critical voices.
Key sites from the Makerere University Murals Walking Tour
1
Makerere Art Gallery: two murals “The Pyramids” by Roger Palmer; Nyero rock paintings–inspired mural by Kabiito Richard’s students
2
Department Of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences: one mural “vertebrates and Invertebrates” by Cecil Todd, created in the 1960s.
Nyero rock paintings–inspired mural by Kabiito Richard’s students, created in 2024. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
Vertebrates mural on the left of building, Invertebrates mural on the right of building. Photo: Rebecca Khamala.
3
East African School of Library and Information Science: two murals (exterior and interior) Exterior: Untitled by unknown artist; Interior: “A History of Books ” by Ignatius Sserulyo
Below is a mapping of our route and key points of focus from the day:
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Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Art: behind the gallery: two murals
“The Pyramids” by Roger Palmer; Nyero rock paintings–inspired mural by Kabiito Richard’s students -
Department Of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences: one mural
“The Evolution” by Cecil Todd -
East African School of Library and Information Science: two murals (exterior and interior) Exterior: Untitled; Interior: “The Story of Paper” by Ignatius Sserulyo
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St. Francis Chapel Makerere University: multiple murals (exterior and interior)
Exterior: Jonathan Kingdon; Interior: works by several students including Ignatius Sserulyo and Cephas Sempangi -
Mary Stuart Hall: several murals
Foyer: mosaic and relief (artist unknown)
TV room: “A Story of Blacksmiths” by Ignatius Sserulyo
Storage: works by Teresa Musoke (2–3 pieces) and “Beer Making” by Sam Ntiro -
Return to the School of Art: one mural by Ignatius Sserulyo
In total, we viewed 11 murals on display and 4 currently in storage.
"The Pyramids" by Roger Palmer, created in 1999. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
Exterior: Untitled, artist unknown. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
6
Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Art:
Mural by Ignatius sserulyo
A mural by Ignatius Sserulyo. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
5
Mary Stuart Hall: several murals. Foyer: mosaic and relief (artist unknown). TV room: “A Story of Blacksmiths” by Ignatius Sserulyo. Storage: works by Teresa Musoke (2–3 pieces) and “Beer Making” by Sam Ntiro
A mosaic and relief mural by unknown artist in the Mary Stuart hall foyer. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
St. Francis Chapel Makerere University: multiple murals (exterior and interior). Exterior: Jonathan Kingdon; Interior: works by several students including Ignatius Sserulyo and Cephas Sempangi
Interior: "A History of Books" by Ignatius Sserulyo, created in 1973. Photo: Merritt Eby Gates
4
"A Story of Blacksmiths" by Ignatius Sserulyo in the Mary Stuart hall TV room. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
Murals in the Mary Stuart hall storage room. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
Exterior murals by Jonathan Kingdon. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
Interior: "A History of Books" by Ignatius Sserulyo, as viewed through the door. Photo: Rebecca Khamala
"Beer making" by Sam Ntiro in the Mary Stuart hall storage room. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
57 panels of interior murals donated to the chapel by several art students in 1963, including Ignatius Sserulyo and Cephas Sempangi. Photo: Franklin Kasumba
A mural by Teresa Musoke in the Mary Stuart hall storage room. Photo: Rebecca Khamala
A mural by unknown artist in the Mary Stuart hall storage room. Photo: Rebecca Khamala
Interior: "A History of Books" by Ignatius Sserulyo, created in 1973. Photo: Merrit Eby Gates