KinAct #9 “Tika Boye
Kinshasa, the vibrant capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the setting for a major artistic event: KinAct #9. From August 4 to 30, 2025, the “Rencontres Internationales de Performance” take over the city under the evocative theme of ” Tika Boye! ” – a Lingala expression meaning “Stop it! Organized by the TOYE association, KinAct #9 invites artists and residents to pause and reflect on the place of the work of art in a globalized world, while questioning social and ecological emergencies at the heart of the city.
KinAct, taking action in Kinshasa for social transformation
Since 2015, KinAct has been part of the ebullience of Kinshasa’s streets. The event mobilizes artists around a common desire: to bring contemporary, social and ecological issues to the fore. Performance is in Kinshasa’s DNA, and KinAct uses this energy to provoke a direct encounter between contemporary creation and local residents. The performances created in situ provoke questioning, laughter, reflection and even indignation, creating an essential dialogue for social transformation.
The TOYE association, which runs KinAct, is dedicated to supporting and stimulating artistic creation in Kinshasa. It is also involved with local residents in an artistic approach and in raising environmental awareness.
Tika Boye!”, an injunction to reflect
The theme of this 9th edition, “Tika Boye!”, is a veritable injunction to stop. Using this popular Kinshasa expression, KinAct invites artists to take a stand: in 2025, what should we stop? Pause? Prohibit? This profound questioning runs through all the creations presented, offering a space for discourse on often taboo subjects.
KinAct is a laboratory for experimentation and exchange. It aims to build a constellation of thoughts between artists from Africa, Europe and elsewhere. The time for reflection and research, initiated in 2023, around performance art criticism and the definition of Congolese and African performance art, will continue in 2025.
Ndaku ya la vie est belle et verte, meeting place
At the heart of these encounters is the cultural venue Ndaku ya la vie est belle et verte, located in the popular Matonge district. Since 2018, this artistic collective has brought together artists committed to raising ecological awareness. The works, often produced from the recovery of the city’s waste, bring out the urgency of taking action for the environment. They highlight the possibilities of engaged art, anchored in the development issues of the African continent.
Ndaku ya la vie est belle et verte is a protean space for creation, rehearsal, production and residency for Congolese, African and international artists. It also offers a program of live shows, performances in the public space, and weekly workshops for local children. It’s a real artistic, human and collective experience, frequented by local residents.
A rich program accessible to all
The KinAct #9 program, entirely free and open to the public, promotes access to art for all. It takes place in several phases:
- Residency and workshops (August 4 to 16, 2025): Artists are in creative residency and workshops at the cultural venue Ndaku ya la vie est belle et verte.
- Performances, workshops, concerts, screenings (August 18 – 28, 2025): The Selembao and Bumbu districts come alive with workshops for children (10am-1pm), performances (3pm-6.30pm), and screenings, concerts and shows (6.30pm-9pm).
- Highlights:
- Press conference and opening evening: Saturday August 16, 2025, in Ndaku ya life is green and beautiful.
- Closing party: Saturday August 30, 2025, at Ndaku ya la vie est belle et verte.
Numerous national artists take part this year, including Love Lokombe, Bestaguy Bayoka, Amigo Bonanza, Luc Masala, Kura Shomali, Bebson De la rue, Andy Lamba, Koko Kabamba, Dolet Malalu, Elie Mbansing, Esto Nonjo, Vivien Nsukakiese, Putela Mayonese, Hervé Ndamvu. International artists also enrich the program: Bram Borloo (Belgium), Juliette Lopez (France), Violaine le Fur (France), Plume Perdue (Senegal), Francis Pandzou (Congo Brazzaville).
Develop, provoke, enable and improve
KinAct #9 has ambitious goals:
- Develop an open network of local and international artists, cultural partners and patrons.
- Provoke encounters with art: Question our relationship with the environment through performances that encourage exchanges between artists and local residents.
- Enable and encourage the production of: Local and international artistic creations in Kinshasa through the dissemination of creations in public spaces.
- Raising artists’ profile: Locally and internationally, by setting up a referencing platform for visual artists.
- Improving skills and knowledge: Through workshops, conferences and international meetings.
The event is supported by EUNIC-RDC, Institut Français Kinshasa, Label Nyege-Nyege and Antenne A. Partners include Festival Modaperf (Cameroon), Association Danselncolore (Congo), Label Nyege-Nyege (Uganda), Les Orangeries de Bierbais (Belgium), and Association TalaTala (Belgium).
An unmissable event for African art
KinAct #9 “Tika Boye!” has established itself as an essential event for the African and international art scene. By placing performance art at the heart of public space and addressing crucial social and environmental issues, KinAct doesn’t just entertain; it educates, provokes thought and inspires action. It’s a celebration of creativity, exchange and engagement, making Kinshasa a vibrant hub for contemporary art in Africa.
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