Bayimba established DOADOA, the East African Performing Arts Market, in 2012 with the support of Mimeta, as a regional platform for networking and learning among sector stakeholders. The DOADOA market is a four-day event with conferences, exhibitions, workshops, networking sessions, and showcases for performing arts sector stakeholders.
The activities include inviting festival directors to Uganda in order to allow them to meet local artists, see them perform and potentially invite them to programme in other festivals. As part of Bayimba’s efforts of collaboration and networking, the organisation partnered with other funders in providing selected partners with the opportunity to engage in an incubation programme, developing stakeholders across the region.
This development process will have direct results for those engaged, with two initiatives being able to receive financial support for their creative businesses. Both the programme and the funding provide an invaluable contribution to the cultural ecosystem, which still experiences the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uganda had the longest closed-down in the world during the COVID-19. It lasted for 18 months.
