About | Maokwo

Our Story

Make (MA-O-K-WO) is a Shona word (a native language from Zimbabwe) that translates to Hands. Physically and metaphorically speaking, our hands play a crucial role in our day-to-day lives and enables us to carry out simple and complex tasks.

There’s a belief in Zimbabwe; that when a child is born, they come with clenched fists because they hold on to their gifts. However, their palms open up as they share their talents with the world.
At MAOKWO, this is our philosophy and practice; we reach out to sections of society that need hands to hold on to, and we do so by giving them our hand

How did MAOKWO come about?

Today, we are more global than a local city, region, or country. As people migrate to different places because of political and economic instability or even work opportunities, they bring along; their cultures and identity to their new place of residence. And this brings us to the question; How accepting are we of those who make this land their home?

MAOKWO was born of the experiences of its Founder & Creative Director, Laura N Nyahuye, an artist from Zimbabwe who came to the United Kingdom in 2002. She acknowledges coming face to face with labels, like the other, the migrant, the asylum-seeker, the refugee.

Laura's experiences got her to question what had happened to humanity? However, it was her faith in God and her art that helped her navigate through the journey.

Thus, Maokwo was born with the ambition to bring about the change we wanted to see. And since our inception, we have always been ready to respond creatively to real-life issues and causes.

We work primarily in supporting marginalised and minority groups, especially women, children, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrant artists. We do so through our various projects and programmes.

Our vehicle to change is Love, Prayer, Peace, and Art. As people of colour, our stories matter. So we take responsibility to create our own.

Why Maokwo

Why MAOKWO?

We see Maokwo as ‘pfuko’ - a traditional clay brewing pot - with the lived experiences of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, minoritised humans, and artists from migrant backgrounds at the heart of what we do and how we creatively respond. We tackle under-representation, working with clients from all different backgrounds - communities on the margins, women, young people, families - developing a universal language, and ways of being that are inclusive.

We tell the stories of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; develop projects in response to needs and experiences of the artists and communities we work with; provide opportunities for artists from these backgrounds to explore and develop their creativity in an authentic way that is true to their cultures. We share their stories with a wider public as audiences, and provide consultancy for partners we work with. The majority of our advisory board are people with lived experience as first or second generation migrants, refugees and asylum seekers

Meet the team

Laura Nyahuye

Artist / Creative Director / CEO

My name is Laura Nyahuye, a Zimbabwean born artist and Creative Director/CEO and Founder at MAOKWO. I am a mother, an artist, storyteller, a curator, producer, writer, performer, tutor, community worker.

I design and make body adornments to address social issues and challenge perceptions. I have a call to design, to speak, to encourage, to write and to bring communities together. I practice this by exhibiting, storytelling, supporting artists and communities on the margins, producing, facilitating. In summary, I’m here to serve.

I am passionate about the arts sector on the subject of inclusion and representation. Inclusion and representation in the arts sector, Inclusion in communities and inclusion for women. The current and next generation to come need us and we need them. Isolation, mental health issues, discrimination are real. They are real, things need to change. By creatively addressing tokenism, marginalisation, domestic abuse, mental abuse, and isolation we can create a dialogue to bring about change, in the arts sector and in our communities. I am passionate about seeing fellow marginalised artists thrive. I have a deep desire to see a change in these communities using art as a vehicle. I’m driven by the belief that together we are stronger.

I have had the privilege of working as a support worker in various hospitals, as well as the community. My various roles have exposed me to people from various walks of life and l feel enriched by it. I am inspired by life experiences and culture (especially of those who have migrated). Maokwo's approach is person-centric focused; this support can truly change lives. I have experienced the positive result of person-centric support and l have observed positive results in other people. #fromthegroundup

Karen Dhlamini

Board of Trustee / Well-Being Consultant

MBPsS MBACP BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Integrative Counselling. Counsellor/Coach/ Mental Health Advisor and Training Consultant.

As we walk through life, we encounter stress or strain and, in those moments, it helps to be able to reach out for support. Working as an Integrative Counsellor allows me to support clients in a way that best suits their needs. Private Practice gives me flexibility in my work to support clients that come with different needs such as relationship breakdown, anxiety, depression, bereavement, domestic abuse, suicide ideation, self-harm, disordered eating as well as many other challenges that life may bring.

My educational background includes, Training and Development, BSc (Hons) Psychology and MSc Integrative Counselling. My work experience in different fields such as customer service, management, training, youth work, project coordinator: has helped me gain insight into some of the challenges faced by the clients I work with as a Coach. I am able to design and develop workshops and training events to meet the needs of the different organisations I work with.

I have the privilege to work with organisations that work to support communities in different ways all making a difference and giving much needed support in areas where there is need. Some giving access to mental health support to groups that would otherwise go without due to different circumstances in life. One organisation of which I am a Trustee, work to explore art as a vehicle for social change and as a form of therapy: working with different groups including women, children and families.

In recent years I have been spending more time exploring my writing and supporting others as well by working together with a team of creatives to provide an online platform that showcases the vibrant and multicultural society, we live in. My passion, if we can call it that is to live a full life where I get to explore the different opportunities that come my way that line up with my interests. A common thread that flows through my work is encouraging and helping people live well.

Melissa Jordan

Youth Participation Producer

Raised with a passion for theatre and the arts, Coventry-born Melissa Jordan joined the Belgrade Youth Theatre during her early teens, before going on to support the Black Youth Theatre whilst completing an apprenticeship with the Belgrade. During this time she also developed an interest in stage management and production.

Since then, she has worked with organisations including Highly Sprung, Theatre Absolute and Warwick Arts Centre. In 2019 she produced Holding the Centre and currently works as General Manager for Ascension Dance Company. Melissa joins Maokwo as Youth Participation Producer bringing together her enthusiasm for supporting and mentoring young people and her love of the Arts.

Lou Sarabadzic

Writing Facilitator / Administrator

My work experience includes translating, teaching French language, literature, and culture, and working as a customer service assistant in libraries. I feel so grateful to be able to share the love of languages, books, and reading, through all these roles.

I have published 6 books in French, in a variety of genres - poetry, fiction, short stories, comic - because I love them all! I am also developing a multidisciplinary artistic practice.

What I am really passionate about is how we can, as creative practitioners, support others to develop their own art and practice. So many issues can get in the way of exploring creativity: lack of confidence, anxiety, a sense of not knowing where to start... But all of these - and so much more - can also directly come from discrimination. In an unequal world, we don't have equal access to the arts.

That's why I joined Maokwo, because the work they do is precisely this: support - in a very co-creative way. I love how open and flexible their approach is. Through the Writing the Journey programme, I've met great writers and performers, and it has been such a meaningful experience.

And because working in the arts is also about admin, I'm very happy to be helping Maokwo with various tasks such as updating the website, discussing budgets and planning, as well as liaising with members, associate, and partners.

Associates

Chrissie Okorie

Maokwo Associate

Chrissie is a writer, performer and producer who is transitioning into making art that connects to her ancestral ties through audio, performance and experimental theatre pieces. She is a future academic with a passion for Nigerian literature and the Igbo experience.

Former members

Former members - Thank you again for being part of our journey!

Ashford Menezes

Producer

Quinita Colaco

Administrator

Our Story

How did MAOKWO come about?

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Meet the team

Associates

Former members - Thank you again for being part of our journey!

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