Meet the man who is pushing for a creative economy

If George Gachara was to be the CEO of Kenya’s firm board, censorship would not feature in his mandate. He tells us why he thinks the industry is headed to the  dogs if the board doesn’t change its ways.

Who is George Gachara?

George Gachara is a cultural worker, co-director at the Nest Collective and managing partner for HEVA Fund. Nest looks to produce creative work around identity, aesthetics, citizenship and being African using film, fashion, literature, theatre, videos and music. HEVA invests and provides financial solutions for creative sector enterprises.

Early this year you convened what you dubbed, “creative economy dialogue”. What was it about?

It was our way of telling the government to look at the policy ecosystem. With the global recession, there has been an emergence of a new economy, which revolves around creative products and cultural experiences.

In countries like Greece and Cyprus, the only sectors that were resilient after the global recession are sectors that have direct creations by people. I’m talking films and digital media, music, live music performances and creative arts.

What are you reading?

I am reading a book by a lady I met on the plane. It is called Ghana Must Go. It is a novel by Taiye Selasi. She writes about a Nigerian-Ghanaian family dealing with the drama within family and people who have returned from the diaspora.

How old are you?

I turned 30 in September. I was glad to finally get here. I somehow managed to have had a great deal of learning, travelling, volunteering, believing and pursuing ideas in my 20s. I am told the 30s are even more exciting.

So how did you spend years 0-30?

I was born in Nanyuki, I schooled in Nakuru and Nairobi. I am a real “boy wa mtaa”. My undergraduate was in Communication at Daystar University. I have two post graduate diplomas. I got the first at the University Of Amsterdam Graduate School Of Social Sciences, and it was in Social Innovation and Problem-Solving.

The second was at – and this is a mouthful – International Peace and Security Institute, at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The post graduate diploma was in Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Reconciliation.

Are you doing what is related to what you studied?

I have come to realise that my work requires broad and systems thinking and a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving in order to realise success. I am grateful that as a result of pursuing different and sometimes unrelated areas of study, I have acquired a broad skill set.

Marital status?

I am single. Generally, what I look for in a lady is someone I can be happy with. Someone I can learn from. Someone who can challenge me. I usually date people who are better than me.

If you were the CEO of the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), what would you do differently?

I would stop the censorship campaign and opt for self-regulation. Currently KFCB licenses less than 1,000 films every year. Tanzania’s Bongowood creates 1,000 films per month. That is an industry. In Kenya, we don’t have an industry – yet – but a few people trying against all odds to make films. The CEO’s job is not to create a body that curtails filmmakers, but helps Kenyans to make more and better films.

How would you love to be remembered?

I would love to be remembered as a cultural worker who allowed people to become happy, through film, music, theatre or clothes.

Five things people don’t know about George Gachara ...

One, I was born Muslim, and grew up as a Christian. Two, I moved out of my mom’s house on the income from the book I wrote when I was 22 years old. Three, if I had a chance I would probably be a dairy farmer. Four, every week I cycle for approximately 70 kilometers. Five, George Gachara is related to Olive Gachara ... through Twitter!