The Fold consists of three projects led by the African Fashion Research Institute in partnership with Creative Nestlings and supported by the British Council for the New Narratives Programme 2023 in Africa. A creative research residency and exhibition, podcast series, and fashion glossary each creatively and conceptually respond to the fold in African fashion to disrupt stereotypes about Africa, and connect creative youth communities across the continent and diaspora.

The Fold is a creative research platform curated and produced by the African Fashion Research Institute in partnership with the Creative Nestlings Foundation, and supported by the British Council under their 2023 New Narratives Programme. The year-long research project consists of 3 new narratives: a creative Pan-African Research Residency between Uganda and South Africa; an afrocentric audio-visual fashion Glossary stitching fold-words into shareable compilations; and a polyvocal co-authored Podcast series.

Each serves as an exploration of the hidden, unseen and ignored value folded away in African fashion, with the goal of disrupting stereotypes and connecting creative communities across the continent and diaspora. Together, the projects contribute to documenting the threads of history, culture and fashion. Through the folding and unfolding of languages, locations, and aesthetics, the projects present alternate knowledge, languages and routes to other fashion futures.

FUNDERS, PARTNERS & COLLABORATIONS

British Council; National Arts Council; Creative Nestlings; Art Meets; 2dots Agency; KZNSA Gallery; Substance Point; Amanda Laird Cherry; Durban University of Technology; KQ Hub; Afropocene; Jose Hendo; Abdul Dube.