× Cinema in Nature Experience Freedom Village Freedom Festival Season Premier The Exhibition First Patriots

Welcome to the Sounds of Freedom!

Step into a world where history, culture, and art come alive. Our mission is to honor the heroes of our past, celebrate our diverse heritage, and inspire a brighter future for all. Explore our immersive audio film experiences, vibrant festivals, and creative collaborations that bring Kenya's stories to life.

Join us on this remarkable journey of discovery and unity. Together, we celebrate the sounds of freedom that resonate through our nation's heart. Welcome aboard.

TWENDE KARURA! 🌳🎧

Episode Two Out Now

Join us on 9th November for an Immersive Cinema Experience and painting session organized by Sounds of Freedom at Karura! 🎥✨ Picture yourself walking through the forest, 🌳🎧 listening to an incredible audio film that will make you experience the forest in a whole new way. The sensory immersion is absolutely mind-blowing—the sights, sounds, and smells all work together to bring the film to life! 🌲🎬 After the film, unleash your creativity during the picnic and paint session.

Book Your Space Now and Embrace the Outdoors!
  • Includes: Cinema in Nature + Picnic and Paint Experience

Your Complete Guide

Previous Experiences

Freedom Festival 2023:

Unveiling the Secrets of Our History

Dates: October 20th to December 12th

Locations: Undisclosed Spots in Kenya

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Discover

Experience

First patriots paint ball shooting experience

Test your skills, strategy and teamwork in this immersive paintball adventure that pays homeage to the courageous individuals who paved the way for freedom.

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USIU-Africa & France Alumni Creative Industry Exhibition

Celebrating international education and collaboration between France and Kenya through the Sounds of Freedom Film Exhibition.

Date and Time

Tuesday, May 23 · 10am - 5pm EAT

Venue

USIU Africa

About The Project

The Sounds of Freedom is a story inspired by the lives and experiences of the young men and women who fought for Kenya’s independence.

Through this story, we hope to bring Kenyans closer to their history by welcoming them to immersive experiences that allow them to come face to face with the realities of what it took to liberate Kenya from British imperialism.

Created by Mũtana Wanjĩra Founder, African Fiction Academy

afrika design

In this podcast, Mũtana Gakuru, Executive Producer, talks about the 'Sounds of Freedom', an audio film series that captures the lives and personal experiences of the young men and women who chose to fight for Kenya's independence.

Season Premier


Heroes Day 2021

During Kenya’s Heroes Day celebrations on October 20 2021, we released the first episode of our audio film as a celebration of the heroes who fought for Kenya’s independence. The event was held at the Alliance Française, Nairobi, Kenya.

The premiere episode follows the story of two young men who had been recruited to join the war and are now lost in the forest trying to find their way to meet Dedan Kimathi and join the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, more popularly known as the Mau Mau.

The Experience


The experience starts in pitch darkness, with a spoken word poem called Kaa Ukijua: A soldier's. The soul of the young warrior cries out for poetic justice.

The film too starts in darkness, as the characters are themselves lost in the dark forest. After being rescued by the Mau Mau and surviving the homeguard ambush, the audience find themselves at the oathing ceremony, and the stage lights up to reveal the Patriots Sanctuary, a space for reflection on the ideals of freedom and patriotism.

Once the lights come on, we invite our audience to a Q&A session as well as open access to the Patriots Sanctuary for them to freely experience it and expresswhat freedom means to them.

“Freedom to me means imagining a future beyond the limitations of my current circumstances”

Voices from the Patriot's Sanctuary.

The Exhibition


Nairobi Design Week 2022

This year, we were invited to exhibit the Sounds of Freedom project at the Nairobi Design Week 2022. The event was held on the 9th and 10th of April at Kazuri Beads Karen, Nairobi Kenya.

For this exhibition, the Sounds of Freedom experience was at a wild garden and welcomed visitors to enter the Patriot’s Sanctuary; a physical space of reflection on what it means to be truly free.

The Experience


Put on your wireless headphones and walk around. Here you will get the chance to listen to snippets of the first episode as well as exclusive content from the second. Together with our spoken word piece called Kaa Ukijua; the lamentations of a frustrated Kenyan youth, we have written content on facts and figures about the fight for independence in Kenya that you could read as you walk around the space, as well as photos and poetry that connects the physical space we live in today to the stories of what this space meant to generations.

“We have a long way to go. We are still not FREE.”

Voices from the Patriot's Sanctuary

First Patriots


As the Sounds of Freedom adventure grows into more immersive experiences, we would like to present First Patriots, an immersive paintball shooting game inspired by the story of Kenya’s fight for freedom. First Patriots is Kenya’s first live action gaming experience based on historical events, and it is in response to our audiences' need to rediscover their history and culture through gaming

In history, brother was set against brother, and sister against sister, all for the expansion of Britain’s colonial agenda. The resultant war caused not only the loss of our land and freedom, but also the destruction of our social fabric and generations of hatred between communities. First Patriots brings this war to you, for you to decide the fate of Kenya. Freedom is not a game.

The Experience


Once you arrive, we get right to it and hand you a pair of headphones. Together with your teams, you'll listen to the first episode of the series, the prologue. Once you listen to this, you'll know exactly which scene you're going to game out and the question now will be, what side will you be playing for? This will be totally by chance and you will be expected to pick your role from a box. This will seal your fate as you will either pick a Mau Mau or Home Guard card.

Once the choice is made, you will receive training that will help you better understand the terrain an d your fighting style versus that of the opponent. No w it's time for the paintball shooting experience. Hold your gun tight and prepare to be immersed into the history of Kenya's fight for independence.

Yours in battle,
The Creators of the First Patriots

Honorable Mention Award

🎉Thrilled to announce that Fiction Entertainment and African Fiction Academy have received an Honorable Mention award under the Digital Economy category at the Design Intelligence Awards 2022 for our project, The Sounds of Freedom! 🏆

The Sounds of Freedom is an Interactive Audio Augmented Reality (AAR) project that uses audio experiences to recreate and retell the stories of the struggle for independence, first in Kenya and Africa as a whole, with a long-term goal of implementing the experiences on a global scale with our game-changing app.

We are incredibly proud of our producers Mutana Wanjira Gakuru and Victor Ndes as well as the whole team that worked tirelessly to make this project a reality. This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication.

We would like to thank the Design Intelligence Award for recognising our project and all those who supported us throughout this journey. We believe that The Sounds of Freedom has the potential to change the way people consume historical and cultural narratives in their communities.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to work towards making The Sounds of Freedom a global phenomenon!

#SoundsofFreedom #DesignIntelligenceAwards #DigitalEconomy #AfricanFictionAcademy #FictionEntertainment #InteractiveAudio #AugmentedReality #GameChanger #HonorableMention #Kenya #Africa #GlobalPhenomenon

“Through this project, we want to breathe life into those who gave their lives for our freedom.”

Mũtana Wanjĩra, Creator of the Sounds of Freedom