Event Date has changed to 19 April 2025

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Event Date has changed to 19 April 2025 〰️

At the intersection of art, culture and business, The Gathering is a fully inclusive celebration of makers and doers, bringing together the diverse pioneers who are shaping Namibia’s creative landscape. With 20 speakers, it will be a day of powerful stories, activities and community, a chance to connect, become inspired, and energize your soul.

Bring your whole self. Dress to impress.

8am - 6pm, Woermann House Courtyard

Ticket includes event entry, coffee and beverages throughout the day, a healthy and delicious lunch, and refreshments, networking and entertainment at the end of the day.

$850 NAD

19 April 2025, Woermann House, Swakopmund

Photo by Namibian artist Margaret Courtney-Clarke depicting roadside mobiles in the Namibian desert.

Our purpose & ethos

The Gathering exists to encourage, inspire and mentor the future of Namibian creativity.

We define “creativity” as the act of “creating”, making and doing - across all disciplines and sectors. A great entrepreneur must be creative, just as an artist, musician, designer, architect, filmmaker, chef, storyteller or educator is. Creativity is a holistic concept that is necessarily full mind-body-spirit, not simply an act of production. 

We aim for The Gathering to become a sustainable platform for our community, defined not by region, race, age, gender or any other societal division, but by our spirit of encouragement, inspiration, and mentorship. Bringing disciplines together, we have a unique opportunity for industry cross pollination - for an artist to connect with a design practice, a filmmaker to connect with an architect, for an entrepreneur to learn from powerful storytellers. 

Who is behind it?

We only exist because of our community. The Gathering is conceived and run by a core group of creatives, artists, business and organization founders who believe it needs to happen. Any proceeds from our first event will go directly toward funding more events, workshops and sustaining a free, online platform for all those people who want access to the talks, but cannot attend in person.

Collyn Ahart, writer, co-founder and creative director of ONGUZA Bicycles.

Niita Shikongo, musician, multi-disciplinary creative, strategist and founder of NiaLumino Communications.

LaSchandré Coetzee, Partner at The Project Room and creative communications expert.

Anne Lacheiner-Kuhn, artist and specialist FX technician.

With great thanks, our first event is being supported by ONGUZA, The Project Room, Two Beards Coffee, and Wonderveld Apothecary.

2024 SPEAKERS

  • Margaret Courtney-Clarke

    PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Victoria Sanyime

    PLAYWRIGHT & STORYTELLER

  • Nanyemba Katamba

    ARTS COMMUNITY DIRECTOR, FOUNDER OF HOTA, RUNDU

  • Niita Shikongo

    MUSICIAN, CREATIVE STRATEGIST

  • Britney Burger

    MARKETER & NEURODIVERSITY ADVOCATE

  • Dan Craven

    PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE & CO-FOUNDER OF ONGUZA

  • LaSchandré Coetzee

    PARTNER, THE PROJECT ROOM

  • Leon Engelbrecht

    DESIGNER

  • Albertina Hamukwaya (ALBA NVLO)

    DJ

  • Xuro Milton

    COMEDIAN & CREATOR

  • Anne Lacheiner Kuhn

    ARTIST & FX TECHNICIAN

  • Kauna Ndilula

    BFS FOUNDER, NAMIBIAN BUSINESS PIONEER

  • Gida Sekandi

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPRICORN INVESTMENTS

  • Marcii Magson

    MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DESIGNER, ARTIST, FOUNDER OF WONDERVELD APOTHECARY

  • Tuli Mekondjo

    ARTIST

  • Meike Macht Mut

    HOLISTIC WELLNESS PRACTITIONER

  • Collyn Ahart

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR & BRAND BUILDER

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If you’d like to sponsor scholarship seats, or sponsor the event, please contact us. We would love for you to be involved and make a meaningful impact on our community.

Photography used with permission of the artists.

Contents copyright of Collyn Ahart LLC, 2024