The Lab Community

Aganza Kisaka hails from a strong line of artisans who have made their mark on the Ugandan soil through music, visual art, and drama. Born and bred in the bustling hills of Kampala, Uganda, Aganza is the only girl amongst three boys from whom she learned the life lessons of push and pull. She received her training as an actress from NYU Abu Dhabi and completed a Masters in Education from Unicaf University. She would later represent Uganda as best actress at the PIFF awards and best-supporting actress at the UFF awards. She is also a published author, pointedly addressing issues close to her heart. Her short story about depression, “Operation: Mother’s Bruises,” appeared in “The Different Shades of the feminine Mind” (2017) as part of the ARFRIWOWRI Literary Project. Aganza made her debut as a playwright at the Kampala International Theatre Festival in 2016 with “Black” which tackles issues of race, blackness, and identity. Since then she has continued to write and conjure new work. She is drawn to topics that deal with the politics of identity, home, race, and belonging to bring people together to laugh, cry, heal, and learn. Aganza founded the Yenze Theatre Conservatoire, training performing artists in acting, movement, and voice while providing artist management and production services to artists in Kampala, Uganda.