"It not only changed a participant's life but everyone who was involved therein."
We met Kessius Mutale, a Zambian artist, director and actor. He participated in the German-Zambian Teams up! youth exchange project "Step Up for Change" and in the AGYO Alumni Workshop 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia.
1. Hi Kessius, how would you describe yourself in a nutshell?
I'm a versatile Zambian artist, passionate director and a person who always wants to learn. I create impactful shows, work with youths and use art to inspire and connect people.
2. Where does your passion for volunteer work and international youth exchanges comes from?
It comes from the need to see my fellow young people thrive from my community and nation. In my case, cultural exchanges open one's mind to things one never paid heed to. Thus, my drive is the desire to see a circle of morally, culturally and socially intelligent young people.
3. In the Teams up! exchange project with German and Zambian young people, you developed joint scenes and performances. What opportunities and challenges do you see in cultural exchange? And what personal experiences (from Lusaka or Bonn) have shaped you so far?
The opportunity that I see in cultural exchange is the broadening of my network, and not only that, but also the pool of knowledge I get to have on different topics such as: sustainable development goals, climate change and politics.
The challenge that I face was environmental adaption, it being the first time I travelled out of Africa. Apart from that, I faced some cultural shocks which, with time, I become used to. For example, the work culture is very systematic and “organized” people in Germany are always busy. Also, it was funny and somehow shocking to learn that the male family doesn´t have to pay anything to marry a lady.
The experiences that have shaped me, as it stands, happen to be as follows: skill development as my directing skill grew with some percentages from the experience because it was a moment of intense preparations in the shortest time possible. Secondly, personality development; certain features of who I am really got unlocked from the experience in Lusaka and Bonn. I learnt how to plan very well and systematically through the Teams up! project. Before then, I could only rehearse impromptu.
4. Did your participation in Teams up! and in the AGYO Alumni Workshop influence your artistic work and your commitment to the SDGs, and how?
It indeed did! Firstly, because I learnt how to schedule my rehearsals professionally and, also, how to rehearse in the period we were together with the two teams and organize for artistic shows (from Teams up!). As if that is not enough, I learnt how to apply for micro grants from different organizations and got sharpened with a lot of information on the SDGs from the AGYO Alumni Workshop in Windhoek.
5. You work with dance, theater, poetry and rap. Which of these forms of expression do you prefer to use to address issues such as decent work (SDG 8) or global inequalities, and why?
I prefer to make it an artist mix, blend all the genres and come up with an informative masterpiece for common understanding, because not everyone will be a bona fide lover of one of the four (dance, theater, poetry and rap).
6. As a director and storyteller, how do you translate complex global challenges into artistic language? What is important to you?
I firstly gather the knowledge on the topic in question, then I find symbols I can use to make it fun for both the audience and the performer to make the information easy to grasp. What's important to me is if the people are finding it easy to understand broad topics through simple expressions.
7. What role does volunteer work play in your community in Lusaka, and how do you motivate young people there to get involved in artistic and social activities?
It plays a pivotal role in making young people realize their career paths and it gives them an opportunity to develop different skills. I motivate my team players (about 40 of them) by making them busy with shows, and in the end, give them some tokens of appreciation. I understand so well where they come from.
8. Can you give a specific example of an exchange project or performance that clearly changed the life of a participant – and what lessons did you learn from this for future projects?
The 2024-2025 Teams up! project "Step Up for Change" is a perfect example. It not only changed a participant's life but everyone who was involved therein. I see a lot of change in terms of work culture, punctuality and the zeal to make it big in life in every participant who took part. It teaches me that it takes one to travel sometimes for them to realize they don't need to be comfortable where they are. For future projects, I'd love to see more of the young people who are seemingly losing hope, show them that there is a brighter side of things when you move.
9. If you could give advice to young artists and activists who want to work internationally, what three practical recommendations would you give them to ensure participation, sustainability and mutual respect?
Prioritize relationships over projects. Listen first, build trust, and support what already exists.
Build sustainable skills and systems. Develop funding, management, and documentation habits that keep your work going long-term.
Practice cultural intelligence and ethical exchange. Learn local contexts, share credit, and ensure partnerships benefit everyone.
