Cultural programme work – promoting art and exhibitions, music, theatre, dance, literature and film – has traditionally been a key feature of foreign cultural and education policy. Such work is an ideal way of encouraging intercultural exchanges and encounters beyond the realm of political discourse, thus facilitating and strengthening mutual understanding and communication.

The cultural programme by the German Embassy and the Goethe-Zentrum Kampala (GZK)/Ugandan German Cultural Society (UGCS) contribute to a vigorous and multi-faceted cultural exchange.

Through its cultural fund the German Embassy supports a broad range of music-, theatre-, and art- projects in Uganda. This includes German-Ugandan art events and exhibitions such as the Freakshow 2016, German-Ugandan dance and theater projects such as the dance performance „I am orange moon - I reflect the light“ in 2018, intercultural music projects such as a collaboration with the Team of „Architects of Music“ 2019, who offer free musical education to disadvantaged children, as well as music workshops like the „Rhythm is Life Tour“ 2019 with the Nyinomugisha Niyabo Foundation. In cooperation with the Goethe Zentrum Kampala, a number of virtual cultural projects in the field of fashion design, art and dance locations were launched in 2020.

Furthermore, major cultural projects such as the exhibition on the German Architect Ernst May and his work in Kampala or the cultural preservation project Fort Wadelai were finanzed by the German Emabssy.

The Goethe-Zentrum Kampala/Ugandan German Cultural Society (GZK/UGCS) plays a central role in not only promoting the study of German abroad but also in enouraging intercultural exchange through an extensive programme of cultural events throughout the year such as exhibitions, movie screenings, concerts, lectures and workshops. The UGCS founded in 1989 became a cooperation partner of the Goethe-Institut in 2008, turning it into one of the few Goethe-Zentren in Africa. Since April 2006, the GZK/UGCS and the Alliance Française share the same premises to further intensify the cooperation that has already been in place since 2005 with common German-French projects funded by the so-called Elysée-Fonds.

The German Embassy maintains close working relationships with the Goethe-Zentrum Kampala and widely supports the organization in carrying out its cultural programme.

The Embassies of the European Union’s Member States, their respective cultural institutes and the Delegation of the European Union have intensified their cooperation in the organisation of cultural events since 2006. One example is the annual EU-East Africa Film Festival that has been taking place in Kampala since 2014.