Industrial Area · Sunday 8 November 2026

Barkcloth Hands: A Heritage Workshop

Beat, stretch and dye your own piece of olubugo with a fourth-generation barkcloth maker.

Afterglow: Sensory AwokenIndigenous CraftIntergenerational

Hosted by Joel Ssekandi, Barkcloth artisan

Close-up of warm brown tree bark texture

Photo by Jet Stouten on Unsplash

Joel opens his working studio for a morning of olubugo, the barkcloth of Buganda. You will strip, steam and beat mutuba bark with wooden mallets, then dye your piece with natural pigments.

Lunch is a shared pot of luwombo, cooked in banana leaves in the courtyard while the cloth dries.

The Intentionality Pledge

Every host answers these before a gathering is published, and is held to them afterwards.

Why it exists

Barkcloth is UNESCO-recognised heritage, yet few Kampalans have touched raw mutuba. This exists to put the craft back in people's hands, not behind glass.

The ritual

  • Open with the story of the mutuba tree
  • Elders and children work side by side
  • Every piece is signed by its maker

The afterglow

On the ride home, you should feel Sensory Awoken.

How the host measures success

Every guest finishes a piece and can explain each step to someone else.

The vibe

Four dimensions, set by the host and checked by our curators.

Intimacy80
Large gatheringSecret room
Energy40
Ambient, meditativeHigh-octane
Culture & heritage100
ContemporaryDeep roots
Gastronomy35
No food focusCulinary centrepiece

Your host

Joel Ssekandi

Barkcloth artisan

Good Standing

Joel is a fourth-generation barkcloth maker from Masaka who now runs a working studio in Kampala's Industrial Area.

When

Sunday 8 November 2026

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where

Ssekandi Barkcloth Studio

5th Street, Industrial Area

8 minutes by boda from the Jinja Road roundabout

Guests

12 at most

Admission

UGX 90,000

Before you come

Wear clothes you do not mind marking. All tools and materials are provided, and you take your cloth home.

Reservations open soon.