Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa

Senior associate

Philippa is a storyteller, poet, coach and a skilled facilitator with almost of 30 years of experience. She uses story as a catalyst for community conversations, teaching, creating community and entertainment. At the centre of her practice is story, deep listening, presence and the power of voice – often combining story, poetry and song in her work. And also helping people tap into the story threads that shape their worlds.

As a facilitator and coach she works with individuals and organisations holding space for people to reflect and think together; and to engage in challenging and complex conversations in a safe environment. Philippa is able to tune into process, and respond incisively in a way that moves the process on. She is able to make the invisible visible, to name the unspoken, in a way that is both challenging and supportive.

She often says, “My work is to slow people down so that they can go faster.” She started her work as a facilitator in the development sector in South Africa working with schools and the district office. She went on to work as one of the consultants in a provincial change process between 1998 and 2000; and then worked as a consultant to the Networked Learning Communities Programme of the National College of School leadership in the UK between 2002 and 2004.

Her passion is people and she has gone on to work across sectors -from presenting on courses at the Graduate School of Business at UCT, to facilitating on international Fellowship programmes, like the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in South Africa(AFHESA), to supporting local schools, NGOs and businesses.

As a storyteller and poet she has curated performances to activate space within art galleries, on the streets, in theatres and online; performed in collaboration with other storytellers and artists both locally and internationally and curated solo performances. Philippa works both in-person and online.

She believes that story is a powerful teacher and community builder. Stories enable us to ask questions, to reflect, to learn, to weep, to laugh, to be human. It is when we find our humanity that real change begins to happen.

She presented two TEDx talks, Replenishing the storywell at TEDx Tablemountain (2012), and She of the Ashes and Flames at TEDx Port Albert, in South Africa (2012). In 2014 she co-founded The Story Club Cape Town, a monthly platform that promotes oral storytelling in this divided city. It is still ongoing, and has developed a regular following.

In September 2020 she was 2 nd in the Ultimate Storyteller Competition run by Hadithi ya Africa. This is a competition for people from the African continent.

She is a published writer. Her first full length book, Flame and Song: a memoir was published in Cape Town in 2016 (Modjaji Books), and in Uganda in 2017 (Sooo Many Stories). She has also published four children’s books and a number of poems.