Launching KESSA – The New Generation of African storytellers

Story School, the communication school of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), in collaboration with the French-African Foundation, announces the launch of KESSA – the pan-African program dedicated to the new languages of African storytelling.

KESSA is an unprecedented program dedicated to those shaping the African narratives of today and tomorrow. A residency designed to reveal, train, and connect 30 emerging talents in African storytelling—creators, journalists, scientists, influencers, cultural entrepreneurs, and media voices committed to transforming the continent.

In a context marked by the rise of African cultural and creative industries and by the growing importance of narratives in social and economic dynamics, the term “KESSA,” which means “story” in Arabic and in several African dialects, embodies this essential link between memory, heritage, voice, and collective projection.

Because telling Africa’s story means transforming perceptions, shaping futures, and reprogramming the imagination, KESSA is launching its pan-African artistic and cultural storytelling residency, where Africa imagines and narrates its future, and where the African languages of tomorrow take shape. For the program’s first edition, 30 new voices from the continent will be selected to join this narrative laboratory and amplify the African story.

“At Story School, we are convinced that changing representations and elevating African voices involves telling about Africa differently, in all its diversity and creativity. As a communication laboratory, we must play our part in this transformation and will offer the 30 KESSA laureates an excellence training program to help them amplify their voices,” explains Meriem Idrissi Kaitouni, Director of UM6P – Story School.

“With KESSA, we support those who are renewing African narratives. We believe their work is essential to building a contemporary, realistic, ambitious, and positive representation of the continent,” declares Nachouat Meghouar, Managing Director, French-African Foundation.

Experimentation, encounters, and pan-African visibility for participants

The program is open to professionals aged 25 to 40, with at least 5 years of experience in practices related to new African storytelling languages and community-driven narratives: cinema, series, audiovisual, literature, poetry, music, dance, photography, design, visual arts, urban culture, media, criticism, digital storytelling, museology, archives, research, cultural entrepreneurship, social innovation, sports, and other related fields.

This new generation of talents will be encouraged to create, connect, and experiment together.

From March 23 to 28, 2026, the 30 selected laureates will join an immersive residency at the UM6P Story School Campus in Rabat, Morocco, including:

• Masterclasses delivered by African and international experts
• Practical workshops (writing, image, sound, digital storytelling, performance…)
• Collaborative sessions and professional encounters
• Support in creating an original work
• Integration into an active and structured pan-African network.

The work and profiles of the talents will also be showcased in a pan-African campaign led jointly by UM6P Story School and the French-African Foundation, including press, broadcasts, digital media, influencers and institutional partnerships.

Applications for the first edition of KESSA are open until January 10, 2026, click here to apply.

About UM6P Story School

Story School is UM6P’s communication laboratory. A school rooted in the reality of a transforming world, enabling both students and leaders to communicate effectively. Story School offers executive and tailor-made training programs, applied research, and strategic consulting in communication fields. It creates unique and enriching learning experiences, fosters collaborations with local and international experts and explores the communication field through impactful projects blending art, research, and practice. Story School aims to be a space for creativity and exploration in communication, free from preconceived ideas.

About the French-African Foundation

The French-African Foundation is a leading organization dedicated to the new generation of African and French leaders. Through its initiatives, it highlights African and French achievements, transforms the narratives between the two regions, and runs the largest pan-African network of young professionals, uniting a community committed to innovation and concrete action. It offers visibility, high-level networking, and training. Its flagship programs include the Young Leaders Program and AFRICA Day. More information at: www.french-african.org

BellaNaija is a Media Partner for Story School