Nomadic African Studio (NAS) is the flagship programme of the African Futures Institute (AFI), a pan-African, experimental platform dedicated to rethinking education, culture, and practice from the African continent outward.

Conceived as a response to the limitations of conventional, Western-centric models of architectural and spatial education, NAS positions Africa not as a peripheral case study, but as a central generator of ideas about the future. The programme is described as nomadic not simply because it moves between places, but because it rejects fixed hierarchies of knowledge. Learning is collective, iterative, and dialogic.

Participants come from diverse geographies and professional backgrounds, forming a cohort that reflects the multiplicity of African and diasporic experiences. Teaching is delivered through an evolving constellation of design studios, seminar, lectures, workshops, and public conversations led by leading thinkers, practitioners, artists, and activists from Africa and across the globe.

The next iteration of the Studio will take place in Accra, Ghana, from 20 July – 14 August 2026. Our Open Call for applicants will launch at 09h00 GMT on 23 February. Follow us on Instagram for the latest news and updates!