Maputo's vibrant cultural centre

A meeting place and platform for exchange; a dynamic cultural programme including exhibitions, concerts, dance, literature, cinema and talk shows; co-working spaces; a bar, restaurant, and workshop with boutique: welcome to 16NetO, the hybrid cultural centre in the heart of Mozambique's capital Maputo. Its mission? To open doors for a new generation of artists, listen to them, support them and provide them with a platform, while working in parallel to make Mozambican society networked, creative and inclusive.

16NetO was co-founded in 2016 by three friends. It brings together people from different backgrounds and encourages synergies. "Our goal is to create a welcoming space where all sorts of different projects can develop," explains Élodie Finel, who runs the centre.

The centre, which was originally financed entirely by revenues from the co-working space, admissions to events and the restaurant and bar, has received support from the SDC since 2018. This has enabled it to expand its offering to include additional concerts, performances and exhibitions. In addition, the Art Bazaar visual arts fair was set up, enabling young artists to showcase their paintings, ceramics and digital art.

In 2020, 16NetO partnered with eight other sponsors from Maputo to launch the week-long Gala Gala Festival, featuring music, multimedia, photography and street art. Following a suggestion made by the SDC, the centre took over the Maputo Fast Forward initiative in 2021. This project has three parts to it: a festival featuring conferences, workshops, concerts, films and exhibitions; the weekly online magazine 'RADAR' with articles on innovation and creativity in Mozambique, Africa and elsewhere; and educational opportunities in the form of seminars, masterclasses and partnerships with universities.

The internet is a very important piece of the puzzle that makes up the centre. 16NetO has developed the artequi database and the Tela online gallery to promote the work of Mozambican artists outside the country. All events organised by the centre are broadcast on the internet, and the videos are available on YouTube.

The centre reaches a large audience via social media and in person. "It is multicultural, cross-generational and brings people together from various sections of society," says Evaro Abreu, a cultural producer at 16NetO. "Its followers are arts enthusiasts, and that's a privilege," adds Mozambican rapper, composer and poet Kenobi da Kaia. His very first performance in front of an audience took place at 16NetO in 2018: "That concert really boosted my visibility and opened new doors."

16NetO also prepared Kenobi da Kaia for the demands of the professional music industry. "This place introduced us to the organisational and management aspects of festivals and to the legal framework in Mozambique. I learned how to prepare cost estimates and word applications for permits and funding. This has helped me to handle the arrangements for my own performances, including all the logistics and everything that goes along with it," the artist explains before adding: "16NetO is a home for me, and the team here is like my family."