The ISU Arts Centre is a premier facility to promote and support student exploration of the Arts.  Students can express their creativity and perform in areas of Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Drama. 

Simon Gillespie
Head of School,
International School of Uganda

Simon Gillespie
Head of School,
International School of Uganda

Notable Educator Sir Ken Robinson stated “You can’t just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get the best out of them.”  This environment comes in two forms – one developed through the culture created by educators and parents where children are encouraged to explore their passions and express themselves.  The other environment is the physical space and resources that we provide for students to be able take advantage of opportunities and take their learning to new levels.

The arts are a powerful mode of communication through which students develop an understanding of the world around them. Students think of new perspectives and to articulate their thoughts in new ways through a variety of media. The arts as a medium of inquiry provides opportunities for communication and expression.  Learning about and through arts promotes creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and social interactions.  (Adapted from the IB Primary Years Program Arts Scope and Sequence).

The ISU Arts Centre is a premier facility to promote and support student exploration of the Arts.  Students can express their creativity and perform in areas of Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Drama.  The ISU Arts Centre features a state-of-the-art 420 seat theatre, a recording studio, music practice rooms, dance studio, fine arts classrooms and various learning spaces.  We are excited to have this new space which will support ISU students and build connections with the Arts in Uganda.  

The ISU Board of Directors committed to the creation and design of an Arts Centre in 2015.  A process took place to work together with architects and builders to develop and implement a design and construction of the ISU Arts Centre.  Arch Forum, a Ugandan architectural firm was selected.  Ground was broken on Thursday June 14, 2018.  The original completion date was scheduled for December 2019, this was delayed to May 2020.  During the final stages the Covid-19 global pandemic emerged, causing further delays.  In October 2020 the learning spaces were completed and started being used by teachers and students.  In September 2021 a team of theatre experts from South Africa were finally scheduled to complete installations of the lighting, sound and seating.  We officially celebrated the opening of this learning space on October 1, 2022 and it is finally a reality, and we are so happy to be performing together and enjoying this facility.

The ISU Arts Centre features a state-of-the-art 420 seat theatre, a recording studio, music practice rooms, dance studio, fine arts classrooms and various learning spaces.  We are excited to have this new space which will support ISU students and build connections with the Arts in Uganda

We would like to challenge each of our students to take advantage of having a facility like our Arts Centre during their time at ISU.  We encourage them to find a way to get involved, take risks, and put themselves on the centre of our stage to perform, make use of the rehearsal spaces to practice and get better, express themselves with all forms of art and be proud of what they create and share with others.  We hope our students will be inspired by the many Ugandan Artists that we partner and interact with.  To learn from and with them to develop their own forms of art.  To appreciate the culture of Uganda.

The Arts is also a medium to support equality and justice where students can express themselves and their creativity exploring their cultural backgrounds, and their own voice.  At ISU we have been striving to create an inclusive learning environment.  I am reminded and motivated each day by the following quote which is on the wall of my office “Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard”.  We are a diverse community by design with over 50 nationalities represented – but this is not enough.  Within our community how is our diversity reflective of not only cultures, but also talents, skills, and abilities?  How are we ensuring that each person in our community feels a sense of belonging? 

We have been creatively finding ways to be more representative and to provide more opportunities.  One example of this is our partnership with the Angel’s Center in Wakiso under the direction of Rosemary Nambooze.  Angel’s Center is a home for children with special needs in Uganda.  Their vision is of a society which integrates children with Special Needs to fully realize their potentials.  The mission of the Angel’s Center is to be a voice and to break the silence of disability in communities, through increasing access to information and service delivery.  At ISU we are proud to have partnered with the Angel’s Centre, to demonstrate that their children and adults have worth, and are contributing members of society.  By hiring two individuals with Downs Syndrome and creating a new scholarship for a student with neurodiversity we are demonstrating that everyone matters and can have opportunities.  

We have a 55-year history and with that a strong foundation, along with a strong commitment to continue to grow, learn and connect with the wider community. We are located on a beautiful 33-acre campus in Lubowa with facilities that allow our students to take part in learning experiences that help them to learn to their greatest potential.  For admissions inquiries or to learn more about ISU please visit our website – www.isu.ac.ug

Simon Gillespie, Ed.D. is the Head of School at International School of Uganda an International Baccalaureate World School.  Simon has been a leader of international schools in Germany, Philippines, and most recently the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Simon is a co-director of the Next Frontier Inclusion organization, supporting international schools to be inclusive of all students regardless of their learning style and challenges.  He looks forward to continuing to connect with the educational community in Kampala and supporting the development of a strong learning environment for our students.