Music & Arts Programme in Tanzania — Art in Tanzania
What is it? The Music & Arts Programme brings international arts students and practitioners into direct collaboration with Tanzanian artists across music, dance, fine arts, film, and photography — making, performing, teaching, and using the arts as a tool for community development. It is run by Art in Tanzania (AIT), a community-development NGO founded in 1996.
Where? Communities, schools, and cultural organisations around Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
How long? Flexible — the programme runs continuously year-round, with duration adjustable to your academic schedule and creative goals.
Working hours? 6–8 hours per day, Monday to Friday.
Who joins? Students and practitioners in music, dance, fine arts, film, photography, art therapy, and related fields. AIT typically hosts 15–40 international students at a time, drawn from over 1000 partner universities worldwide.
What does the Music & Arts Programme involve?
Your placement is shaped around your artistic discipline, skills, and the community programmes you contribute to. Work spans the full creative spectrum:
- Music — performance, teaching, and collaboration — working alongside Tanzanian musicians across genres from African drumming to contemporary popular music — teaching, performing, recording, and collaborating for genuine artistic exchange.
- Dance — engaging with Tanzanian dance traditions as performer and educator, working with community groups, schools, and cultural organisations to preserve, develop, and share movement traditions.
- Fine arts — creating and teaching visual art in community and educational settings, using drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media for expression, education, and community storytelling.
- Film and photography — contributing to AIT's film and media work — documenting community life, producing creative content, and supporting the growing Tanzanian screen arts sector.
- Art therapy and community psychology — using creative practice as a therapeutic and developmental tool within AIT's community psychology programmes, supporting mental health, trauma recovery, and psychosocial wellbeing through arts-based interventions.
What is the Tanzanian creative context?
Tanzania's arts scene sits at a cultural crossroads — where ancient oral and performance traditions meet contemporary global influences, community art and professional practice are not always separate, and creativity is understood as social participation rather than individual expression alone. For arts students trained in Western institutions, this offers a relationship between art and community that challenges assumptions and expands creative vocabulary. For community development students, the arts provide underused tools for connection, healing, advocacy, and education.
How does the placement work?
Academic-level team leaders supervise your placement daily, and a weekly planning and reporting system keeps your work structured and aligned with your academic requirements. You work as part of a multi-professional team of international students and local Tanzanian artists and practitioners. Music, dance, fine arts, film, photography, art therapy, drama, arts education, and community development are all well-suited, and students at any stage of creative training are welcome.
Who runs the programme, and since when?
Art in Tanzania (AIT) has placed approximately 250 participants annually in hands-on community programmes across Tanzania since 1996, and has been part of Tanzania's creative ecosystem throughout. This is an active, collaborative, community-embedded creative practice — not arts observation or cultural tourism.
What is life in Tanzania like during the placement?
In Tanzania, art is everywhere — in the drumming that accompanies celebrations, the textiles and carvings of the markets, and the music drifting from open doorways at dusk. Living here is itself an immersive creative experience, and extraordinary wildlife, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes round out the placement. Affordable, sustainable safaris and tours are available for you and visiting friends or family.
Can I get funding?
Yes. Erasmus+ funding may be available for this placement. Speak with your student or international office about grant options that could fully or partially fund the experience.
Frequently asked questions
What art forms does the Music & Arts Programme cover?
Music (including African drumming and contemporary genres), dance, fine arts, film and photography, and art therapy within community psychology.
Is this an observation placement or a hands-on placement?
Hands-on. It is an active, collaborative, community-embedded creative practice — not arts observation or cultural tourism.
Who can join the Music & Arts Programme?
Students and practitioners in music, dance, fine arts, film, photography, art therapy, drama, arts education, and community development, at any stage of training. AIT hosts 15–40 participants at a time from over 400 partner universities worldwide.
What are the working hours?
6–8 hours per day, Monday to Friday.
When can I start?
The programme runs continuously year-round, with flexible start dates and adjustable duration.
Is funding available?
Yes — Erasmus+ funding may fully or partially cover your placement. Ask your student office about grant options.
Ready to apply?
📋 Apply now · 🌐 Visit our website · 🏡 See the compound · ✈️ Pre-travel info · 🎓 EVOLVET volunteer development programme · 💬 Read testimonials · 🎁 Benefits & perks
Get in touch
Tell us about your artistic practice and what you want to create — we'll shape a placement around it.
📧 < email supprimé pour raison de sécurité > · 📱 WhatsApp: +255 767 777 73 · 🎥 Schedule a Zoom call
