Wayne McGregor

Akili, founded in 2006 by choreographer Wayne McGregor, is an agenda free, international resource for artists. It is a unique place for retreat, a time to think; to be.

Constructed with local architects, builders and materials, Akili, set in over an acre of beautiful grounds with a fresh water swimming pool, embraces a series of stunning spaces including a magnificent 16 square metre studio with beautiful views of the beach and the Indian Ocean and a gorgeous thatched roof peaking at 12 metres high.

The setting of Akili is Lamu. Town, Island and Archipelago,all of the same name, lie two degrees below the Equator along Kenya's coast. The archipelago is a chain of islands separated from the mainland by a narrow channel bordered with dense mangrove forest and protected from the Indian Ocean by coral reefs and large sand dunes. The many historical sites are proof of the area's long and rich history which, when combined with all the natural attractions of its tropical setting, make Lamu a wonderful place to visit.

The naturally protected harbour on its northeast side led to the founding of Lamu Town which became a centre of coastal commerce. Today, Lamu's economy is still dominated by maritime activities: shipping, fishing, mangrove cutting and shipbuilding. The people of Lamu are devout followers of Islam and the town is a place of religious pilgrimage where Muslims from all over eastern Africa gather every year to celebrate Maulidi, the Prophet's birthday. Lamu is remote even by Kenyan standards. There are no cars on the island and a way of life from an earlier age is still intact.