Nabwami Winnie

Winnie Nabwami is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts and Film at Makerere University, Uganda. She is a theatre educator, performing arts practitioner, and child development specialist with extensive experience in theatre pedagogy, arts education, cultural integration, and community engagement. Her academic and professional work is driven by a commitment to using theatre and performance as transformative tools for education, social inclusion, creativity, and personal development.

Winnie holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Pedagogy from the University of Music and Theatre Rostock, Germany, where she specialized in theatre education, applied theatre, and theatre therapy. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts and Film from Makerere University, providing her with a strong foundation in performance, theatre production, and creative arts education.

Prior to joining Makerere University, Winnie built a distinguished career in Germany, where she worked as a Child Care Educator and Theatre Educator with the German Red Cross (DRK). In this role, she designed and facilitated theatre-based educational programmes that promoted children’s creativity, communication, emotional wellbeing, and cultural integration. She also served as a Theatre Pedagogue at the School of the Arts in Schwerin, leading inclusive theatre projects for refugee children, school learners, and children with disabilities. Her work focused on intercultural dialogue, non-verbal communication, and the use of participatory theatre to foster resilience, confidence, and social cohesion.

Winnie’s professional experience also includes theatre therapy placements at HELIOS Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Don Bosco Primary School in Germany, where she applied creative arts approaches to support children facing psychological, psychosocial, and developmental challenges. Earlier in her career, she worked with MEBO Theatre in Uganda, coordinating educational theatre projects, theatre workshops, and outreach programmes for schools and communities.

At Makerere University, Winnie teaches and mentors undergraduate students in theatre and performance studies while contributing to curriculum development, research, and community outreach initiatives. Her research interests include applied theatre, theatre pedagogy, arts in education, theatre for social change, cultural studies, children’s theatre, and community-based performance. Fluent in Luganda, English, and German, she brings an international perspective to her teaching and research and is committed to advancing scholarship and practice in the performing arts through interdisciplinary collaboration, creative innovation, and community engagement.