The Creative Strategy Lab is one of Gem Zavanna’s flagship programs. Over three intensive days, emerging and established creative professionals work through a structured process to clarify their direction, stress-test their assumptions, and build an actionable plan for the next phase of their practice.
Here is what participants consistently say they take away.
1. Clarity on Their Value Proposition
Many creatives arrive at the Lab knowing what they do but struggling to articulate why it matters — specifically, why it matters to the people and institutions they want to work with.
Through guided exercises, participants move from vague self-descriptions (“I am a visual artist”) to precise value propositions that speak directly to their target clients, partners, or audiences.
2. A Revenue Architecture That Makes Sense
One of the most transformative sessions in the Lab is Revenue Architecture. Participants map all the ways their work could generate income — not just their current primary income stream — and assess which combinations are realistic, complementary, and scalable.
For many, this is the first time they have seen their creative practice as a portfolio of revenue opportunities rather than a single, precarious source of income.
3. A Peer Network Built on Real Exchange
The Lab is deliberately small — no more than 16 participants per cohort. This allows for genuine connection, honest feedback, and the kind of peer accountability that lasts beyond the program itself.
Several Lab alumni have gone on to collaborate professionally, refer each other for opportunities, and co-create projects that neither could have built alone.
Upcoming Cohorts
We run the Creative Strategy Lab twice a year — once in Kampala and once online for participants across the region. View upcoming dates and apply here.