Kula Rodrigues: Managing creative spaces with a passion

When Careers asked Kula Rodrigues what inspires him, he said: “Random moments in life or accidental pictures. It’s hard to define how you get inspiration, because it’s all about how creatively you interpret the world.”An artist, dancer, manager and overall creative, Rodrigues has always loved expressing himself creatively and this love sparked a passion for dance that opened many doors for the 22-year-old bachelor of arts honours student at the University of Namibia (Unam).His portfolio includes being a graphic designer/digital artist, co-founder of Auaba Graphics and DMK Productions, and fashion designer, as well as manager and marketing director for popular dance groups such as Urban Coded Dance Crew (UCDC), Unam Dance Society (UDC) and UC Boys.He is also a dance coach for the Robin’s Private Music Centre, where he teaches hip hop, afro/ amapiano, k-pop and contemporary styles.In addition, he is a private fitness dance coach and a professional dancer at a national and international level.Lessons along the way But even with a deeply rooted passion and dedicated work ethic, he has faced challenges: “Some of the challenges are managing time to do everything in a day, crunching to get schoolwork, rehearsals, art pieces and communicating with a lot of people.”Rodrigues has had a bustling two years under his belt after UCDC won best dance crew consecutively at the Namibian Championships of the Performing Arts and first place for two categories at the World of Dance 2024 in South Africa.His advice for any aspiring young artist is to learn how to organise their time and understand the people in the industry.“You have to understand that your time is valuable but also non-existent, so you should know where you're putting it and recognise that not everyone watching you rise is your friend or owes you help,” Rodrigues says. In the future he hopes to continue contributing to the arts and culture industry by opening academies and art galleries as well as continuing to manage performers.

Kula Rodrigues: Managing creative spaces with a passion

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-19

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Kula Rodrigues: Managing creative spaces with a passion

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-19

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