Butterfly Media Centre
Workshops on video, photo and sound editing, music production and DJing.
Our mission
To provide a free media service and performance space
where the community can express and develop skills, talents, creativity and flair.
With a recording studio, editing & production software, camera’s, voice recorders, etc., this is a creative space for anyone wanting to get involved & learn and develop their skills in all types of media.
Since it opened in April 2012, the media centre provides an open and dynamic space for the Nkhata Bay community. It comprises of a recording studio with a microphone, mixer, laptop and Ableton controller; and a larger room stocked with a projector, radio, voice recorders for journalism, and computers for editing and producing. Local youngsters regularly meet up here for workshops on music production, DJing or other media-related skills.
We also provide a space for regular performances and host regular events including open mic nights in the bar area.
The Media Room
Located in the heart of Butterfly Space Lodge, our purpose-built media room offers workstations equipped with computers for learning basic digital skills, including Microsoft Office, Photoshop, photography, film, and journalism. We provide video cameras, voice recorders, and editing software, encouraging hands-on learning with guidance from experienced volunteers.
We also host a large collection of entertaining and educational films and documentaries. Community film nights are open to all, with the option to download content for personal use. Our projector and media resources are used during workshops to spark inspiration and broaden horizons.
As digital access grows in Malawi, we aim to empower the community with the tools and skills to explore new ideas, cultures, and opportunities through technology.
The Recording Studio
Since opening in 2009, the recording room has been a vibrant extension of the Information Center, welcoming musicians of all kinds to record their work. Through our partnership with Spare Dog Records , local artists from Nkhata Bay have released albums and gained global exposure. International DJs like Danny Savage, Geoff (White Noise Boy), Niraj (DJ Buddha), and Paul Hutchinson (Mr Paul) have shared their skills and donated equipment, enriching the space further.
In 2021, Butterfly ran a week-long series of music production, DJing, songwriting, and performance workshops in collaboration with Kwathu Kollektiv and support from Tiwale, culminating in a student showcase of original tracks. The project continued for some time through weekly studio meetups to build on participants’ skills and engage new learners.
Day to day...
Some of our past volunteers taught the first Malawians to mix music at Butterfly, sparking a wave of creativity in the recording room, which remains busy most days with local musicians. We’ve held DJ workshops for children using up-to-date software on publicly accessible computers, and the centre is open seven days a week.
Nkhata Bay Talent offers an online platform for local artists to showcase their work, linking with the Info Room and our wider community development efforts. We’re also working toward launching ‘Tales of Malawi” which is a blog space on our website to connect our projects, people, and talents, and strengthen community ties locally and beyond.
Who we work with
Matthias Stalnaker of ‘Spare Dog Records’ has produced albums for several Nkhata Bay artists, helping them perform at Lake of Stars and festivals across Europe—including Gasper Nali, who played at Glastonbury.
Our resident DJ is part of Kwathu Kollektiv, a Malawian music collective mentoring youth in recording and production. The group includes top talents like producers Chmba and Martin Anjelz, reggae star Ishan Cyapital, DJ Shortie, and singer-songwriter Tiya Joan.
Matthias Stalnake of ‘Spare Dog Records’ has produced albums for several artists from Nkhata Bay and got them performing at the Lake of Stars and festivals in Europe, including local musician Gasper Nali, who performed at Glastonbury Festival as part of his European tour! Quite a difference from Nkhata Bay! has helped them play at the Lake of Stars festival in Malawi as well as at venues and events around Europe.
Why Volunteer here?
This is an inspiring project and it’s a great way to connect with a new culture and community. In Nkhata Bay and much of Malawi, most young people don’t have access to media technology, or the opportunity to learn creative skills in media software and photography, leaving the youths of Malawi behind in the digital world. The centre provides a creative and accessible space, free from stigma, for the talents of Malawi to practice, learn and express themselves in a safe and inclusive environment. We encourage all genders, ages and people with special educational needs to use the center.
“Community development is a process where people come together to take action on what’s important to them. At its heart, community development is rooted in the belief that all people should have access to health, wellbeing, wealth, justice and opportunity.”
How you can get involved...
This is a diverse project in which volunteers can introduce and share their own skills and talents. We welcome new ideas too so please get in touch if you have something new to offer! People with technology skills are always welcomed, along with skills in marketing, production, song writing etc. Here are some of the ways to get involved in this project:
- Host photography, videography or animation workshops, providing Photoshop lessons, courses in photography/ film making etc.
- Show the community how to use a media equipment for example, camera’s, voice recorders…A previous volunteer Mike, from A Million Smiles project worked with kids and is encouraging them to use his project as a platform for their photography.
- DJ’s or music producers can run workshops and teach their skills.
- Volunteers can use the projector to show and promote weekly educational films and inspiring TED talks to the community.
- Continue to link with media colleges and universities worldwide to attract skilled volunteers here to develop the skills in Nkhata Bay and keep this space dynamic.
- Service, maintain, improve and fix equipment in the centre.
- Host an open mic nights and events, find new local talents and introduce them to the center.
Sponsorship & Donations
We are always in need of funding or donations for better equipment to develop the media center, from recording equipment to software upgrades (please see our wish list for the equipment we need). A monthly donation of £50 would mean we could afford a staff member to open the media room 6 days a week so we can use it as a drop in service like its neighboring Information Center. Cash donations from just £25 can be given to run music events, covering transport costs and meals for musicians who live more rurally.
One off donations may also be spent on upgrading the Centre’s hardware and software, and contribute towards general maintenance of equipment.
If you have any of these skills, or other skills that we can incorporate into the projects, please get in touch!
Volunteering is free of charge, we just ask that volunteers cover their own expenses, and we encourage volunteers to do a fundraiser to help to contribute to the project they work with.
If you would like to support this project, please see our Fundraising Page Thank you for your support!
