Grace Gachocha Nakaka is a Teaching Artist and Co-Director of Talanta Tano Organization. Grace founded Talanta Tano in 2012 and serves as the Organization’s artistic director. She has used theater for development techniques as a director and teacher in her work with students and girls from the Tanzanian community.
In 2009 she was part of a teaching artist exchange that was made possible through an International Connections Fund grant from the John D and Catherine T. MacAuthur Fund in partnership with the International Theater and Literacy Project. Grace worked with at - risk middle and high school students in Chicago's South side Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Her interest in helping people find their voices through theater led to collaboration in 2010 with Salasala Kids Club Dar-es-salaam in the formation of mentoring girls.
As Co – Director of Talanta Tano she aspires to give voice to students in Tanzanian schools who rarely have access to Arts Education. Grace earned a Masters of Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College Chicago. Grace was one of the nominees of the 2020 Gilder / Coigney International Theatre awards.