Rwanda: Closing ceremony for Strengthening the Cultural and Creative Industries
A UNESCO project “Strengthening the cultural and creative industries in Rwanda” marks its conclusion after two years of activities aimed at the advancement of Rwandan arts and culture. The closing ceremony will be organized on 29 October 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda, in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Culture of Rwanda, the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture, the Rwandan National Commission for UNESCO and Ishyo Arts Centre.
Ishyo Arts Centre, whose vision is to “create an authentic Rwandan cultural experience,” was the national partner for this project funded by the Korean Funds-in-Trust to UNESCO and implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa. Notably, the Centre created a map of Rwanda’s growing cultural and creative industries (CCI) through surveys targeting cultural entrepreneurs, policymakers and artists. The results, which revealed strengths as well as challenges and major gaps in the CCI, were also made available as reports. From May to September 2019, Ishyo Arts Centre conducted a series of workshops in order to address the needs identified during the survey: the “training of trainers” series provided professionals in performing arts, film production, visual arts and creative entrepreneurship with practical tools and knowledge to lead the professionalization of their respective field. In the spirit of regional and global cooperation upheld by the KFIT project, the sessions were conducted by experts from Senegal, France, Uganda, South Africa and Kenya.
The ceremony will host a panel discussion on Creative Entrepreneurship in East Africa, presentation by training participants on their growth titled “From Theory to Practice,” and a live performance, reflecting the diverse, empowering and artistic nature of the Korean funded project.
The two-year project was overseen by a National Steering Committee composed of prominent members of the Culture sector in Rwanda and chaired by Dr. James Vuningoma, Director of the Rwandan Academy of Language and Culture.