The State Minister in charge of Culture, Edouard Bamporiki has revealed that the ministry is working on a new policy to commercialise the creative industry so that it can benefit people involved in it as well as the country.

Bamporiki, who is himself a poet, made the remarks during the celebration of this year’s World Poetry Day which was marked on the evening of March 21. 

Through the policy, he said that art, including poetry, will be commercialised without spoiling its originality so that it will still entertain people but also benefit the artist as well as the country.

He noted that in the aftermath of the Genocide against the Tutsi, there were many things that required urgent attention than art, but the policy, which is being developed currently, will help the Rwandan creative industry nurture artists who will compete internationally and will make room for investors in the industry.

Before being passed, the policy will be tabled before all stakeholders in the art industry for their inputs, he said.

He urged poets, especially the young ones, to keep nurturing and sharpening their talents, stating that the government will support them to do the art he said offers a great way to deliver a message.

Junior Rumaga, a popular Rwandan poet, sees the policy as something that can help tackle different challenges poetry faces, and said that poetry is one of the sectors of the creative industry that still needs to thrive to where others are.

He said that one of the challenges they face include insufficient funding and stressed that nowadays, doing poetry requires a lot of money while the way of earning back is not easy which he said makes many poets inconsistent, while others have had to quit.

Tackling the reason why young poets are still few, he said that it’s because in the past, they didn’t have elders to learn from, adding that with new poets coming in, it is easy for other young people to relate to the depth of creativity in their poems hence helping them to learn and walk in their footsteps.

Carine Maniraguha, an award-winning poetess based in Kigali, noted that there is also a need of teaching poetry in schools and youth centres so that young people with poetic talents or those who want to learn poetry can be trained effectively.

Adding to that, she declared that renowned poets should also be supported and their art should be preserved so that they can help the generations of poets to come.

Jerome Kajuga, Director of Culture, Social and Human Sciences at Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO also recognises that poets have a lot to share with the Rwandan community hence he called for intergenerational poetry exchange through family gatherings, schools and by sharing old and latest poems with each other so that elders can help young people embrace the beauty and wisdom poetry holds which he said can maintain the art and inspire many to do poetry.

Basile Uwimana, Carine Maniraguha, Jerome Kajuga and Junior Rumaga discussing about the role of poetry in preserving Rwandan heritage during the celebration of World Poetry Day.

Rugaba, one of the poets entertained the audience, performing Amahamba and Amazina y'inka.

Some of the attendees.