SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE — The National University of Rwanda’s Centre for Arts and Drama is set to host its maiden cultural gala this Friday.

The event dubbed ‘the Arts Azimut festival’ to be held from January 25- February 2, will attract artists from Senegal, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Burundi and many others from America and Europe.

According to Gakire Odile, a member of the organizing committee, the event will act as an opportunity to expose the Rwandan culture and draw lessons from other people’s culture.

"This cultural festival gives an opportunity to Rwandan Artists to showcase their culture. It is also an opportunity to show the world that after the 1994 Genocide, Rwandan Artists have committed to play a role in nation building," said Odile.

"Rwandan Artists and students from neighbouring schools will benefit from training sessions both theoretical and practical. This, we hope, will improve the skills of our Artists," added Odile.

The cultural festival will be graced by renowned Artists from the region and the rest of the continent. Notable ones include; Jean Pierre Nimbona alias Kidumu from the neighbouring Burundi, Alifa Naaba, theatre gurus Karole Karemera and Dorcy Rugamba, Rose Doudou Ndiaye and the famous drama stars from Burundi.

The gala is also partly in recognition of the critical role that Rwandan cultural expressions and values can play in uplifting the nature of the social and individual life in Rwanda. If well exploited, it can be used as a critical tool in economic development, organizers say.

Huye district was selected because of its long history as the cultural capital of Rwanda. The district is home to the National Museum, it was the capital of the territory under the Belgian administration of Rwanda –Urundi and its location in the centre of three cities of Bujumbura, Kigali and Bukavu.

The town that is home to the National University of Rwanda [UNR] was founded in 1917 by a German called Dafane. It was renamed Astrida, after the Belgian Queen Astrid in 1928, and later renamed Butare after Independence.

This is the first of a series of cultural festivals that will climax with the Arts and Drama festival (FESPAD) later this year.

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