Is a National Theatre too much to ask for?

Before I get into the meat of this column let me present my mea culpa; I’m the anti-nerd. My math skills are rudimentary and Microsoft Word is the only computer program that I believe I’m close to mastering. I have little understanding of physics and I think chemistry is a bore. So, if I sound biased today, forgive me. On Monday, The New Times front page was emblazed with the headline ‘Kicukiro College wins ICT skills competition’. Beating Umutara Polytechnic, KIST, Tumba College of Technology and even my alma mater, the National University of Rwanda (NUR), Kicukiro College proved to be number one in reprogramming robots. This competition, which the nerdy students probably found fascinating, was organized by the Workforce Development Authority, The New Times wrote, “as part of the government’s effort to reinforce human resource development in science and technology”. I’m all for science and technology. Honestly, I can see why we need to have more engineers, mechanics and all that. I’ve bought into the ‘regional technology hub’ narrative because it makes sense. To be able to compete with our neighbors economically, we need to be able to bring something new to the table. We certainly won’t beat anyone with our manufacturing prowess, so computing is certainly the way to go. However, I do feel that in the rush to flood our streets with computer whizzes and entrepreneurs, another segment of the populace is being ignored. I’m talking about the artistes. The painters, the dancers, the actors, the cinematographers and the singers. While the sciences are able to raise our standards of living and give us gadgets that make life easier I ardently believe that it is the ‘arts’ that make us appreciate what it is to be human. Monkeys make tools but can they come close to conveying beauty in the manner of an Epa Binamungu painting? I have detected a certain pro-science bias amongst Rwandans which I feel is wrong. Students are being pressured by societal forces to think that the ‘arts’ are somehow less important and academically rigorous as ‘sciences’ and they are opting for them, notwithstanding the fact that the sciences might not be their forte. It will shock most people from the developed world that the biggest university in Rwanda, NUR, does not have a faculty of Fine Art. I personally find it shocking. How do we expect to train the upcoming generation of fine artists? I can understand why this is so. Rwanda has finite resources and we must plough them into professions that will bring us cold, hard cash. But I’m afraid that as a consequence of this choice, we are spawning a generation of ‘joyless human beings’. Let’s look at the facts on the ground. The New Times has reported about the reprogramming of robots, but when was the last time they reported on a book launch by a young Rwandan writer? Or an art exhibit? Or poetry reading? I’ve grumbled many times about the lack of any kind of social activity that doesn’t involve the consumption of alcohol and loud music in Kigali but I guess I’ve been putting the cart before the horse. I shouldn’t be complaining about the lack of theatres, I should be complaining about the lack of stage performers. There is a mistaken belief that the arts aren’t money spinners, I beg to disagree. Broadway injects hundreds of millions of dollars into the New York City economy and Paris wouldn’t be Paris without the Louvre Museum and its painting of the Mona Lisa. What is Sydney’s most famous landmark; is it not the opera house? Who wants to live in a country where it is all work and no play? Certainly not I. Funding for faculties of art, dance schools and theatre camps must be found. I’m pretty sure that there are philanthropic organizations around the world that would jump at the opportunity to get involved with a project as important as this one. What does the Ministry of Culture do, other than organize the Fespad African dance festival every once in awhile anyway? They should get on this. Make contacts with reputable organizations and institutions around the world; I bet that they will become pleasantly surprised at how much people want to help build a Rwandan cultural scene. sunnyntayombya@newtimes.co.rw