Rwanda to host inaugural EAC arts festival

Rwanda will, from 27 October to 4 November this year, host the first ever edition of the East Africa Community Arts and Culture Festival whose aim is to foster an East African cultural identity that depicts the cultural life of East Africans as well as illustrates their cultural unity in diversity.In a press statement, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Jesca Eriyo, announced that the country was selected after “having submitted the most outstanding proposal”.“Rwanda’s bid to host the historic event eclipsed that presented by Uganda, which is the other EAC Partner State that had expressed interest in hosting the Festival,” reads an EAC statement.The festival, which will be hosted by the Partner States on a rotational basis, comes to life following a decision by the 23rd Council of Ministers meeting held in Arusha in 2011 to have the region host regular arts and culture festivals.“The theme of this year’s festival will be ‘Deepening Integration through Culture and Creative Industries’, with the main objective of bringing artistes and East Africans together to dialogue, learn, exchange, network, and celebrate the region’s rich and diverse cultural heritage,” Eriyo said.Some of the programmed activities during the event include cultural villages, art exhibitions, fashion shows, workshops and symposiums as well as live performances, among others.Eriyo noted that the festival will showcase employment opportunities and experiences that East Africans can harness.The first edition of the Festival has targeted to attract a minimum of 3,000 visitors.

National

Rwanda to host inaugural EAC arts festival