The 149 artists that advanced from the preselection phase of ArtRwanda-Ubuhanzi presented their final products before a panel of judges as they conclude a 5-day bootcamp at Cenetra Hotel in Kabuga, Kigali.

Among 149 artists who were selected in five provinces of Rwanda, the panel of judges will select 60 finalists including 10 from each of the six art categories namely dance and music, fashion, acting and drama, photography and cinematography, literature and plastic arts, to proceed to the finals.

Ambasaderi Dushimimana was the first artist in the category of dance and music to showcase his final product to the panel and he proved his talent to Judges when he performed ‘Ntundize’ by Bruce Melodie.

Another artist whose voice left the audience inspired is Ishimwe Kelly from Kicukiro District who sang Twaje, one of the songs Buravan released before he died.

Sylvie Munyana, a young cultural musician, also did a noticeable performance as she performed a number of songs including ‘Mureke Aze’.

In the category of literature and plastic arts, contestants including Vestine Uwamariya also showcased some of the skills they got from the bootcamp.

Uwamariya performed a poem titled ‘Karabo Keza Nyunva Nkubwire’ which pleads with society to stop abusing children rights.

The winners from each category will be announced during grand finale tomorrow at Kigali Convention Center and all the 60 finalists will go for a one-year incubation.

The incubation process is aimed at talent development and mentorship, employment generation and artworks commercialization, creation and development of sustainable, globally competitive artists that contribute to the accelerated growth of the Rwandan economy.

ArtRwanda-Ubuhanzi is a project that seeks to identify young artistic talent across a wide spectrum of art disciplines, and offer them the requisite skills and tools to not only hone their respective talents but also become creative entrepreneurs.

Launched in August 2018, the talent search is a joint project by the Ministry of Youth and Culture and Imbuto Foundation with a mission to improve and support Rwanda’s art sector.