The Ministry of Youth and Arts (MINIYOUTH), on January 6, 2024, said it is considering a competition scheme dubbed “ArtConnekt” as a way of bringing artists together, finance and award those with outstanding projects. ALSO READ: Arts portfolio moved to Ministry of Youth Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as song composition and singing, painting or sculpture, poetry, cinematography, film making, fashion and design, drama, plastic art among others. The proposal was unveiled by the Minister of Youth and Arts, Abdallah Utumatwishima, while officially opening the Kigali Youth Festival. The festival is expected to be characterized by entertainment activities, educating youth about Rwandan history, exhibition of projects by youth among others ahead of National Heroes Day slated in February The festival was organized by the Ministry of Youth and Arts, and the City of Kigali. ALSO READ: Rwanda Youth Festival to promote hard-up talented youth The proposal of the model to finance artists’ exceptional projects follows a government decision whereby the Ministry of Youth (MINIYOUTH) absorbed the arts portfolio which was previously under the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE). Utumatwishima said the ministry is considering introducing “ArtConnekt” with the same model as that of YouthConnekt to award outstanding artists. ALSO READ: 5 major developments as YouthConnekt turns 10 YouthConnekt programmes are designed to uplift young people from all walks of life including the less educated, degree holders, rural youths, urban youths, young men, and women. Over the past 10 years, the YouthConnekt has invested Rwf2.5 billion in over 2,000 youth-led businesses contributing Rwf5 billion to Rwanda's economy in return. Many young men and women shared their experience with YouthConnekt programmes from scratch to factory owners and big investments. “As we have YouthConnekt, the ministry is considering the introduction of ArtConnekt. We want to introduce competition and award artists’ outstanding projects,” he said. Speaking at the Kigali Youth Festival, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Rwanda Defence Force, Lt Col SimoN Kabera urged youth to work hard and embrace heroic and patriotic values. “We have heroes because our parents and leaders taught us good values. These are the values that liberated the country and stopped 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. We have to learn from President Paul Kagame who taught us values, who led liberation struggle, and campaign against genocide and who is still inculcating patriotic and hardworking values,” he said.
