Rwanda is gearing up for the inaugural of the Kigali Triennial Festival, a celebration of African arts and culture in particular to stimulate the development of the Rwandan creative and cultural industry, bringing investors, producers and broadcasters from the global market to Rwanda. Taking place after three years, the 10-day event slated for February 16 to 25, featuring over 200 artists from 25 countries, will see audiences witnessing a diverse programme that will feature 60 performances, exhibitions, and events across music, dance, fashion, theatre, film, gastronomy, visual arts, and more. Under the theme “Where art, knowledge, and economy converge” the event was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Arts, City of Kigali and the Rwanda Arts Initiative to showcase dynamic artistic talent, while enhancing international collaboration, and position Kigali as a global cultural hub. ALSO READ: Are music festivals in Kigali losing their vibe? Among the performers, the event showed in the lineup include renowned figures such as actress Sonia Rolland, Katy Ndiaye, Isabelle Sarah Kabano, Senegalese gallerist and designer Benita Cissé, actors Diogene Ntarindwa, known to many as Atome and Dorcy Rugamba, the director, playwright and artistic director of the Kigali Triennial, filmmakers. Besides, music legend Khadja Nin who will curate the closing concert which will feature local talents like Mike Kayihura, rapper Bushali, vocalist Kaya Byinshi and Alyn Sano. Performances will take place at prominent venues throughout Kigali, including Camp Kigali, Canal Olympia, Ciné Mayaka in Nyamirambo, and Marriott Hotel. Sandrine Umutoni, the Minister of State for Youth and Arts pointed out that the event is an entry point into the promotion of local tourism, cultural activities and the raising of creative economies. In this regard, “the entire community existing in Rwanda art will be able to prove that it is all in numbers that any investment that is being done in the creative industry will create more money in the long term,” she added. She noted: “It will entice people to come to Rwanda so that people who used to come for a certain festival such as Pan African Dance Festival (FESPAD) will see that Kigali is still open. It is time to restart a partnership so that Rwanda can again welcome this type of large-scale festivals.” ALSO READ: Kaya Byinshii nominated for Prix Découvertes RFI 2023 Actor Rugamba, who is also Artistic Director at Rwanda Arts Initiative echoed similar sentiment that the idea was to enhance capacity building and put local talents on the global markets. “In 2023, we set an objective to distribute over 100 local artists globally. Afterwards, we discovered that their products received positive feedback and value. It became apparent that bringing these products to Rwanda was possible rather than watching them through external channels,” he said. “Therefore, we decided to organize the triennial, considering the rapid growth of the local industry. Rwanda possesses a generation with quite a number of upcoming talents that have learned to collaborate. We believe that by uniting all disciplines, we can create something big and make this event truly unique,” he added. Singer and vocalist Kaya Byinshii expressed that “it is a big chance to see both local and international artistes coming together doing common things – arts, while performing infront of them and presenting myself in my unique style. “I would say having the courage to present myself and seeing others around me is important.” The ‘5AM’ singer noted that local music is acknowledged beyond borders, with people from abroad connecting closely to Rwandan music, evident in their emotions.” “However, the event will serve as a great opportunity to increase curiosity among locals. Eventually, they will recognize the abundance of talent we possess,” she added
