Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi celebrates third cohort winners at creative festival

Rwanda’s creative scene took centre stage as artistes and stakeholders in the creative industry convened at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (KCEV) on Friday for the Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi Xperience festival which marked the graduation of the programme’s third cohort. The event was hosted by Imbuto Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Arts, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the European Union. It brought together creatives from all Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi cohorts for performances and exhibitions celebrating achievements made through the incubation initiative. Graced by First Lady Jeannette Kagame, the graduation saw 46 young artistes complete a one-year incubation programme under the Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi project, themed “Nurture Your Talent – Agura Impano Yawe.” During the festival, artistes from different disciplines showcased their creative talents through fashion collections, dance performances, poetry recitals, visual art exhibitions, and live music performances that featured renowned artistes like Boukuru and Michael Makembe, among others. Nezerwa Ukwishatse emerged winner in the Music category, while Hirwa Arnold Christian took the top prize in Dance. Andy Bayingana won in Plastic Arts, Jimmy Ndayishimiye Kamari emerged winner in Fashion, Priscille Akimana stood out in Acting and Drama, and Nenera Milliam came out on top in Literature. Each of the winners received a cash prize of Rwf1,000,000. Speaking at the event, Director General of Imbuto Foundation, Elodie Shami, said the programme was founded on the belief that creativity must be recognised as real work capable of transforming livelihoods. “It began with a single belief that art should not be just a passion, it's work, it is real work,” Shami said. “With the three cohorts, this program has walked alongside hundreds of artists... helping them nurture their talent, equipping them with the necessary tools to face personal and industry challenges and accompanying them in the pursuit of opportunities.” Shami noted that graduation does not mark the end of the journey for the young creatives but rather a milestone of growth within an emerging creative economy. “We’re celebrating progress, we are celebrating growth... You are no longer just participants. You are ambassadors of a new creative economy. Creativity is economic power, it is identity,” she told graduates, urging the private sector and the public to support artistes by purchasing their work and paying them fairly. Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, the Country Director of UNDP Rwanda, commended the programme for turning artistic talent into economic opportunity, highlighting its contribution to employment and entrepreneurship among youth. “Since its launch, Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi has supported 174 young artists across nine creative disciplines, equipping them not only with artistic excellence, but also with entrepreneurial skills, market access, and professional networks,” she said. According to Sesay, the third cohort alone produced dozens of creative works in 2025, including visual art pieces, dance choreographies, music recordings, a short film, and fashion collections — demonstrating how talent can translate into economic value. “In 2025 alone, the ArtRwanda showroom generated over Rwf103 million in income for artists, showing that creative passion can translate into real-life needs,” she said. She further underscored the growing importance of the creative and cultural industries in Rwanda’s economy, noting that the sector contributed nearly 12 percent to the country’s GDP in 2023 and employs more than 170,000 people, the majority of whom are youth. Christian Hirwa, 23, a multidisciplinary artist who emerged winner in the Dance category, said his journey began from grassroots levels of the competition before eventually winning at the national stage. “Last year I learnt about this talent competition that was moving across different parts of the country, I decided to participate, progressed from the district level to the provincial level and eventually won at the national level. Now I have managed to emerge among the best here as well,” he said. “This money means a lot in my career as a dancer because I worked hard and competed for it. I am going to use it to refine my talent so that it becomes more productive for me and also contributes to the country’s development.” Maximilien Muhawenimana, 30, a sculptor and graduate of the first edition of ArtRwanda-Ubuhanzi who joined the programme in 2018, noted that the initiative opened doors for income generation through his art. “The programme helped me become professional by giving me exposure and a platform where I now earn income from my artworks. They taught us how to turn our talents into a business instead of just giving us money that could end in minutes.”

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Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi celebrates third cohort winners at creative festival