The 12th Ubumuntu Arts Festival will take place in Kigali from July 13 to 19, bringing together artists, writers, performers and audiences from Rwanda and around the world to explore healing, remembrance and shared humanity through the arts. Held under the theme Embracing Time: Holding On. Holding Together, this year's festival will present a week-long programme of theatre, music, literature, workshops and public discussions designed to foster dialogue, resilience and social cohesion. ALSO READ: Ubumuntu’s Unconference—where culture meets diplomacy, healing and human connection The festival will open on July 13 with Mental Health Day at Inzira Creative, where participants will engage in workshops, discussions and creative activities exploring the relationship between art and mental well-being. On July 14, the spotlight will turn to literature as writers, poets and storytellers come together for readings, performances and conversations celebrating the transformative power of storytelling. The programme continues on July 16 at Camp Kigali with Ikaze Night & Music Is Humanity, an evening dedicated to celebrating unity through music and artistic expression. ALSO READ: Ubumuntu Arts Festival at 10: A celebration of humanity, cultural traditions The festival will culminate with three nights of Ubumuntu Classic performances at the Kigali Genocide Memorial from July 17 to 19, featuring local and international theatre companies, dance ensembles and performers presenting productions centred on peace, dignity, remembrance and collective healing. Speaking ahead of the festival, founder and artistic director Hope Azeda said this year's theme reflects the importance of embracing both the challenges and hopes that continue to shape communities around the world. This year's theme speaks to where we are as people, as communities, and as a world still learning how to carry memory, pain, hope and possibility at the same time, she said. Azeda noted that the festival continues to harness theatre, dance, music, literature and dialogue to create spaces where people can reflect, heal and reconnect through their shared humanity. Founded in 2015, the Ubumuntu Arts Festival has grown into one of Rwanda's leading cultural events. Held annually after the 100-day commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, it has evolved into an internationally recognised platform that uses the arts to promote dialogue, reconciliation and social transformation. Over the years, the festival has brought together artists and audiences from across the globe to engage with themes of memory, justice, peace and humanity through theatre, dance, music and storytelling. Organisers say the festival's timing and setting reinforce its mission of connecting Rwanda's history with global conversations on healing, while highlighting the enduring role of the arts in building more compassionate and inclusive societies.
