The 12th edition of the Ubumuntu Arts Festival concluded on Sunday with renewed calls to harness the arts as a powerful tool for healing, peacebuilding and national development, as organisers unveiled new initiatives to support artists' mental wellbeing and announced plans for a permanent creative hub. The week-long festival, held from July 13 to 19, transformed venues across Kigali into spaces for reflection, dialogue and artistic expression. It opened at Inzira Creative with a Mental Health Day featuring workshops, discussions and creative activities exploring the role of art in promoting mental wellbeing. The programme then shifted to a literature day celebrating writers, poets and storytellers before moving to Camp Kigali for Ikaze Night & Music Is Humanity, an evening dedicated to fostering unity through music. The festival culminated in three nights of theatre and dance performances at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, where local and international artists explored themes of peace, remembrance, dignity and collective healing. ALSO READ: Ubumuntu Festival returns with stories of hope, healing and humanity The closing night drew hundreds of people to the Kigali Genocide Memorial for an evening of theatre, dance and artistic performances celebrating remembrance, resilience and shared humanity. The programme opened with highlights from the week before Colombian theatre company Teatro Azul staged Hominum, Perdón por Ser, a moving production inspired by the Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Through powerful storytelling and theatrical expression, the play explored pain, resilience and forgiveness as pathways to healing and reconciliation. The evening also featured Al-Atlal by Orly Portal Dance Company, The Priest and the Drunkard by Playwright Playhouse, 100 Mots (Sans Mots) by Lumina Dance Company, It's Such a Good Timeby Millaz x Faiz Art Hub Foundation, and Becoming by Justin. Interspersed with festival videos and audience interactions, the performances reflected the festival's commitment to using the arts to foster dialogue, empathy and human connection. Closing the festival, Minister of State for Youth and Arts Sandrine Umutoni urged Rwandans to view creativity as more than entertainment, describing it as a vital instrument for preserving memory, strengthening communities and shaping the country's future. Time alone does not heal. Healing requires truth, accountability, memory and people willing to create spaces where others can listen, reflect and reconnect, she said. Umutoni noted that the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, held annually after the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, continues to provide such a space by bringing together artists and audiences to reflect on painful histories while imagining a more united future. Remembrance is not only about reflecting on the past; it is also about choosing the kind of future we want to build together. She added that while art cannot change the past, it can influence how future generations understand history, relate to one another and respond whenever hatred, division or intolerance threatens society. The minister also reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening Rwanda's creative economy, saying investment in culture is not only about preserving national identity but also about creating opportunities for artists, generating jobs and showcasing Rwanda's stories to global audiences. Festival founder Hope Azeda described this year's edition as one of the most successful despite global political and economic uncertainty and concerns surrounding the Ebola outbreak, which nearly caused some international groups to withdraw. We almost lost two companies from the United States because of Ebola concerns, but we worked closely with them to explain the measures that were in place, and they eventually came, she said. The festival attracted participants from more than 15 countries and received around 140 applications from artists and performing companies, underlining its growing international reputation. Azeda highlighted the introduction of mental health programming under the theme Who Heals the Healer? as one of the festival's biggest milestones. Artists spend their lives creating work that heals communities, but when the curtain closes, who heals them? she said, explaining that the initiative was inspired by growing concerns over stress, burnout and suicide among creatives. The festival also launched the Ubumuntu Green Circle, an initiative encouraging artists to care for their mental wellbeing just as communities work together to keep public spaces clean. ALSO READ: Ubumuntu’s Unconference where culture meets diplomacy, healing and human connection Organisers further unveiled plans for the Cave of Hope, a proposed permanent arts centre that will provide rehearsal studios, performance spaces, accommodation, dressing rooms and creative workspaces for artists. Azeda also praised the significant improvement in the quality of local productions. What made me happiest this year was seeing Rwandan companies confidently applying and performing at international standards, she said. She revealed that the festival's international standing has grown to the point where some countries now organise national competitions to select the companies that will represent them at Ubumuntu. This year, Colombia chose its representative through a nationwide competition involving 16 shortlisted groups. Despite attracting artists from around the world, organisers deliberately avoided emphasising national identities during performances. We are trying to bring down borders. Art is art. We want people to understand that the individual is the country and that shared humanity is what matters most, Azeda said. Looking ahead, she said future editions will place greater emphasis on trauma, mental health and imagination, arguing that unresolved personal and generational trauma continues to limit creativity and innovation. She called for stronger collaboration across sectors to ensure young people receive the support they need to heal and unlock their creative potential, stressing that artists cannot address the challenge alone.
