The 15 and 16 October 2021A symposium focusing on the development of cultural and creative industries was held in Kigali. The symposium was part of a training programme on the development and management of cultural projects initiated by Africalia as part of its programme in Rwanda. The symposium was attended by experts from Benin, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe in addition to their Rwandan colleagues.
Participants heard presentations on the link between culture and sustainable development, with specific experiences from the local Rwandan context. The Rwandan government's cultural development initiatives were presented and discussed. The presence of Jerome Kajuga, programme manager at the National Commission for UNESCO in Rwanda, gave participants a better understanding of the role of culture in development. 2005 Unesco Convention on diversity and Rwanda's initiatives in this area. Rwanda's two most recent reports on the subject were the subject of lively discussion between the cultural players and the presenter. The interventions were all the more lively with the intervention of the Director General of the Rwandan Academy of Cultural Heritage, the new institution of the Ministry in charge of heritage and cultural industries. Robert Masozera, who is in charge of the institution, explained its missions and activities. The institution may be new, but it has embarked on efforts to federate cultural players in order to engage directly with the umbrella organisations. Its first request is to invite participants to join corporate federations. In Kinyarwanda, he made a plea on the importance of working together and strengthening artists' federations in Rwanda. The symposium was attended by the heads of performing arts federations and the President of the Rwanda Arts Council.
The symposium was also an opportunity for the president of the Société de gestion des droits des auteurs, Jean de Dieu Turnimana, and his colleague from the Rwanda Développement Board, Yvette Tumukunde, to address the issue of authors' rights, with a particular focus on the accession and protection of authors' rights in Rwanda. Many cultural operators deplored the lack of information on the issue in Rwanda, and called for much more communication and action on the part of society so that artists can really benefit from their copyright.
But how do you make a living in the sector in Rwanda? ? Two artists discussed their approach and business model. Moise Turahirwa, a young stylist and founder of Moshions did not hesitate to share his experience with the participants. For him, the key to success is hard work, training and, above all, the Rwandan cultural heritage. Moshions has been in existence for 5 years, and its clients now include the President of the Republic, the First Lady and the Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). He explained that success comes from a job well done and continuous learning. Michael SengaziThe comedian, who has won the RFI comedy prize, and his manager Jérôme Ndamaga explained their business model to participants, without glossing over the setbacks they have encountered. These are at the root of many other successes. The symposium ended with a main resolution to set up platforms for regular meetings between cultural players and public authorities.
Story by Espera DonouvossiHead of the Cultural Administration programme initiated by Africalia in Rwanda.
