Over 50 craftsmen and designers are set to showcase their painting talents at the second edition of Kigali Arts Festival. The festival is slated for next week, July 17th at Hotel Villa Portofino in Nyarutarama.
The festival, organized by a local Non-Governmental Organization called ‘Umusare Arts Partners’ since 2015, will be held for the purpose of helping craftsmen to address challenges like lack of professionalism. It is also aimed at helping them to get trained and equipped with good and smart professional painting and other art skills.
The arts talents set to be showcased include basket handcraft, painting, making textile ear rings, making Post cards using banana leaves as well as other different fashion styles. There will also be a session of talent detection in music from youngsters who are good at singing.
Organizers expect different music production houses and a couple of shops that make and sell craft products in Rwanda like Uburanga, Inema and Ivuka according to Francois Ingabire, one of the event organizers.
They are also planning a connection between the craftsmen and international tourists so that they get big and better markets for their products.
“Craftsmen in Rwandan lack professional skills to develop their products and give them good standard at the international market. We therefore need to address the problems they face in their everyday activities and train them to make them professional instead of doing their job only to survive but to change their lives to match their dreams,” said Francois Ingabire.
The last ‘Kigali Arts Festival’ first edition took place in February this year and it attracted a big number of international Art lovers.
The general public has been asked to come with Rwf 3,000Rwf as entry fees to enjoy the festival come next Sunday.