The pilot project originally titled Speak your Mind, was carried out in Nakivale refugee settlement. Ugandan artists supported by Swedish poets facilitated training workshops in spoken word and dance. The facilitators were experienced artists sharing their expertise with the refugee youths with the aim of skilling up their artistic competencies, particularly in terms of performance capabilities. The pilot was also aimed at developing artistic channels through which refugees can access creative platforms where they showcase, share their stories, interact with members of their host community and build networks to help them further improve their appreciation of human rights, democracy, and gender equality.
The pilot received financial support from the Swedish Institute with additional support from Regina theatre, Uppsala and the Finish Refugee Committee.
25 refugee youths from 4 different nationalities (14 Congolese, 1 Ethiopians, 10 Burundians participated in the artistic training workshops that lasted for two weeks. The 25 refugee participants were selected from a group of slightly over 50 refugees who showed up for auditions. The artistic training workshops led up to a Joint performance held at the Nakivale refugee settlement youth center. The joint performance production showcased by the refugees was attended by both refugees and some Ugandans.
From among the group that participated in the project, group members chose two female and two male refugee artists to participate in the Schools theatre festival in the Capital Kampala. The Schools theatre festival and its peace building camp was a cultural exchange exercise where students and youths of different backgrounds work with professional artists to develop personal stories into theatre performances for the festival.
We believe that Culture, in all its variation, connects people more than divides them. At the Cultural Avenue, we aspire to promote the innovative use of culture as a connector of people.
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Uganda National Cultural Center.
National Theatre, Kampala.
P. O. BOX 36171, Kampala-Uganda
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