Rwandan creatives share a common dream: they want to use their art to bring about positive change in society, as well as put their country on the map. They’re mostly young, ambitious, self-taught and have a strong desire and determination to challenge mentalities, move forward and grow. In her documentary RWANDArt: A new creative generation, which
The Barefeet Theatre group organises outreach events and workshops to help vulnerable children participate in creative activities through art, dance, music and storytelling. They are designed to help youths express themselves, gain valuable information and ultimately prevent them from living on the streets. This is how children’s lives are changed in the Zambian capital of
Chris Hirwa is an Afro-poppin’ specialist, in other words he brings an Afro touch to the popping dance, a street dance based on fast muscle contractions that cause jerks called pops in the body. He isn’t only an incredible dancer, he is one who fighs for a cause. Using the power of hip hop to
Today the continent is evermore relevant to the fashion industry worldwide. Global markets are not only looking to it as a sourcing destination but also as a source of inspiration. Colour Trends Whether it is for bright colours, patterns or prints the world is looking to African fashion. Tropical landscapes with lush green forests, fruits
Not just lush natural landscapes, amazing biodiversity, images of extreme poverty, suffering children or exotic animals: reducing such a big and diverse continent as Africa to stereotypical imagery is precisely what the LagosPhoto Festival is working against. Created in 2010 and now in its sixth edition, the LagosPhoto Festival will take place in the Lagos
Akosua Afriyie-Kumi grew up in sunny Ghana with a passion for art from a very young age. She studied art and design in London with the dream that she would one day tap into her talent and drive to create something unique. Akosua founded AAKS when she realised there was a gap in the market
The stigma around cleft lip and palate in East Africa is insane. Some people truly believe that children affected by this congenital deformity are “things” and not human beings. They are disgraced, isolated and in extreme cases even killed. In fact, people don’t even realise that cleft happens naturally and is not an issue of
The lions are back in Akagera National Park, a stunning 112,000 hectare park in the East of Rwanda. It is only a matter of time before the number of tourists visiting the reserve increases drastically: to the delight of community freelance guides. Realising that park guides were few in number, Akagera’s management team launched a
“I don’t want to take pictures of KCT [the Kigali City Tower], the world has enough skyscrapers. I want to capture the way we live, feel, dance, speak, look, walk, dress, do our hair. I want to show the culture and traditions of Rwanda.” These the words of Jacques Nkinzingabo, the young and talented Rwandan
Bonfils Ngabonziza is one of Rwanda’s most talented young contemporary artists. After finishing high school he realised that his true passion lay in the arts and decided to teach himself to become a painter first, then a muralist. Inspired by children and women, he uses art to portray his inner feelings, spreading peaceful, loving and
