Comments on: Kiwewa’yimba: Creative minds, dare to fail!

By: David Kaiza

David Kaiza — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:52:52 +0000

Denis, Uganda had a “golden era” of literature? Perhaps you want to expand on that a bit. Define “golden”; define “Our”.

By: Dennis D. Muhumuza

Dennis D. Muhumuza — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:30:54 +0000

When i was covering the Umoja festival in Kampala, i interviewed Lawrence Branco, a participant, and he said something that left a profound impression on me. He said what’s deterring our arts industry from growing is the unwillingness of those involved to cooperate. Everyone wants to go it alone and we end up with small, silent unit groups that don’t get enough publicity or sponsorship, or when they do, it comes much later. Then the participants are poorly paid or not paid at all because the preoccupation of the organiser, often, is to make money and not to develop the industry. That’s the tragedy of Uganda. I’m happy Bayimba has tried to engage professionals in all areas and garnered publicity and sponsorship. There’s a high level of professionalism in the way it handles its stuff, and that’s commendable. If you’ve been following the Inspire Africa show on TV, you realise it’s fast becoming a success because of the involvement of far-reaching stakeholders. This is the antidote we need for our arts industry to get to the mountaintop. United we evolve, divided we dissolve! For as Branco told me, the universal principle remains that for art to grow it has to be put out there and shared. @Doreen, Femrite needs to take this seriously, involve more schools, organise reading book signing session and related stuff because it has the potential of doing greater than it is doing and reviving the golden era of our literature.

By: Samuel Lutaaya

Samuel Lutaaya — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:13:35 +0000

There is a definite need for “worthy failures”. We need to remember that all the innovations and inventions that exist had to go through a considerable number of failures. Learning how to walk means you run the risk of landing on your butt….

By: dominicmuwanguzi

dominicmuwanguzi — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:48:04 +0000

We can think of so many ways of promoting our art but one factor that has always been overlooked by artists and their promoters alike is the issue of social relevance. Even without writing a thousand words for an online journal which many of my contemporaries may never read, you get a deserving response and impact with art that touches peoples daily life.
There’s a school for thought which dictates that art is for the higher society: that to appreciate art you must me a scholar of sorts or an art connoisseur when it comes to visual art.
This school for thought has dented the art landscape in Uganda. How about if an artist produced work that speaks volume to my mother who has no art background whatsoever.
This selective thinking as it is, is no good for the art industry in Uganda which in so many ways is still getting its right footing.
We must get off that high horse and stop thinking the way we think. Thinking outside the box is the way to go here.

By: Nambozo

Nambozo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:55:40 +0000

Naki, I love your comment. Faisal, when you write with such passion, many times you will not get the desired response which can be disheartening but that is how internet works. People have choices to respond or not, that does not mean they have not read the article. Creative entrepeunership is interesting. Personally, as someone who belongs here, I am currently working with writers from Rwanda, Kenya and Southern Sudan to partner with the BN Poetry Foundation and I feel a thousand times more energy than from my Ugandan counterparts. I will not point fingers at anyone but I have learnt to work with those I can whether Ugandan or not keeping in mind that Uganda is and always will be my birth of creativity and place I return to more often than not for creative inspiration. For me, it is more a lack of energy and enthusiasm than daring ideas.

By: David Kaiza

David Kaiza — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:25:34 +0000

Very well said and put. “Entrepreneurship” is that essential “ingredient” whose absence becomes undeniably clear once it’s missing. Doreen, I could come up with many examples of worthy failures. And I believe all we have to do is turn our heads just above the shoulders to see “mediocre” succeses – although I believe strongly that those unworthy successes cannot be called “art” by any stretch of the imagination – but I am aware that such a qualification is a fraught one. But I believe that we in the art community have a debt to repay – a debt arising from the fact that we are interested and believe – by closing rank and supporting worthy causes. I believe this is the other important dimension in what Faisal is writing about here; society ought to actively conspire to make successful its worthy members.

By: NAKISANZE SEGAWA

NAKISANZE SEGAWA — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:50:30 +0000

Iam greatful that we share the same idea. but before you talk about ceative entrepreneurs whom i assume are indiviuals, lets talk about the real enterpreneur whose hand is so much needed if the arts are to be appreciated more and respected,THE GORVERNMENT. Until he/she is on board,Uganda’s creative minds feel left out in one way or another.

By: Doreen Baingana

Doreen Baingana — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:19:42 +0000

I dare you to give us examples of recent worthy failures and of ideas that have been “badly duplicated”? Also, is there such a thing as “purely Ugandan”? Just wondering.