Thursday, 5 Dec 2024
Year: 2012

Kiwewa’yimba: Creative minds, dare to fail!

“I am convinced that it is not too late to use our rich cultural heritage and artistic minds to transform Uganda socially and economically. It can still be realized if we persist, mind our business, make use of the available creativity and, most importantly, dare to fail! I am calling upon those that are blessed with creativity and creative minds to dare: To fail, to flop, to move further, in the interest of paving the way for a creative and prospering Uganda.” Faisal Kiwewa of Bayimba Cultural Foundation writes for startjournal.org.

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Francis Ssenonga 'Literacy'

The 100 Posters for the Right to Education Exhibition: Its Lessons for the Enforcement of Fundamental Rights

Between 8 December 2011 and 8 January 2012 the Institute of Heritage Conservation and Restoration hosted the 100 Posters for the Right to Education Exhibition to celebrate the International Human Rights Day. In this essay Dr. Angelo Kakande analyse a selection of posters to expose the visual and legal issues behind the right to education in Uganda and the point at which the exhibition intersected with this right.

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Breaking Free at National Thetare, January 2012. Photo by Thomas Bjørnskau.

Breaking Free, a fusion of life

Urban dance can comfortably be twinned with contemporary dance. Any number of styles will combine to bring out an important message as was exhibited in the Breaking Free production on a cool Kampala evening on January 14. “Hip hop and dance potentially hold the key to the next stage in the development of the arts in Uganda. More productions in the mold of Breaking Free will be needed. And the public will have to be nudged in the right direction by experts in the area.” Steven Tendo reviews for Startjournal.org.

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Vipaji Arena at Weaver Bird Arts Community. Photo by courtesy of Collin Sekajugo.

Creativity, innovation and experimentation sets a new pace for the Ugandan visual arts

“With a host of art spaces and projects springing up, all designed to foster creativity, innovation and experimentation of the arts, and extending art to the local people, art in Uganda is evolving in a new direction.” Dominic Muwanguzi has visited Weaver Bird Arts Community, Fasfas Art Café, 32° East and more new art venues.

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From the Dance Transmission-festival 2011, at the National Theatre, Kampala. Photo by Abdul Kinyenya Muyingo.

Why Art? An essay by Doreen Baingana

“As Ugandan artists, we must ask ourselves whether we should strive to make our work more relevant to our communities and if so, how. Some would argue that it is enough that the work is relevant to the artist, and if it is coupled with genuine creativity, will automatically become relevant to the rest of society. My hope is that we can all engage in this discussion of what art can and cannot do for us as individuals and as a society. The public debate on the value of the arts and humanities must become a deeper and more intelligent one.” Ugandan author Doreen Baingana reviews last year’s Dance Transmission.

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Afrigo Band's Joanito . Picture taken from Afrigo Band's Facebook-page from an earlier performance.

Afrigo Band, Watoto Choir and Pragmo Jazz: Live music for the festive season

Afrigo Band chose to celebrate its 36th anniversary during this season bringing up reminiscences we had comfortably bid goodbye to. The next stop was Watoto church on 18th December who had a Christmas presentation themed ‘One child’. Post Christmas, 27th December, had the pragmatic David Nsaiga at the Serena Garden roof top staging a show dubbed “Christmas peroxide”. Elizabeth Namakula reviews.

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'Disappearing Forest', 2011. Art by Joseph Ntensibe.

Behind the Artwork: Joseph Ntensibe’s ‘Disappearing Forests’

Next out in the category the Story Behind an Artwork, we have interviewed one of the leading contemporary Ugandan artists, Joseph Ntsensibe, about his work ‘Disappearing Forests’ (2011). Read about why and how Ntensibe created this one piece of art which responds to the topic ‘environmental protection’.

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