Background: Rwanda
Over ten years after its gruesome civil war, Rwanda is still widely associated with one of the most catastrophic events of the 20th century: the 1994 genocide where 1.2 million Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed in just 100 days.
Less well known are present day Rwanda’s serious attempts to promote education as a means to combat poverty, underemployment and conflict. Rwanda is now a country on the mend and its government is developing systems that reward merit rather than ethnicity, and promote peace rather than reverberating ethnic conflict. Amazingly, forgiveness and reconciliation are being given a chance here.
Contributing in a small way to this healing process is internationally lauded pianist and compassionate human being, Rena Sharon, Professor of Collaborative Piano Studies at the University of British Columbia. In September of 2007, Rena is hoping to undertake her third visit to Rwanda as a result of explicit requests from the Kigali Music School.
During her first visit, Rena performed at the Canadian Consulate and conducted workshops at the newly formed Music School. To Rena’s surprise and delight, the audience response was overwhelming; the students open to experience and hungry for more. This made a deep impression on Rena. She returned the following year and expanded her schedule to include performances at pediatric hospitals and orphanages.
Rena’s interest in music’s healing properties first led her to Rwanda in 2005 as an observer to a Canadian/Rwandan collaborative study -- Addressing the Root Causes of Genocide. One important observation from that study was how a scarcity of cultural activities coupled with youth boredom and under-engagement in post-genocide Rwanda, is fertile ground for the return of violence. It seems that a vibrant art program -- being engaged, having fun, flying with the imagination -- is one of the best strategies of violence prevention possible.
This coming September, Rena will spearhead an inter-cultural collaboration between The School of Music at UBC and a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies in Rwanda. Accompanying her will be recently graduated music students and several renowned classical musicians who have volunteered to be mentors and performers in a variety of settings throughout Rwanda. This ART FORCE will be making a critical contribution to Rwanda’s peace and progress by providing meaningful, sustainable arts education and nurturing a small but growing music scene.
Rwandan art practitioners are desperate for skills-transfer at the teaching level and the Canadian artists will share their collective music-making skills in performance and workshop situations. In exchange, they will experience both contemporary and traditional Rwandan musical arts. The expected outcome is a rich cross-cultural exchange of musical genres and sounds. It is hoped that as a final celebration, the Canadian and Rwandan musicians will perform, individually and communally, at a concert in Kigali. Monies earned would help support the Music School.
This collective journey is the raw material for an entertaining and thought-provoking documentary peopled by compelling characters. Musical, political, and unpredictable – it offers a glimpse of Rwanda’s efforts to rebuild its deeply scarred populace into a vibrant society.
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