Empowering Rwanda’s Arts Sector: Strengthening the Rwanda Arts Council through Capacity Building and Collaboration Kigali, 1–5 December 2025
Participants during the session of the 5-day workshop on strengthening the Rwanda Arts Council (December 2025)
From 1 to 5 December 2025, Kigali hosted an intensive and forward-looking series of capacity-building sessions under the theme “Empowering Rwanda’s Arts Sector – Phase III”, jointly supported by the European Union, UNESCO, and the Ministry of Youth and Arts (MoYA). The sessions brought together artists, cultural practitioners, policymakers, technical experts, and institutional representatives to collectively strengthen the Rwanda Arts Council (RAC) as a key platform for the development, protection, and promotion of Rwanda’s creative sector.
The five-day engagement marked a significant step toward revitalizing RAC and positioning it as a functional, inclusive, and sustainable institution serving artists across all districts and creative disciplines.
UNESCO expert participating in the technical discussions on strengthening governance of Rwanda’s cultural sector.
Day 1: Setting the Foundation through Evidence and Dialogue
The opening day focused on grounding discussions in evidence and shared understanding. Following welcoming remarks from MoYA, the project was officially presented by the UNESCO team, highlighting its alignment with the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Experts then shared findings from a nationwide field survey conducted across all districts of Rwanda. The survey captured artists’ realities, needs, working conditions, challenges, and aspirations, providing a strong empirical basis for the sessions that followed. An open question-and-answer session allowed participants to reflect on the findings, followed by bilateral meetings that enabled deeper exchanges between institutions, experts, and sector representatives. The day concluded with a coordination meeting at MoYA to align priorities and expectations.
UNESCO expert participating in the technical discussions on strengthening governance of Rwanda’s cultural sector.
Day 2: Learning from Policy and International Experience
The second day focused on governance, legal frameworks, and institutional structuring of RAC. Representatives from MINIJUST, MINECOFIN, and RAC examined the Council’s current structure, legal positioning, and financial considerations. Discussions emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and policy coherence in strengthening RAC’s mandate.
Participants also benefited from international perspectives through virtual exchanges with representatives of the Swedish Arts Council and the Zimbabwe Arts Council. These sessions provided valuable lessons on governance models, public funding mechanisms, artist support systems, and long-term sustainability, offering practical insights that can be adapted to the Rwandan context.
Day 3: Financing, Digital Skills, and Creative Protection
The third day marked the start of hands-on capacity-building workshops. The morning session focused on access to finance, covering financial literacy, budget management, proposal writing for cultural projects, and existing public and private funding opportunities in Rwanda.
In the afternoon, attention shifted to digital marketing, content management, and creative entrepreneurship. Participants explored how to set clear digital goals, conduct audience research, select appropriate platforms, and use editorial calendars and performance metrics effectively. Critical discussions on digital ethics and online security addressed the protection of creative assets through encryption, access controls, antivirus systems, firewalls, and virtual private networks (VPNs). These sessions responded directly to artists’ needs in an increasingly digital creative economy.
A Rwandan artist shares insights during the RAC strengthening workshop.
Day 4: Workspaces, Collaboration, and Professional Recognition
Day four emphasized collaboration and professionalization within the creative ecosystem. Sessions examined models for creative hubs, shared workspaces, co-working environments, and the co-management of cultural spaces. Best practices in managing public cultural infrastructure and building partnerships with the private sector were highlighted as key enablers of sustainability.
The afternoon discussions addressed the professional status of artists and cultural workers, as well as mechanisms for structured dialogue between public institutions and creative industry stakeholders. These exchanges reinforced the need for clear recognition of artists’ rights, responsibilities, and contributions to national development.
Day 5: High-Level Engagement and a Shared Vision for RAC
The final day meeting with the Minister of Youth and Arts, validating recommendations to reinforce Rwanda’s Arts Council.
The final day brought together the National Committee of the Rwanda Arts Council, project partners, and senior leadership from MoYA. A high-level meeting with the Minister of Youth and Arts provided strategic guidance on RAC’s mission, regulatory framework, governance structure, and long-term vision.
The closing session synthesized outcomes from the previous days, reaffirming that this initiative goes beyond planning—it marks the operational strengthening of RAC. The project leaves behind a clearer institutional structure, stronger partnerships, enhanced technical capacity, and a shared commitment to ensuring that Rwanda’s arts sector thrives while upholding national values and cultural integrity.
Looking Ahead
The five-day journey demonstrated the power of collaboration between government institutions, international partners, and the artistic community. By combining field-based evidence, policy dialogue, international experience, and practical capacity building, the initiative has laid a strong foundation for a revitalized Rwanda Arts Council, one that empowers artists, safeguards cultural expressions, and contributes meaningfully to Rwanda’s creative economy.
