Arts and Memory

Arts and Memory is a project initiated and coordinated by Ishyo Arts Centre in collaboration with Groupov (Belgium), Rwanda Professional Dreamers (Rwanda) and Kemit Productions (Rwanda) and supported by the European Union through its cultural program entitled ‘Investing in people’. The main objective of ‘Arts and Memory’ is to support and encourage the preservation and the promotion of the memory of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, to support the democratization of this memory, and to reinforce the contribution of culture and enhance its central role in the promotion of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and cultural diversity in Rwanda

Ishyo’s initiatives in this project are:

The play ‘We call it love’ is a “huis-clos” theatre play between a woman and her son’s murderer which questions the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation.

The play ‘My little hill’ is a Rwandese theatrical and musical original creation for children from 6 years-old. The story is told through the eyes and the friendship of two children with different background, who explore the complex origin and expression of conflict, the loss and the absence, but above all, celebrates life, love and respect.

The cathedral of sounds is a multidisciplinary artistic installation exploring the Rwandans memory and history in three different times and spaces which are the past, future and present. This mobile construction will welcome 20 people at a time for a 30 minutes journey through music original compositions created by three generations of Rwandan singers, mixed with spoken words and real memories of Rwandan people which have been collected through the “Arts &  memory” hotline invited thousands of Rwandans to call and share a “positive” memory of a person (friend, family member, neighbour, etc.) who died during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.

‘Here and now’ is a is a street play by Ishyo Arts Centre and Uz et Coutumes from France. It will feature artists from Rwanda and France. It is a play that tackles the memory of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, based on different texts written about authors who wrote on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi; the discussions held all around the country on the question of memory, its preservation.

For more on this project and others projects, please visit the website of Arts and Memory www.artsandmemory.com