Rwanda: Goethe-Institut announces Boosting Shoots grant recipients

The grant was created as an emergency initiative to support creatives in Rwanda during the COVID-19 crisis. Participants were required to submit short project concepts in music, film and digital art.

Ten creatives have been awarded 200 000 Rwandan francs (about €200) and have until the end of August to submit their final productions. The productions will be shared by Goethe-Institut Kigali on all its social media platforms.

A three jury member that included Boosting Shoots’ project coordinator, Louise Mutabazi, as well as communications expert and writer Louise Umutoni, and multilingual hip hop poet and spoken word artist Eric 1key selected the winners out of more than 80 applications submitted between 25 June and 9 July.

The winners whose projects incorporate music are singers Calene Ingabire and Cheryl Isheja. “Both projects involve the combination of poetry, music and dance,” Mutabazi told Music In Africa. “Ingabire wants to look at the perception of differences that normalises bias, stigma and racism, while Isheja wants to showcase the rituals she practices every full moon.”

The rest of the winners are filmmakers Ganza Moïse, Jules Cesar, Remy Ryumugabe and Rebecca Mucyo Uwamahoro, photographers Jennifer Mudahogora and Jean Luc Habimana, graphic designer Sebastian Iradukunda, and choreographer and dance teacher Manzi Mbaya.

“With the grant, we hope that artists will be able to create new pieces and to explore new ways of sharing their work by going digital,” Mutabazi said. “This call was also made to relieve artists who did not have any income during the lockdown. With the jury, we made the selection based on the project’s diversity, the artistic disciplines represented and originality. So the list represents both known and emerging artists.”

Speaking to The New Times, Uwamahoro said: “I didn’t know they would be interested in my project because I know there are so many talented artists in Rwanda with great story ideas. Seeing my name among the 10 makes me one of the best, and it feels really good.”