JAMAFEST: Uganda to host Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi

Under the theme "culture and the creative industries: the engine for unity and employment creation," the east African country will host artists working in several fields.

Organisers of the festival have said that the seven-day event will include a carnival, live musical performances, theatre/comedy, art and craft exhibitions, literary works, film shows, poetry, storytelling, acrobatics, workshop/symposium, culinary art, fashion show and children's theatre. A market-place for selling and buying of cultural products and cultural business networking will also be arranged.

Director of Culture at the Rwanda Academy for Languages and Culture Jacques Nzabonimpa said, “Jamafest is about exchanging cultural values among the east African communities, and to boost cultural tourism in the East African Countries (EAC), while promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development. Our artists will not only showcase the uniqueness of the Rwandan culture, but will also learn from other artists in terms of market and quality for our products."

The festival, first held in February 2013 in Rwanda, seeks to promote regional socio-cultural integration through arts and culture and fostering the economic development of the EAC through creating a market for cultural goods and services, as well as promote arts and culture as a tool of communication in branding the bloc.

For more information, visit the EAC website.