Appy for the 4th Edition

About the programme

About Us

The ArtRwanda-Ubuhanzi is a televised nationwide talent search project implemented by Imbuto Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth since 2018. The project identifies and supports young and talented Rwandans within the creative arts industry in 9 different categories (Film making, Photography, Digital Art, Acting & Drama, Dance, Fashion Design, Music, Literature, Visual and Plastic Arts).

What We Do

We believe that young Rwandans with creative talent need to be nurtured to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the creative and socio-economic development of the country.
We also recognize youth unemployment as a critical challenge that continues to hinder national development.
This initiative aims to address both challenges simultaneously by identifying and promoting creative talent among Rwandan youth, while supporting job creation and employment opportunities within the creative industry.
Over the past three editions, through district-to-national level competitions and a year-long incubation programme, ARU has supported 174 artists selected from more than 7,000 applicants. The programme’s incubation model includes mentorship, training, and market access through the ARU Showroom, which has generated approximately 340 million RWF in creative revenues as of June 2025.

First edition

First edition, launched at Kigali Cultural Village across nine creative arts categories.

Second edition

Second nationwide call, expanding the road trip auditions across all provinces.

Third edition

587 contestants auditioned; 70 reached the bootcamp and presented at the Youth Forum Series.

Fourth Edition

The special cultural edition. Five disciplines, fifty finalists, a showcase in January 2027.

ArtRwanda- Ubuhanzi Colors

  • Black and White: These colors are a symbol of art and décor as they were used in the Rwandan culture, to create art pieces called imigongo.
  • Maroon: The color symbolizes confidence, creative thoughts, courage, strength, warmth, and beauty.
  • Paint splash: This element found running through the middle of the logo, represents art as well, mimicking an artist creatively immersed in drawing the logo.
  • Circle shape: This shape symbolizes unity among Rwandans, which is what we strive for through this project, identifying artistic talent and promoting it for the betterment of the Rwandan society.

Our vision

To contribute to a vibrant and sustainable creative arts
industry in Rwanda where young people can transform
their talents into successful careers, businesses and
opportunities.

Our mission

To discover and empower young Rwandan creatives by
providing them with the skills, mentorship, platforms,
networks and opportunities needed to grow, innovate
and contribute to Rwanda’s creative economy.

OUR objectives

What we set out to do

01

Identify emerging talent

Find young artists across Rwanda in filmmaking, photography, digital arts, acting and drama, dance, fashion, music, literature, and visual and plastic arts.

02

Nurture and develop young artists

Mentorship, intensive training and opportunities that strengthen both artistic craft and professional skill.

03

Build entrepreneurship and business skills

Mentorship, intensive training and opportunities that strengthen both artistic craft and professional skill.

04

Promote employment and income generation

Support creative projects with the potential to create jobs and lasting economic opportunity for youngpeople.

05

Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration

Bring together talents from different creative disciplines to develop innovative projects together.

06

Create platforms for showcasing talent

Connect emerging artists with audiences, industry professionals, stakeholders and potential partners.

07

Promote investment in the creative industry

Encourage dialogue and collaboration between young creatives and public and private-sector stakeholders.

From application to incubation

Selection process

01

01

Application & eligibility review

02

02

Auditions

03

03

Selection

04

04

Pre-final stage

05

05

Boot camp & mentorship

06

06

Final selection

07

07

Grand finale

08

08

Incubation & continued support

What finalists get

Mentorship

Matched with practising artists and industry figures working in the same discipline.

Studio and equipment

Access to the space, tools and technical support a discipline actually requires.

Business training

Pricing, contracts, pitching, rights and distribution taught alongside the craft.

Production support

Backing to make the work itself, not only to talk about making it.

A national stage

Finished work presented publicly, to audiences and to the people who commission.

An alumni network

A cohort of 174 graduates and counting, and the industry contacts around them.
Aspiring artists reached through the programme
0 +
Young artists supported across three editions
0
Editions delivered since the programme launched in 2018
0
Creative revenues generated through the ARU Showroom as of June 2025
RWF 0 M+

Questions

FAQS

Still unsure whether you qualify? The team answers directly.

Contact us

ArtRwanda Ubuhanzi is a program aimed at identifying and supporting young and talented Rwandans within the creative arts industry. It consists of a televised nationwide search for creative youth in 9 different categories : Filmmaking, Photography, Digital Art, Acting & Drama, Dance, Fashion Design, Music, Literature, and Visual & Plastic Arts. Throughout the program, contestants will be mentored by industry experts and receive advice on how to transform their talent into sustainable employment opportunities, in an effort to support their artistic development and future career aspirations.

ArtRwanda – Ubuhanzi is targeting young people in Rwanda because they make up for the largest section of the population. They are most affected by the challenges that the Government seeks to address in general. They are in a better position to propose solutions to challenge community experience. More to that, we believe the project has the potential to address the youth unemployment issue through the promotion of social entrepreneurship among young people.
In its first phase, 587 young artists, from the six categories, were selected at Province Level. From these, the top 68 best artists were identified at the national level to attend the boot-camp and later competed for the final prizes. Six artists were finally selected as winners in each category winning 1,000,000 Rwf each, along with three best projects, winning seed funding of 10,000,000 Rwf, each. The remaining winners are all supported in their artistic niche through Ubuhanzi’s Incubation Programme.
In its first phase, 587 young artists, from the six categories, were selected at Province Level. From these, the top 68 best artists were identified at the national level to attend the boot-camp and later competed for the final prizes. Six artists were finally selected as winners in each category winning 1,000,000 Rwf each, along with three best projects, winning seed funding of 10,000,000 Rwf, each. The remaining winners are all supported in their artistic niche through Ubuhanzi’s Incubation Programme.
Any interested young person meeting the participation requirements – that is any Rwandan between 18-35 years talented in Filmmaking, Photography, Digital Art, Acting & Drama, Dance, Fashion Design, Music, Literature, and Visual & Plastic Arts, can audition from their district at the designated audition sites.
30 contestants representing all the 9 categories under the Creative Arts industry are selected countrywide. Thereafter, 70 among them will be selected to continue to the first training of the boot camp phase which will allow the top 30 to proceed with the remaining stages of the competition. Contestants go through a series of themed challenges, group creative tasks, and business projects, followed by pitches and creative presentations before a panel of selected judges. Top winners representing each of the 9 categories are then selected.
The second edition will consist of a countrywide selection, in every district. Find more details of where auditions are taking place around the country (A link to the district maps showcased on the home section)
Throughout the whole edition, from the auditions stage to the Grande Finale, a panel of expert judges picked from a selection of criteria developed by Imbuto Foundation, the Ministry of Youth and Culture, and the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture.
The two challenges to be addressed by ArtRwanda – Ubuhanzi is :
1) Recognizing the talent that is widely present among Rwandan youth.
2) Foster the creation of jobs in the creative industry.
The ArtRwanda – Ubuhanzi is a program conceptualized by the Ministry of Youth and Culture and Imbuto Foundation. A similar concept exists in other countries but it is the first of its kind to be organized in Rwanda and for Rwandans.
The participants in the ArtRwanda – Ubuhanzi program will own the rights to the art pieces/projects/performances they develop. However, we encourage participants to trademark and get copyright of their creations/projects, for intellectual property protection.
While both offer intellectual property protection, they protect different types of assets. Copyright is geared toward literary and artistic works, such as books and videos. A trademark protects items that help define a company/institution brand, such as its logo. To learn more about trademark and copyright in Rwanda, visit www.rdb.rw.

The fourth edition is taking
applications

Fifty finalists across five disciplines. Applications close on 14
September 2026.

Go to the 2026 edition

Partners

imbuto
union
un
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