By Ogova Ondego
Published November 12, 2014

ugandan playwright deborah asiimweA festival focusing on theatre arts is set to run in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, November 26-30, 2014.

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The organisers of the five-day Kampala International Theatre Festival, Bayimba Cultural Foundation in partnership with Sundance Institute East Africa, say their aim is to “contribute to the development and promotion of theatre, as a dedicated platform to showcase talented up-and-coming and established playwrights and productions from East Africa.”

kampala international theatre festival programIn a media release signed by Faisal Kiwewa of Bayimba Cultural Foundation, the organisers say their festival “comes after a period of close to 13 years of investment by Sundance Institute East Africa, through its Theatre Programme, in exposure and exchange activities with artists from …Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Through its programme, it has advanced the work of risk-taking artists by supporting them throughout their careers with the aim to contribute to a meaningful and engaging dialogue between artists and their audiences.”

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Saying the inaugural event at Uganda National Theatre shall feature “productions by East African artists that have received support over the years from Sundance Institute East Africa as well as a guest production from South Africa”, Bayimba and Sundance Institute say Kampala International Theatre Festival not only promises to become “one of the most exciting theatre festivals in Africa” but also “seeks to create opportunities for collaboration between East African artists and their counterparts in the Middle East & North Africa as the Sundance Institute Theatre Programme deepens its commitment to this region.”

faisal kiwewa of bayimba cultural foundationKampala International Theatre Festival, that the organisers describe as a “platform to support and facilitate the creation and presentation of the best and relevant theatre productions, connect the theatre-making community in East Africa and broaden the access to theatre and develop new audiences”, is co-programmed and co-produced by Deborah Asiimwe of Sundance Institute Theatre Programme and Kiwewa of Bayimba Cultural Foundation.

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