2018 Laureate Hope Azeda Featured in TIME Magazine
“The beauty of art lies in its ability to deal with the unspeakable. Art can revisit traumatic scenarios and horrific moments in human history on an emotional level that few other methods can accomplish. Our festival confronts global topics without fear, such as police brutality, the refugee crisis, and gender violence. Above all, we encourage communities to fight hatred, dogmatism, and toxic ideas, all behaviors that precede deadly violence. Now, our mission is gradually unfolding into reality.”
Art has the power to facilitate community unity and radical healing from trauma. 2018 McNulty Prize Laureate Hope Azeda has created a platform to do just that - the Ubumuntu Festival welcomes artists from around the world to share in the healing process together. The Festival takes place at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the burial place of the more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Azeda has emerged as a strong advocate for her community and leader in the field of art as a path to community resilience.