With Chantal Umuhoza, Curator, Institute of National Museums of Rwanda (INMR) (Rwanda, ITP Fellow 2018)
Rwanda Museums are governed under the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda (INMR) which has the mission of collecting, preserving, researching and presenting Rwandan cultural and natural heritage. The institute was inaugurated in 1989 with one museum, the “Ethnographic Museum” and now has eight museums.
Rwandan Museums, as a public institution and through its center (the Traditional Training Center) is being empowered to preserve and promote national cultural heritage. The center was created in 1996 by the INMR in order to preserve and promote Rwandan traditional skills by teaching young people about the different traditional art and crafts like weaving, beading, pottery and making different decorating materials using banana leaves. As a result, it is hoped that the young people gain special knowledge and skills that may help them to improve their income.
This session started with a file introducing Rwanda Museums and a welcome from Chantal Umuhoza. Chantal them took us on a fascinating gallery tour focusing on weaving at the Ethnographic Museum, Huye District, Southern Province.