Visual Arts for Peace in Rwanda

Sara Downham-Lotto 2023

Introducing concept of visual art as an aid to peacebuilding pedagogy and practice to students of Peace & Conflict Studies.

Visual Arts for Peace, was a 2-month project Sara ran in Rwanda in summer 2023 at the Center for Research and Action towards Sustainable Peace and Development (CRASPD), PIASS in Huye. It was funded by the Turing Scheme through the University of Bradford.

Over the course of 2 x 2-day workshops, Sara worked with 32 second year Peace and Conflict Studies students as part of their module Practical Skills in Peacebuilding. Nationalities included Burundians, Cameroonian, Congolese, Japanese, Rwandan, South Sudanese and Ugandans. 

The aim of the programme was to collectively explore and develop the power of visual art as an aid to peacebuilding pedagogy and practice.

The experience helped to build relationships between the students (breaking with any cultural prejudice). Evident also, through written and spoken word and creative output, students grasped how the visual arts might effectively benefit approaches to and practice in peacebuilding. Together, we built a substantive number of connections between peacebuilding and creativity and how, as practices, they can benefit each other.

For images of student artwork, go to the two online exhibitions in the Gallery –  Peace Buildings and Sum of Parts

“It’s a weekday morning on the university campus. Music spills across the grounds from open windows of the main hall. Students filter into the building over the course of an hour, most with a look of trepidation and curiosity. ‘Am I in the right room? How am I expected to respond to this? Will I be ok? At least the music is good and I recognise some friends. Let’s wait and see.’ Meanwhile, finishing touches to the scene-setting goes on. The room is spaceous and light. Bordering the central space, is everything needed for the day: tables laden with art materials, a drinking water station, a place for coats and backpacks, large, free-standing notice-boards and a projection area. The infill is divided into three, each with space for up to 35 students to collaborate on a range of activities: discussion and writing; creativity and making; presentation and performing. The latter two areas are what seem to be causing most consternation as the students find a chair and wonder where they should be looking. What can any of this possibly have to do with studying Peace and Conflict?“