Kitara Cultural Festival

Theme:”Appreciating who we are; celebrating Cultural Diversity”

Several cultural fairs and festivals have been run on National and Regional levels, but none has been meant to recognize and appreciate the unique historical features of Kitara as a cultural section on the globe. The Kitara Cultural Festival will be running each year under the theme “Appreciating who we are; celebrating Cultural Diversity”; The festival is an opportunity to showcase the different cultures that make the Kitara region so diverse and unique on this continent and in Uganda in particular.

“The fair will establish a platform where the different groups of Banyakitara can celebrate, appreciate and explore a diversity of cultures alongside their own.”

The event is inspired by key roles culture plays in the development of nations that it cannot be ignored. “Culture is a strong part of people’s lives. It influences our values, hopes and world view.”

At the Kitara Cultural Festival, the young generation will be given special focus through the school cultural quiz competitions. Schools both Primary and Secondary are invited to offer an opportunity to the young generation to learn about different cultures and be inspired.

The events come a few years after the Ministry of Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Hainan from China. They (Province of Hainan) want to bring tourists to Uganda and to many of them culture is the key attraction.”

Fair Missions recognize the relevance of art and culture in social and economic development as well as individual human development. We envision a vibrant art and culture sector that is professional, creative and viable and contributes to social and economic development in Kitara region. Fair Missions is therefore dedicated to contribute to making Kitara region a significant hub for art and culture in Uganda and led by its values of respect, shared leadership, transparency, accountability, learning, and collaboration.

Various programmes and activities are delivered to the community of Kitara by the various art and cultural activities of various Cultural Troupes. These range from a series of educational information across the district, a comprehensive arts education programme and a range of concerts and events as well as other products and services under different Cultural Troupes, has also kick started a number of important initiatives, such as Culture promotion, an initiative for the creative and cultural community of Kitara. 

This Is Kitara Region

Kitara has different cultures than the rest of the regions of Uganda.  In the rest of the country we read information, we read stories, books, in Uganda there are books, there is written information but there is something else in Kitara, we sit under the ancient tree and around the ancient fire place as the story-teller uses words to weave a tapestry in one’s mind with his or her words, we have art and cultural dance and music. 

Children love to hear the adults speak and sing, they relate to them, relate to the characters in their tales, and love the gentle rhythm of the songs and the words that allow children to see the possibilities in life.

Festival Period

This Annual celebration will take place during the month of April across districts of Kitara region, and focuses on the rich and diverse cultures of the people that live in Kitara, blended with traditional art and culture from all over the region. It features music, dance, theater, folklore and storytelling, all as live performances.

Event Programme brief.

This annual Kitara cultural festival is to showcase the diverse cultures of Banyakitara and other cultures that are living in the region from other parts of the country and East Africa as a community through art, music, poetry and dance, with an emphasis on culture and social development.

This is intended to;

  • Bring together Banyakitara who are living in different parts of Uganda back home for a joyful moment while focusing on different development concerns of their area.
  • Having a theme and inviting guest speakers to pass important and educative information.
  • Bringing our Children together and coming to know and play with each other.
  • Get time to remember the traditions our fore fathers who could sit under the ancient tree or around the fire place in a village and simply tell stories, a gift that many Banyakitara still have. 

These among many aims are achieved during this time.

Why the Cultural Gala is relevant in Kitara

  • To divert the wasted energies of the youth from destructive forms of entertainment activities such as betting, film parlors to constructive forms of activities such as Music Dance & Drama, active sports competitions, craft making, bee keeping, poultry, piggery, brick laying and entrepreneurship.
  • Sharing our experience in performing Arts with people especially young talented youth of Kitara region
  • Evaluating the achievements of Kitara region through Music Dance& Drama
  • Realizing the potential of individuals, groups, households, Communities of Kitara spearheaded by the area leaders
  • Sharing hands on skills, experiences and talents for holistic development in one voice to the rest of the World.
  • Connecting the youths of the region with their ancestral customs for preservation of the Kitara cultural heritage

Specific Goal:

  • Use various Cultural Troupes to gather mammoth Crowds through performance of Music Dance & Drama
  • Instill  a sense of positive involvement In Government policies and programs by the citizens
  • Sensitize masses on how to improve house hold income to meet Uganda’s Vision 2040
  • Empower Young people to form and manage their own income generating activities, realize their potential into self reliance and improved livelihoods.
  • Sensitize people of the region on their right to participation in the region’s political leadership and governance

Event Programme brief.

As this annual Kitara Cultural festival is to showcase the diverse cultures of Kitara people throughout the region through art, music, poetry and dance, with an emphasis on culture and development; this is intended to;

  • Bring together Banyakitara people who are living in different parts of Uganda and beyond for a joyful moment while focusing on different development concerns of the country.
  • Having a theme and inviting guest speakers to pass important and educative Cultural information will be an important aspect of the festival.
  • Bringing our Children together and coming to know and play with each other while learning a great deal of their cultures.
  • Get time to remember the traditions of our fore fathers who could sit under the ancient tree, around the fire place in a village and simply tell stories, a gift that many Bantu people still have. 
  • Identifying key aspects of a cultural importance that can be integrated into today’s modern, social and economic development

Festival Activities and Exhibitions

  • Story tellers
  • Cultural dancers
  • Cultural Musicians/artists
  • Craft makers
  • Herbalists
  • Museum
  • Cultural foods and drinks
  • Cultural fashions
  • Portraits
  • Cultural agricultural practices
  • Schools cultural quiz competition

The Competition

The competition will be on a set of items to attract talented stewards of different cultural attributes in their original form. It is expected that after a good mobilization drive, different cultural groups/tribes in the district will have representatives registered to present as individuals or groups in six items below: –

  1. Traditional dance. In troupe, presenters will stage a dance taking 5-8 minutes. This item will showcase original dance. Adjudicators will identify the best, based on originality, expression of purpose, clarity of the message, authenticity of props and costumes, artistry of instruments, vocal endowments, organized presentation and other quality issues. A dance that is so forgotten and well presented will attract more marks.
  • Folk song. The competition will accept songs presented as solo or in group (4-6 minutes). The solo accompanied with traditional musical instrument such as omukuri/umuduri, enanga, endingiri, akakyenkye, engoma will attract more marks; however unaccompanied solo (vocal) will be accepted. All group songs should be accompanied and dramatic. Adjudicators will observe vocal and instrumental originality and quality of symphony; the purpose and clarity of message, variations and pitch, stage use, props and costumes will be graded and rated. Folk solo can be ebizaano by’ente/amahamba y’inka, ebyeshongoro/ebizina byokuramya/indirimbo y’ogusenga, kusingiza/gusingiza, kutabaara/gutabaza, kutonganirira, kusharuura/gusaruura, other social activities will be accepted. No solo without clear meaning should pass stage 1.
  • Rhetoric.  For the purpose of the competition, rhetoric means and includes ebyevugo/ibyivugo or emigunju/imivugo (poems). Rhetoric expressing love (like imitooma in rufumbira), victory over enemy or challenge, supplications and others will be considered.
  • Puzzles. Participants will compete in challenging puzzles in form of riddles (ebishakuzo/ibisakuzo) and structured challenging puzzles (amahurizo in rufumbira). Representatives of groups or individuals will come up to challenge each other at the stage. Candidates will be those trusted to pose or/and answer most challenging puzzles. Those who pose unfamiliar but original puzzles will earn more marks. Those whose puzzles are hard to pass will gain more marks.
  • Modeling. Participants will showcase traditional dressing in form of attire and hair style according to their own traditions. Original beauty enhancement (neck, arms, legs, markings) will attract more marks. Clarity of models as children, adolescents, singles, married men/women and elderly will be sought.
  • Exhibition. Participants will be requested to exhibit collections of traditional items used in warfare, worship, marriage, political set-up agriculture, household utensils and other areas. Originality, correct explanation about the purpose, the art of display, skills of communication of the exhibition narrator will attract more marks.

Special consideration will be given to participants with ability to trace back their genealogy for great grandfathers. The one with longest genealogy (subjective authentication) will be awarded.

Different Cultural Troupes will plan this event in a way of promoting togetherness of stakeholders in development, leadership, business religion and recreation. This shall bring close our development partners together hence creating and cementing linkages with each other.

The one month event shall be held in April with the climax at around the end of the month. The process includes identifying participating groups and sponsors of the event by various Cultural Troupe and stake holders.

Training and giving the festival competition tips to group leaders and designing the festival Competition road map;

Competitions from sub-county level and constituencies will start in early April ending with district finals towards the end of the month.

Collaboration and sponsorship benefits:

Various Cultural Troupes with its unique art and cultural formats having managed to build strong bondage audience with communities, therefore with your involvement in this event, Cultural Troupes stand confidently to give partners opportunity to market and promote your services/products to a very big gathering and get value for money.

Areas for sponsoring

    * Mobilization in form of radio advert, print adverts and outside adverts.

    * Printing of banners, bandanas, posters, t-shirts, flyers, caps and tickets.

    * Stage management, this includes public address system, lighting etc.

    * Transporting performers and the brass band.

    * Venue and decoration.

    * Drinks/refreshments.

    * Providing prizes and trophies for the participants

    * Artists.

    * Tents and seats.

    * Orientation meeting of the participating groups.