The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) has announce the second annual Hamwe Festival that will take place virtually on November 11 â€" 15, 2020.
Hamwe Festival celebrates and encourages the contributions of creative industries in the global health field. This year, the festival will exclusively be held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under this year's core theme of Social Justice and Mental Health, the dynamic five day event will unite artists and global health experts from over 20 countries globally to will give live virtual performances, contribute to panel discussions, and curate digital exhibitions over Zoom and live-streamed to UGHE and Hamwe Festival social media channels. Please find the free registration details HERE.
Free registration is now open for #HamweFest2020!
A virtual festival of arts and global health to discuss social justice and mental health.
Visit https://t.co/dvbOfVI8ca today for more info.#ArtsInHealth #MentalHealth #SocialJustice #GlobalHealth #UGHE @hamwe_festival pic.twitter.com/7oZvJ52YuZ
â€" University of Global Health Equity (@ughe_org) October 30, 2020
The opening ceremony for Hamwe Festival will take place on November 11 at 6:30PM CAT, and will feature remarks from representatives from the Government of Rwanda, UGHE Chancellor and Partners In Health Co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer, UGHE Vice Chancellor Prof. Agnes Binagwaho, Partners In Health CEO Dr. Sheila Davis, Wellcome Trust Head of Mental Health Priority Area Prof. Miranda Wolpert, and more.
'There is an urgent need to bring together perspectives from the creative and health sectors to offer innovative perspectives at tackling the global issue of mental health,' said Prof. Binagwaho.
'At UGHE, we are building this bridge through Hamwe Festival and hope to create a dialogue about the ways we can improve health care by integrating the arts.'
Hamwe Festival will feature a variety of sessions through the course of the event, including artists such as award-winning South African artist Tsoku Maela, Nigerian documentary photographer Etinosa Yvonne, Rwandan singer-songwriter Kaya, Moroccan poet and novelist Soukaina Habiballah, and many more.
Expert speakers include Victoria Tischler, professor of arts and health at the University of West London, Lisa Ndejeru, a Rwandan artist and psychotherapist, Mary Bitta, a Kenyan mental health researcher, and other mental health experts from around the world.
This year, Hamwe Festival will partner with Wellcome, the independent global charitable foundation, as part of Mindscapes, their international cultural programme about mental health.
Wellcome supports scientists, takes on big health challenges, campaigns for better science & helps everyone get involved in research. Hamwe Festival embodies these values through the provision of a creative outlet where implementors and artists discuss better, more innovative ways to improve.
'We are delighted to be collaborating with UGHE on this important festival,' said Prof. Miranda Wolpert of Wellcome Trust.
'Bringing together mental health science and the creative industries can help bring fresh insights and opportunities to advance Wellcome's vision for a world in which no one is held back by mental health problems.'
Hamwe Festival believes that including artists in the design and implementation of more health programs can be a catalyst for action against seemingly intractable health challenges and looks forward to continuing to build this platform to encourage more collaboration and innovation.
Watch full session on youtube channel below
