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After the Ballet Inganzo UK 2002 tour, INSHUTI-UK was set up after the first tour of Ballet Inganzo to the UK in 2002 in order to develop the potential of the Ballet and to use the profile of the group to instigate associated cultural, educational and development projects.

In July 2003, three founding members of Inshuti-UK travelled to Rwanda to visit the Ballet and set up projects that will help their wider community in the long term.

Projects include:

The establishment of a friendship programme between Rwandan schools and UK Schools Communications will allow the two cultures to gain a wider understanding of each-other, and it is hoped that the UK schools will be able to provide material assistance through books, clothes and fund-raising.

Assistance to local HIV/AIDS projects such as the 'Association des Jeunes Scolarisé contre le SIDA' - run by a young team committed to educating their peers in the principles of safe-sex and to confronting the local taboo against condom use.

Inshuti-UK are working to create a channel for these African drums to be brought to the UK for resale, with all profits going back to Rwanda to help the community. The development of Ballet Inganzo, a group of teenage musicians from Rwanda will be shortly be touring the UK sending out a powerful message of unity and reconciliation, and introducing UK audiences to one of Africa's most established yet least exposed musical traditions.

Six members of Ballet Inganzo travelled to the UK in July 2002 for a month long series of performances and education workshops.

"I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit other parts of the world. I currently believe that anything is possible" Consolee Nyiransingizimana - member of Ballet Inganzo

The musicians and dancers will travel to the UK on March 19 for a seventeen day series of music workshops in London schools and performances. The tour is being organised and managed by Inshuti-UK, a London-based collective dedicated to raising international awareness of this traditional form of musical drama from Central Africa, and to providing development assistance to the community of Ruhengeri and the surrounding area.

The Rwanda Forum on Saturday 27 March remembered the 800,000 to a million Tutsi and Hutu moderates murdered in just three months by the Hutu extremist government ten years ago this month.

The day concluded with a performance by Ballet Inganzo a Rwandan dance troupe composed of Hutu and Tutsi performers - an emblem of reconciliation

Hampshire County Youth Orchestra will host Ballet Inganzo, an exciting young dance company from Rwanda. Formed from three Rwandan tribes that until recently were engaged in civil war, Ballet Inganzo was founded as part of a process of reconciliation by group director François Nkinzehwiki.

See them at The Anvil, Basingstoke Saturday 13 July 2004.

During July, the company will also be giving workshops and performances in 11 Hampshire schools.

Information compliments of http://www.pangaeamusic.co.uk/