Following the highly successful 2006 tour of the Rwandan youth theatre and dance group, ‘Mashirika’, UK-based genocide prevention charity The Aegis Trust invited them to return to the UK for a 10-week tour in Autumn 2008. 
Greg Price, Head of International & Enterprise was quick to book this highly acclaimed group to perform at North Lindsey College, Scunthorpe as part of its Cultural Awareness programme. Within a short time it became apparent that several other organisations across Lincolnshire were interested in participating. Mr Price met with representatives and decided to set up a group to coordinate further performances across the county. This included the selection of venues, raising funds, event promotion, selling tickets, recruiting volunteers, and hosting events etc.
The Lincolnshire Mashirika Coordination Group:
Greg Price (CHAIR) - Head of International & Enterprise - North Lindsey College, Scunthorpe
Les Acklam – Chaplain - University of Lincoln
Paulette Bissell – Diocesan Schools Advisor - Diocese of Lincoln
Jane Fletcher –Senior School Improvement Consultant - CfBT Lincolnshire
Susan Walker – Chaplain - North Lindsey College
Mashirika is a Rwandan youth theatre group consisting of survivors and refugees from the Rwandan genocide. Mashirika were invited to perform their play, Rwanda My Hope at the G8 Gleneagles Summit, as well as at the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide in Kigali, Rwanda and have performed throughout the UK. The performance, Africa’s Hope, tells the story of the Rwandan genocide, its aftermath and Rwanda’s road towards a hopeful future.
Mashirika will hold performances in venues across Lincolnshire and the UK, and conduct a variety of dance, drama and music workshops.
Described by UK teachers during the 2006 pilot tour as “an incredibly high quality piece of work” and “education for life”
The performances provide: - An opportunity to explore the impact of Internationalisation within a community, school and college context
- Support the governments Social Cohesion and integration strategies
- Provide inspiring and challenging theatrical performances and engaging discussions
- Support Citizenship, History, Arts and Drama Politics, Media, RE curriculum
- And enable young people to meet genocide survivors, and learn about the dangers of racism and division in society.
Following the performance, the audience will have the chance to discuss issues raised by the genocide with the cast of Africa’s Hope and staff of the Aegis Trust, which is responsible for the Kigali and Murambi Memorial Centres in Rwanda.
Dr James Smith, Chief Executive and Founder of the Aegis Trust, states: “Through Africa’s Hope, audiences in the UK particularly young people will be able to gain a sense of Rwanda's loss when the World stood by, but also of our responsibility today to support this country's remarkable hope for the future and hopefully learn the lessons to prevent such a tragedy happening again”.
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