• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

Bidi Bidi: One of the World’s Largest Refugee Camps Welcomes Groundbreaking New Arts Center

Mourice Muhoozi by Mourice Muhoozi
2 years ago
in National, News
5 0
Bidi Bidi will provide its residents with music and dance programs, creating a space for gatherings that foster community-building and cultural exchange. Photo by Hassell

Bidi Bidi will provide its residents with music and dance programs, creating a space for gatherings that foster community-building and cultural exchange. Photo by Hassell

ShareTweetSendShare

In the arid expanse outside the Ugandan town of Yumbe, where nearly 200,000 refugees have found sanctuary in what is known as Bidi Bidi, a revolutionary endeavor is underway.

Over seven years, Bidi Bidi has evolved from a swift response to South Sudan’s civil strife into a steadfast settlement. The Bidi Bidi Music and Arts Centre, presently taking form, promises to be a luminous amphitheater of brick and steel.

This avant-garde space will house not only an acoustic recording studio but also a music classroom.

The innovative steel roof of the center serves a dual purpose. Beyond its role as a shelter, it is ingeniously designed to channel rainwater, providing a precious resource for the local community. Outside its walls, a nursery for trees and a thriving vegetable garden will flourish.

Conceived by the non-profit To.org, an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of vulnerable communities, the project stems from a heartfelt desire expressed by Bidi Bidi’s residents for a space devoted to dance, music, and performance.

 Xavier De Kestelier, the global head of design at Hassell, the architectural firm behind the venture, envisions this center as a catalyst, a beacon to inspire similar initiatives.

In June, the project, featured at the London Design Biennale, builds on the triumph of another music venture by To.org: the Karibbean Records recording studio located in Kyebando, Kampala. This studio subsequently gave rise to Ugandan artist Zex Bilangilangi’s 2020 hit track, “Ratata”

As the global refugee population soars, reaching a staggering 35 million and the climate crisis looms, pushing weather patterns to extremes, the necessity for such endeavors is pressing.

The Bidi Bidi Music and Arts Centre stands as a testament to the power of creative expression in the face of adversity.

“Why should millions be deprived of creative spaces merely because they’ve been displaced by conflict, climate change, or any other reason?” questioned Nachson Mimran, co-founder and CEO of To.org. 

He added, “Music, art, dance, and theater are established therapies for those with PTSD, a challenge endemic in Bidi Bidi and other refugee settlements.”

This ambitious project not only offers a beacon of hope but also sets an inspiring precedent for similar undertakings worldwide, reminding us that art and culture flourish even in the most challenging circumstances.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

News

Youth Activist Angella Namirembe Dies at 27 in Tragic Road Accident

21st October 2025 at 21:35
News

Inspectorate of Government collaborates with Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition to strengthen corruption fight

21st October 2025 at 19:56
News

Mukono NUP MP Quits Bobi Wine’s Party After Losing Party Card

21st October 2025 at 19:12
Next Post
President Yoweri Museveni and Bobi Wine

"Bobi Wine's speech in Luweero has exposed his immaturity," says President Museveni’s aide

  • NAGRC’s Super Goat Breed Poised to Transform Uganda into a Major Exporter

    3205 shares
    Share 1282 Tweet 801
  • Chris Rwakasisi: From Obote’s Security Minister to a Symbol of Forgiveness in Today’s Uganda

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10
  • 10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1295 shares
    Share 518 Tweet 324
  • Col. Samson Mande: Why I fled Uganda and how I reconciled with Museveni

    32 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8
  • Gen. Chefe Ali: The Silent Storm Behind Uganda’s Liberation and Kenzo’s Legacy

    32 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Youth Activist Angella Namirembe Dies at 27 in Tragic Road Accident

21st October 2025 at 21:35

Inspectorate of Government collaborates with Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition to strengthen corruption fight

21st October 2025 at 19:56

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

NAGRC’s Super Goat Breed Poised to Transform Uganda into a Major Exporter

17th September 2025 at 08:52
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0

Youth Activist Angella Namirembe Dies at 27 in Tragic Road Accident

21st October 2025 at 21:35

Inspectorate of Government collaborates with Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition to strengthen corruption fight

21st October 2025 at 19:56

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda