Freedom2014: Mali's art students defy Islamist threat

Mali's Conservatory of Arts and Multimedia Balla Fasseke Kouyate, one of the very few universities of the visual and performing arts in Africa, has been in existence for 10 years.

Against all the odds, it remained open during the political crisis that engulfed the country after the military coup that took place two years ago.

When the Islamist militants who controlled the north banned secular music and threatened the very cultural fabric of Mali, its students responded with defiance.

During a recent visit to Bamako, BBC Africa's Manuel Toledo went to the school to find out how they managed to keep it running when many of its teachers left after the coup.

For more on the BBC's Freedom Season, visit its website.

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