adminTheatre practitioners and lovers across the world take their time to commemorate the special day on 27 March annually.
Guest speakers at the event included National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Elvas Mari, Siyaya director Saimon Mambazo Phiri and Cletus Moyo from Lupane State University.
Among the scores of people who thronged the venue to celebrate the fun-filled day were theatre and arts students from the country’s four state universities namely the
University of Zimbabwe, Lupane State University, Great Zimbabwe University and the Midlands State University.
Officially opening the World Theatre Day commemorations which will run for a week at Amakhosi centre, Mari bemoaned the lack of funding of the arts sector by the government.
“There is no funding from the government because the arts have not been taken seriously.
The arts are the business of tomorrow and they have to be funded to make the survival of artistes much easier,” said Mari.
Mari called upon the government to review its arts cultural policy as it covered the wills and aspirations of the artistes.
“ All the problems we face in the arts industry are issues to do with policy and funding. The cultural policy we have has to be reviewed, as it was tabled just to fit the arts sector into the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture without consultation,” he said.
Mari said his organisation was willing to fund the arts industry if the artistes come forward with quality productions and proposals.
Mari said he envisaged a production between Amakhosi and one of the universities that would go even beyond the borders.
“I am glad that the day is not celebrated at Amakhosi only, but countrywide. We envisage a production between Amakhosi and one of the universities for example Amakhosi and Lupane University that would definitely go far and wide,” said Mari.
Siyaya director Mambazo urged the people to appreciate the role of producers as they were critical in taking theatre to a greater level.
“There will come a time when people will really flock to universities to study theatre and drama because producers will be able to put food on the table for the artiste,” said the man behind some of the country’s great productions which include the award winning Zambezi Express.
Veteran director and producer Cont Mhlanga said this year’s commemorations were part of the centre’s strategic plan to forge an alliance with university students.
“This is our first time inviting theatre students to be part of the commemorations as part of our four-year strategic plan to forge an alliance with them. I would like to thank the chancellors from the various universities who made it easier for the students to converge here and share one or two lessons.
“Arts practitioners in the country need to streamline and appreciate that they cannot be better than the industry, but they can make the industry better,” said Mhlanga.
The audience was treated to a great theatre play Intimate Affairs by students from the Midlands State University.
Intimate Affairs is a romantic play written by veteran writer and producer Stephen Chifunyise.
The play revolves around relationships, love, marriage, men and women in the dominantly patriarchal Zimbabwean society.
The story line centres around two couples and the husbands complain that their wives do not satisfy them in bed.
Online Reporter