Arts Focus: New curriculum promotes development of arts

Raisedon Baya

I was in Botswana last week visiting a friend and also trying to dodge the heat wave that was reported to be coming Zimbabwe’s way. I don’t know where I got the silly idea that I could run away from a heat wave by going to Botswana – of all the places! That country is oven hot and I can bet you my last dollar it experiences a heat wave every day, if not every hour.

While in Botswana I decided to buy something to read and, accompanied by my friend, visited a bookshop. Two things impressed me in the bookshop. First, the fan was working; you could feel it shoving waves upon waves of fresh air towards us.

Secondly, there were books in the shop – real books. And the smell of new books reminded me of the Zimbabwe of the past, where you could walk into Kingston’s or Mambo and any other bookstore and the African titles on the bookshelves could just make you smile.

The few bookstores that have survived the somersaulting economy are always stocked to the roof with motivational and Pentecostal books designed especially for those looking for a quick miracle. (I wish someone could write a book on how to restore Zimbabwe’s ailing publishing sector. It surely needs a miracle.)

After buying a few books from the bookshop my friend asks me about Zimbabwe. He left this country some eight years ago and has not set his foot here since. My friend wants to know what is happening with our country and more specifically within the arts. So I tell him. I tell him about the disappointment the arts experienced under the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture.

I tell him about the reconfiguration that took arts and culture to rural development. Half the things I tell him I have a feeling he already knows.

News about Zimbabwe is everywhere. A few computer keys away – he definitely knows his way around the internet. “There is a new curriculum coming soon,” I tell him. I can see he is not interested. Like many who have waited for salvation that never come he doesn’t trust new things. His eyes tell me that. Besides he is also not really into books and education, more a technical guy.

“This curriculum will bring many opportunities for artistes. Just wait and see.” As I say this my voice is rising. I am a bit excited. Yes. If everything goes according to plan and this new curriculum is introduced into schools then artistes will be harvesting good time – good harvest. By this time I know I have all his interest. So I tell him the little I know about the “coming arts and culture curriculum”. How it’s going to be introduced from Early Childhood Learning till University. How this curriculum will focus on theatre, film, dance and visual arts.

I tell him about the opportunities for practicing artistes in terms of getting into schools and demonstrating specific art forms and skills like plays and play creation, specific dance movements and dance pieces, shooting films and crafts. I tell him how artistes could benefit from being used as resource persons by schools and being paid for it. I tell him about how some serious schools will actually decide to employ professional artistes into their arts and culture department and demand artistic activities that the school can exhibit to communities.

I tell him about what studying arts in the classroom could mean to the arts sector itself. Imagine the small plays, dance pieces, films and visual works that will be produced yearly and maybe exhibited in schools. Imagine the change of attitude many parents will go through.

Most parents will definitely embrace the arts. Imagine the teaching and facilitation opportunities. Since this will almost be a new curriculum I guess new resource materials will be required and that could mean a serious (not really sure here) money spinning opportunity especially producing resource material for the new curriculum. As I write I already have three or so ideas on producing resource materials, particularly for theatre, creative writing and film.

For now all I can say is this new curriculum, if indeed it comes next year, is definitely coming with a rainy cloud and big opportunities for artistes. It remains to be seen if the artistes themselves will take advantage of the opportunities and make hay as quickly as the sun starts shinning. Talking about the sun, the Botswana heat nearly scalded me and when I got home my daughter was talking about the heat wave. She now carries a two-litre water bottle to school. Two litres of water!

Even as hot as it is, please remember Bulawayo has a perennial water problem. Always conserve water.