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Bulawayo is gearing up for the inaugural Bulawayo Arts Awards and artists are naturally quite excited at the prospects of bagging some awards, and walking the red carpet on the night. A�
Like every new thing, it is expected that there shall be a lot of curiosity among fans and anxiety among the artists and organisers of the awards.A� However, may we take this opportunity to urge caution on the part of organisers and remind them of their responsibility of making the awards known.
We have seen many an event falter and later fizzle out for lack of proper marketing while some poor products have made it largely due to the power of marketing.A� It shall take much more than allegiance to a cause to make the awards a success hence the call to stop at nothing in ensuring that people are made aware of the awards.A� It should not just end there, but there should be proper preparations for the actual event.
We live in a globalised world where arts fans have access to a variety of dishes on the arts menu and will naturally compare your offering with others that they have been exposed to.
The first cut is the deepest.A� We have had some rather depressing reviews of some of our award ceremonies in the country all because some organisers believe in cutting corners but expect a pat on the back from the public.
You see a whole lot of vitriol on social media from artists that feel unappreciated and feel that their hard work is going to waste.A� While some of these complaints are valid, we also call for self-introspection and there is no harm in learning from the best and copying how those that hold successful events organise them.A� We shall not bother cataloguing specific examples of recent events that have been followed by a chorus of complaints from artists.
What is emerging from the debate is that the public is also hitting back in some instances claiming that they were not aware of the events.A� It is important that we make as much noise as possible and give out as much information as we can in order to tease and attract fans to events.
It is our hope that the Bulawayo Arts Awards shall mark a turnaround, where after an event we will be celebrating excellence, instead of wondering what it would have been like had everyone that was expected to turn up, attended the event.
We wish the organisers the best of luck.A� Also, we would like to urge unity of purpose in matters of the arts. We need regular events that bring together artists from the region to showcase their talent as a building block to events such as awards ceremonies.
We have had foreign based organisers holding more successful events in the city and building brands for their yearly events, something that is lacking locally.
We call upon artists to unite, brand and package their products in a way that will attract the public.A� If the public is prepared to pay for foreign acts due to marketing of such artists via social media and television channels, the same can be employed to draw those crowds to attend local artistsa�� shows and even events such as the awards.
It is also our hope that the corporate world shall buy into the vision should they see proper organisation and a vision that rhymes with theirs.
Our artists deserve recognition indeed but if they cannot showcase their talent and later brag about it enough, nobody will know of their feat.
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Online Reporter