adminArts and Entertainment Editor Ruth Butaumocho (RB) recently had a one-on-one with British Council director Jill Coates (JC) on her organisation’s role in the arts sector in Zimbabwe.
RB: How long has the British Council been involved in arts development in Zimbabwe?
JC: Ever since we opened in Zimbabwe in 1980.
RB: What type of assistance do you normally give to arts organisations and what criteria do you use when you look for an organisation to assist?
JC: The British Council is the UK’s cultural relations organisation and as such we work to build trust and understanding between the people of Britain and the rest of the world. We are fundamentally a partnering organisation and all our work seeks to create mutually beneficial links between individuals and organisations through our core programme areas of Arts, Education and English. We are not a donor organisation, so the partners we work with tend to be collaborators with complementary goals. Our Arts work focuses on two strands – showcasing new UK work and supporting the development of the cultural sector in Zimbabwe. Some of our partners include the Culture Fund, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Hifa, Intwasa and Theatre in the Park.
RB: Which art programmes would you say were most successful ones and why?
JC: For me, the project which established the first Zimbabwean pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale was a highlight of the British Council’s arts work this year.
The British Council has longstanding links with both the Biennale and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, so it felt very natural for us to facilitate this project. It was a good example of the power of partnership with a coalition which included the Government of Zimbabwe, British Council, the National Gallery, the EU Commission, Culture France and the Museum of Monaco working together to achieve a common dream.
The exhibition has been a resounding success with over 30 000 visitors to the pavilion and positive media coverage around the world. Through the work of the four artists Mischeck Masamvu, Tapfuma Gutsa, Calvin Dondo and Berry Bickle the world has been able to see an exciting and unique view of Zimbabwe.
RB: How many people have benefited from the British Council Hifa Direct to date and do you have any plans to extend its lifespan?
JC: I absolutely agree with you. Hifa Direct is a terrific programme which uses UK theatre experts to mentor up-and-coming Zimbabwean playwrights and directors. On average six young theatre practitioners take part in the programme each year and the resulting work is then showcased at Hifa. The high quality of much of the work guarantees it a life after the festival and works like “Allegations”‘ have toured to the Edinburgh Festival among other international venues.
RB: Obviously in your endeavour to promote the arts sector in Zimbabwe, you have experienced a number of challenges. Can you shed light on that?
JC: Well, I would say producing good work in the arts is always challenging wherever you are. The challenges faced by artistes in Zimbabwe are often the very same challenges faced by artistes in the UK, principle among them being access to funding. It is really important that artistes develop additional skills which will allow them to create sustainable livelihoods from their art. Having said that, I think there are many exciting developments through digital technology that can help the arts sector build their audiences and market their products not just locally but also globally.
RB: Your organisation recently sponsored the Shoko International Festival. Can you tell us more about the festival and the benefits that your organisation got from the whole initiative?
JC: Shoko was a great event organised by Magamba at Alliance Francaise and Book Café which brought together hip-hop artistes from around the world to deliver workshops and performances in Harare. The British Council sponsored Akala, a musician and rapper who also runs the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company in London. For us it was exciting to be able to attract a young and dynamic audience by showcasing a young, emerging UK artiste.
RB: Several critics and players in the arts sector have observed that more often than not your organisation is keen on sponsoring “all protest art forms”. How far true is that assertion Jill?
JC: I am not sure exactly what “all protest arts forms” means. Is theatre a protest art form? Is painting? Is music? The British Council doesn’t actively seek to promote works of protest. We judge work primarily on its artistic merit.
RB: Sometime this year, there was uproar from some sections of the arts sector that felt that your involvement in the Intwasa Arts Festival was merely to pay lip service, since there was no financial assistance that you extended to Intwasa. They also allege that you “hijacked” the whole programme by bringing in more theatrical productions, than necessary, denying other local organisers an opportunity to showcase their art works, within the seven days of the festival. What is your comment?
JC: Well, I did read some comments like that in the Press and we have responded to the criticism directly. To be clear, the British Council is not a donor organisation and we do not fund local arts events. What we do is provide content (i.e. plays, exhibitions, concerts, etc) fully funded to festivals which then charge for tickets and retain the income. This is how we work with Hifa, Intwasa and other Zimbabwean festivals. This year we worked very closely with Raisedon Baya, the festival director on the selection of plays for the festival. Of the three productions we sponsored two were the result of the Hifa Direct project, written, directed and performed by young Zimbabweans. The third was Gospel of Othello, which was directed by Patrice Naiambana, a UK actor and director, and performed by a Zimbabwean cast. Audience numbers seem to indicate that the selection was well received by the public in Bulawayo.
RB: I am convinced that British Council has got a lot is store for Zimbabwean artistes in 2012. Can you give us a brief insight into your 2012 projects for artistes?
JC: As usual, we have a very busy year ahead of us! Some of the highlights will be a collaboration with Kingston University MA Design Department to work with community weaving groups to increase the access to markets and sustainable income for the communities.
We are also hoping to bring Soweto Kinch, a UK hip-hop star, out for the Shoko Festival. Then we will also be continuing our work with Arts Lab to train local arts groups to both improve their cultural product and their business and management skills.
RB: Jill, I regard you as an art enthusiast. Which art genres do you really like most and why?
JC: Well, I originally studied Drama and Theatre Studies so this is obviously a sector which is very close to my heart. I also love visual art and feel really priviledged to be able to work with people like Doreen Sibanda and Raphael Chikukwa who are putting Zimbabwe art onto the world stage.
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