Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
VETERAN playwright, author and Intwasa Arts KoBulawayo Festival director Raisedon Baya has challenged local artistes to play their part in ensuring that Bulawayo lives to the billing of its moniker as Zimbabwe’s arts and cultural capital.
In an open letter on Twitter, Baya wrote: “Dear Bulawayo artistes.
Is it possible to lobby the Minister of State so we can use this year’s city devolution budget to improve the city’s arts sector? That’s me thinking aloud.
If we continue entertaining the idea of the city as the cultural capital we need to invest in the arts.”
For a long time, Baya has been an advocate for the improvement of the plight of artistes in Bulawayo and the latest post is just one in many that he has posted.
Asked what he hoped to achieve, Baya said creatives in Bulawayo should actively participate in growing arts and culture in Bulawayo.
“It was just a thought that there’s a devolution fund and sometimes, ministers decide what to do with it.
So, I was thinking artistes could lobby to have it.
Why? This is because we are always saying Bulawayo is the cultural capital, but we don’t have tangible programmes or structures to support our claim,” said Baya.
Devolution funds have been the Government’s way of directing resources to communities and Baya feels artistes should lobby for these funds to improve the arts industry.
Bulawayo is home to some of the finest artistic places in Zimbabwe with the National Gallery of Zimbabwe koBulawayo, Bulawayo Theatre and Amakhosi Theatre pushing artistic content.
Baya, an arts critic, has been known for pushing boundaries and has lately also challenged South African artistes to publicly shun xenophobia.
“Which South African artistes, especially those who have performed in Zimbabwe, have publicly denounced xenophobia?” said Baya.
This comes after the recent viral video of a man, Elvis Nyathi, who was burnt to death in South Africa.
This has caused unrest and the arts have been negatively affected with people asking why artistes are not taking their part in condemning acts of xenophobia.
– @eMKlass_49
Online Reporter