Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
AS preparations intensify for the upcoming National Culture Indaba Policy Dialogue, arts organisation Chenhaka Trust is set to host a two-day capacity-building workshop in Bulawayo, bringing together leading creative practitioners and cultural stakeholders from across the country.
The workshop, which will be held at a local hotel from today, forms part of Chenhaka Trust’s ongoing project titled Shaping the Future of Zimbabwe’s Creative Sector.
The initiative is funded by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, in partnership with the European union Delegation to Zimbabwe under the CreativeACTIONs 2 programme.
Chenhaka Trust director Taurai Moyo said the Bulawayo workshop aims to strengthen collaboration, enhance policy literacy, and build the skills of players within Zimbabwe’s arts ecosystem.
“This workshop is part of our broader effort to build capacity within the creative sector and ensure that artists and administrators alike are well-equipped to engage in national cultural policy processes. It also provides a space to share knowledge, network and align efforts towards sustainable growth in the arts,” said Moyo.
Participants will include some of the country’s most influential creative sector figures, such as Happy Mpofu (Praca), Saimon Mambazo Phiri (Sabela Music and National Team Music Strategy), Thandolwenkosi Ndlovu (Yads), Dorothy Chipo (Musician and NMMZ), Priscilla Sithole (National Film Strategy), Gregory Sibanda (Film), Oscar Siziba (Indosakusa), Luzibo Moyo (Luchishiki), Rosemary (Sign Language Interpreter Trust), Silenkosi Moyo (National Gallery of Zimbabwe), Isiah Mpofu (Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture), William Nyandoro (NACZ), and Cleopatra Dube (NACZ).
Also taking part are regional representatives including Nokukhanya Moyo and Langelihle Styx Mhlanga (Matabeleland North), Percy Vela and Maretha Dube (Matabeleland South), Tafara Terrence Vuta (Harare), and Kupfavira Kumbirai (Midlands).
The Bulawayo engagement follows a sensitisation meeting held on Monday in Nyanga District, where Chenhaka Trust met with local leadership and cultural stakeholders to prepare for the National Culture Indaba Policy Dialogue, slated for November 26 – 27, 2025 at Montclair Hotel, and the Close-out Live Music Concert scheduled for November 27, 2025 at Nyamhuka Primary School.
Chenhaka Trust, which received a US$35 000 grant for the project running from October to December 2025, continues to play a pivotal role in shaping Zimbabwe’s cultural and creative landscape through development, advocacy and capacity-building programmes. — @mthabisi_mthire
