adminYouth Interactive Writer
Organisers of the 11th edition of the schools’ arts festival, dubbed, Let Them Trust (LTT), have said preparations for the festival are at an advanced stage, with schools and artistes confirming their participation.
The festival aspires to have a decentralised selection and mobilising process that would take place at the provincial level, feeding into the national festival, to make it an inclusive event.
This year’s festival runs under the theme “Njabulo — Mufaro”, which means happiness, and it will feature drama, poetry, visual arts, fashion, and music.
It is the brainchild of Chido Musasiwa and will run from July 27-29 in Gutsa Village, Domboshava. It is still registering schools and artistes that want to participate in the festival.
It provides an opportunity for schools in different regions to showcase their talent and creativity while also promoting cultural diversity. The festival not only focuses on competition but also on nurturing young creatives by providing them with feedback and mentoring from experienced artists in various fields.
Through LTT, young people can explore different artistic genres and engage with different communities, ultimately promoting a more inclusive society.
With its upcoming edition, the festival is poised to continue its tradition of inspiring and empowering the next generation of artists in Zimbabwe.
The festival returns to Domboshava by public demand.
This year’s headliner for the event is Ammara Brown.
Exhibition stands will also be available for companies and organisations that would like to interact with people from Domboshava.
LTT has been hailed as a big platform that allows aspiring artists to express their talents.
According to Musasiwa, this year they are honouring the late Zimdancehall chanter Soul Jah Love.
Every competing performance has to incorporate a song by Soul Jah Love. Njabulo is isiNdebele for happiness.
Last year, the festival honoured yesteryear music legend Zexie Manatsa.
In a recent interview, Musasiwa said Soul Jah Love (born Soul Musaka) was very influential to the youth and left an indelible mark on the Zimbabwean arts industry. Nicknamed Sauro, the late legend has a discography of hit songs which include Handichade, Ndongosimudza Musoro, Go Back to Sender, Pamamonya Ipapo, Kutangisa Ma1, African Girl (featuring Shyman Shaizo), and Ndiri Zvinhu.
Musasiwa said her organisation was child and youth-oriented, educational, and cultural and aimed at creating a platform for young people to groom and showcase their artistic talent.
“LTT programming scouts nurture artistic talent, preserves cultural identity in young people, and most importantly uses creativity to educate participants on how they can circumvent issues that affect them.
“The arts festival is an annual school arts festival that has been running for 11 years. This year, it’s a three-day event that will be running from July 27 to 29 that will take place at our Let Them Village in Domboshava. Each year, it has themes for different genres on display which creates platforms to engage young people on different issues,” she said.
Online Reporter