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Tafadzwa Zimoyo and Bornwise Mtonzi
Preparations for the annual Youth Cultural Art Festival (Yocaf) are at advanced stage and organisers say the groundwork for the event is complete. Yocaf, which has become a mainstay of development of the arts in schools and communities, is scheduled to take place from July 30-August 1, in Masvingo.
The fete will celebrate its fifth anniversary at this year’s edition running under the theme , “I Will Act Now” and all the productions are in line with this theme.
The festival will feature a total of 13 schools competing for top spot after an overwhelming response from the schools prompted the festival organisers to introduce preliminary rounds to retain only the best.
Schools that are set to take part this year include the defending champions Pamushana High School, Victoria High School, Churchill Boys High School, Masvingo Christian College, Dadaya High School, Regina Mundi Girls High School, Serima High School,Thornhill High School, Eveline Girls High School, Glen View 1 High School, Mapanzure High School, Gifford High School and St Peter’s Kubatana High school.
In an interview, festival director Leeroy Gono (pictured right) said preparations were at advanced stage with all participants confirming their participation.
He said this year is bigger and better with a lot of surprises too.
Gono, an actor, said the festival helps in the developing the arts industry.
“Yocaf attempts to serve the need for the development of dramatic arts in the provinces and the nation at large. Zimbabweans are extremely expressive and have a rich history of music, drama and dance. The political, economic and social situation of the country is such that theatrical expression is vital to provide a form of entertainment as well as an avenue for discussion and public dialogue for artistes and audiences alike,”he said.
He said, so far, some participants hadstarted their rehearsals with a tour on course.
“For the first time, participants at Yocaf will tour the Great Zimbabwe monuments as part of embracing the rich Zimbabwean culture. Some schools competing in this year’s fete are already polishing up their productions. The festival made headlines this year when it saw its champions and holders of the iconic Walter Muparutsa Theatre Award, Pamushana High School make history by becoming the first school to be nominated for the National Arts and Merit Awards (NAMA). They were nominated for three awards in the theatre category including Best Actress Award, Best Director Award and Outstanding Theatrical Award,” he said.
Gono said this year the competitionwould be stiff with many superb productions, adding that the festival is meant to promote the different cultures.
“Although there is a competitive aspect to the festival, with prizes being awarded, this is not the primary factor. Yocaf focuses on programming that enables youth to develop life skills, establish positive relationships with adults and peers, and contribute to their communities and at the same time celebrating the artistic talents within the young people,” he said.
Online Reporter