Culture galore at schools festival

Thomas Chidamba
It is set to be a culture galore at this year’s Dairibord Rugby Schools Festival at Prince Edward as various cultural organisations will showcase their visual and performing arts on the sidelines of the largest schools rugby event in the world. The festival, which aims to be a vehicle to ‘improve the health and education of school pupils as well as promote rugby by encouraging the playing of the game at this level’, will for the first time include cultural programmes during the six-day event.

Thursday has been selected as the main culture day, where dance groups will showcase their talents.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Dairibord Schools Rugby Festival media briefing, festival director Sebastian Garikai said the inclusion of cultural programmes was necessitated by the need to showcase the ‘diversity and beauty of Zimbabwean culture.’

“We have lined up a number of cultural programmes at this year’s festival because with the presence of foreign teams and referees, it is an ideal opportunity to showcase the diversity of Zimbabwean culture.

“A sizeable number of individuals and groups have confirmed their participation,” Garikai said.
Some of the organisations expected to exhibit include the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture, National Arts Council, National Gallery, National Museums and Monuments as well as independent artistes. The festival will run from May 5 to 10.