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Prince Rayanne Chidzvondo is the founder and eventpreneur of Sip and Paint with Moonchild District, a platform that fuses art, entertainment and business. Responding to Business Weekly Prince talked about how and why it all started, how it’s going and the lessons learnt throughout the journey.
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BW: What motivated you to do what you do?
PRC: Moonchild District is a movement of diverse artistes that gather to achieve collective goals for economic sustainability. As such, we take business to the art and fully make art our business. Sip and Paint is not only a social event, it’s also a means for us to teach art without the complications or pressures of an actual class.
Also, the Zimbabwe market was lacking innovation in terms of fusing art, entertainment and business — and we created the space to encounter just that. Moonchild District found a niche, created a market and took art to the people in best way possible.
The concept appealed to us as eventpreneurs (entrepreneurs working in events businesses) because the model is based on a combination of fun and creativity. They are excellent socials for birthdays, family bonding sessions, corporate outings, girls’ nights out, bachelorette parties, and other casual events.
Experts have discovered the therapeutic benefits of art such as relieving various psychological ailments like stress, depression, and anxiety. Our painting classes provide a welcoming, non-judgmental atmosphere where painters can pour their energy into their canvases, alleviating tension. Many artists also express their emotions on their canvas, which is highly cathartic. It is basically tapping into the creative nature of art to enhance your life; we may also call it art therapy.
It includes creative forms of art like drawing, painting, sculpting and colouring, to name but a few. The whole idea is to use any of these art forms as a way to relieve stress in your life and improve your mental well-being.
Some people are self-conscious about their artistic abilities, and might feel like they don’t have the skill to create their own masterpiece. Our paint and sip classes alleviate this stress by being all-inclusive, and designed to be enjoyed by people of all experience levels.
Our instructors are encouraging, patient, and lead the painters through each step slowly, but surely. If you can follow a recipe, you can paint something beautiful!
It’s amazing to see the balance our participants find between the more contemplative and meditative aspect of painting and the social nature of our events. There are usually periods of silence when our artists are completely lost in their attempt to get that one part of their painting right.
Their concentration is reflected in calm, absorbed faces. Their state of mind is quiet, reflective, creative and blissful. Next comes the natural need to socialize and involve other people in their process. That’s when we hear the laughs, the chatting and . . . the sipping.
Painting a masterpiece while sipping on beer or wine helps artists relax and engage in conversation. Those who attend our painting classes alone often find it easy to make new friends, while those who go with friends strengthen their existing relationship.
BW: Talk to us about the untapped potential in your line of business.
PRC: Well, Sip and Paint events offer a casual and relaxed experience, where you can learn something new, socialise with friends, groove out to tunes and refresh your mind. Add in a little bit of liquid courage in the form of wine, beer or cocktails, and you’ve got one of the best things to do in Harare!
With some extra encouragement from your best pals and a fully competent art instructor, everyone will end up with not only some fun memories but a stellar masterpiece too. Sip and Paint is as simple as it sounds: a class that involves painting an artwork while enjoying a few of your beverages as you work.
The best thing about Sip and Paints with Moonchild District is that they teach you to believe in yourself, relax and let go of your painting inhibitions.
BW: What’s your most effective marketing initiatives to grow the business?
PRC: We have introduced paint parties in Harare and now seek to perfect the concept. Our work and the visuals there forth sell themselves to our targeted audiences. Besides social media promotions and social media hype, we work best with referrals. Twitter and TikTok have gone a long way to establish our brand as a Sip and Paint provider.
Instagram and Facebook have also assisted in to establishing our brand within our target market. Inquiries have a 95 percent attendance rate within 3 months, and we a majority of our clients return especially now that we have established a membership benefit plan for our art lovers. We use social media to attract new customers and retain the old, and with good social media presentations, we work it like magic!
BW: What are some of the key lessons you learn throughout the journey so far?
PRC: Sip and Paint with Moonchild District has taught me the importance of good media delivery, it has allowed us to establish strong branding and marketing methods more than any other art within our fields. Working with children (we take all ages) has also taught us child management, the patience that comes with working with children.
We are constantly falling in love with families that nature and nurture art in young children, as they say, “catch them young and watch them grow.” Other than that, our instructors have improved their teaching skills, something perfected over time.
There’s also the pressure of having to reconstruct the same concept in order to bring something new to the table, this keeps us on our feet — Moonchild District is a gift that keeps giving! We have had Sip and Paint parties with Karaoke, fabric painting, and sculpturing to name a few. Moonchild District aims at being the best provider for Sip and Paint parties (and our phones do be ringing like crazy so we must be doing everything right!)
We have also established a way to make money as artistes. There’s less opportunities for creatives in Harare, Moonchild District not only employees’ artistes, but it also gives them the exposure they need to further their individual careers.
Bongani Ndlovu