Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
THE National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo is poised to reopen at the end of next month with 95 percent of renovations complete at a cost of US$70 000.
The gallery had from the beginning of the year been under renovation to fix the old building that was riddled with cracks and was decaying.
The renovations financed by grants from the embassies of Australia and Switzerland were put on hold on March 30 when the gallery was closed in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. As measures being relaxed, the renovations resumed in May.
This was done by the director of the gallery, Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi as part of his vision.
Nyathi said the coronavirus pandemic was a blessing in disguise.
“There is no time in the history of the gallery where we would have closed for so many months like what is happening here because of the global pandemic. This has been a blessing in disguise for us as a gallery as it has given us ample time to renovate this building,” said Nyathi.
Part of the renovations, include the installation of a solar system that is now giving the gallery 60 percent of the gallery’s electricity needs, installation of ceilings around the gallery, painting and renovation to the permanent collection room. All the ablution facilities at the gallery have been tiled and painted to give them a fresh look as well as the administration offices.
A new addition is at the car park where a stage has been built to accommodate performing artistes and a room for visiting artistes has been reworked. A disability ramp was installed at the entrance and the outside of the facility has been repainted.
Nyathi said hopefully by the end of November the gallery will be opened.
“With about 95 percent of the renovations done, we are on schedule to reopen at the end of November. We are happy with the progress that we have made, the remaining five percent is still a huge amount to complete,” said Nyathi.
“We would like to thank the embassies of Australia and Switzerland for their help in giving us a cumulative US$70 000 for renovations. There is US$30 000 which is being used for capacity building for the local artistes.
“We have a limited amount of staff to work on the renovations. So, it takes time and also when you fix one thing something else comes up that has to be attended to that wasn’t in the plans,” said Nyathi.
Government approved the partial reopening of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), with players in low risk sectors given the green light to resume operations.
Players in the arts will have to apply for permission from the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and they will only be allowed to resume operations if council is satisfied that they are able to adhere strictly to set Covid-19 transmission prevention protocols and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The sectors that have been given the green light to reopen are exhibitions in galleries and museums, book launches, film production, raining centres cum schools of arts, arts and culture centres, visual art studios, music recording studios, drive-in cinema, studio recording for online publication and theatre houses for drama, dance, movies and spoken word. – Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi.
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