Hifa to post video clips on Internet

clips on YouTube, Facebook, Hifa’s own website as well as through links on Twitter.
Maria Wilson, Hifa’s executive director, said the Internet has become the battleground for the hearts and minds of consumers of any product including the arts.
“We never rush a project and always strive to give due care and diligence in an attempt to bring out a product of the highest quality possible within the framework of the resources available and the circumstances obtaining at that time,” Maria said.
“The majority of those who are expected to relish such a prospect are likely to be the youths who seem to live in the Internet ‘cloud’, usually of the Facebook variety.
“This also raised the concern that perhaps only the urban and well-heeled will be able to benefit from such a platform.”
Not so, according to Wilson who makes reference to the wide and growing availability of the Internet in Zimbabwe.
“Witness how with third and fourth generation communication technology even old grannies, as the Ministry of ICT likes to put, in far-flung rural growth points will have access to the Internet via reasonably basic cellphones and this will only improve as technology also improves,” she said.
Maria said Hifa will upload a wide variety of clips from the theatre, dance, music and spoken word genres in which it specialises.
“Exponents of fine art and craft will not be left out as their exhibitions, interviews and craft-making sessions will also feature in the video library.
“A consequence of the project which Hifa is actively promoting is the exposure of Zimbabwean artistes to a wider range of potential audiences and promoters.
“This will be a balm to the ears of local artistes who have persistently faced challenges with touring outside the country.
“What with it being the international standard practice for a promoter to ask for video footage before engaging an artiste, this development will certainly be a welcome publicity windfall for Zimbabwean artists,” Maria said.
She goes on to explain that the short clips are strictly for publicity for the festival as a Zimbabwean endeavour.
“When we engage artistes we contractually agree to publicise each other so that the artiste’s performance is a success as both parties have an obvious mutual interest,” she said.
As part of the benefits to the artistes featured on the clips will be links from the Hifa website to the artistes’ other online presence if they have any.
She hinted that Hifa was working on ideas with various financial institutions to offer efficient banking and financial management services to the creative industry, beginning with artistes themselves.
Hifa has generally been seen as an important cog in the tourism matrix with its ability to publicise the country and bringing visitors from outside Zimbabwe.
The video project will no doubt go a long way in further broadcasting the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s message of Zimbabwe being “a land of wonders.”
What is more, this message will be taken to every tourism source market that has an Internet connection and delivered to potential visitors in the comfort of their homes or indeed wherever they may be using their portable internet devices.
Hifa was launched in 1999 and it is a six-day annual festival and workshop endeavour that showcases Zimbabwean and international arts and culture in a comprehensive programme comprised of theatre, dance, music, circus, street performance, spoken word and visual arts.