Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
HAVING failed to hold the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo main event last year, organisers have said they will host a hybrid festival with live shows, online performances and virtual programmes.
On its 15th edition, the festival is set to be held around the city from 21-25 September. The festival will be held during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) and that will entertain visitors when they are in Bulawayo.
The festival is expected to bring back the smiles on the faces of weary arts lovers in the country who have been starved of physical events.
As Government relaxed Covid-19 regulations, live events will be held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, the Bulawayo Theatre and the Zimbabwe Music Academy, which is the latest new venue of the festival.
In an interview with Chronicle Showbiz, festival director Raisedon Baya said:
“We are very hopeful that we are going to hold a few live events. A few musical events, maybe three or four, a few workshops and one or two theatre and dance and something to do with literature.
“We are in the middle of a pandemic and we have been through lockdowns so in terms of preparing and running, we couldn’t run around to do a lot of things thus the live events will not be as many as one would have loved. All along we have been saying that we will be working on a hybrid event meaning that we definitely have a programme that will be a virtual festival where some of our stuff will be pre-recorded and streamed live on different digital platforms.”
Baya said the much-anticipated big event at a bigger stage at City Hall Car Park will not be held due to the lockdown situation.
He said this year’s edition will continue to support local artistes who are unnoticed yet talented.
“We are a festival which does not create content but we try to curate what is already there because our idea is to support artistes that are creating content and struggling out there to market and make a name for themselves.
“For the last 15 to 16 months that we have had Covid-19 we ask ourselves who has been doing what and working and who needs to be showcased and how we can help,” said Baya.
He said the festival will be bigger and better as they have a platform for unleashing new talent.
“We have a programme that is specifically for little known artistes, aspiring and up-and-coming artistes and also artistes that are established.
“We try to make sure that every genre, every age group and that every discipline is included in the festival because we are a festival that celebrates inclusion, diversity and creativity and thus our programmes speak of those.”
Intwasa spokesperson, Nkululeko Nkala said there will be trademark shows that will be held at night. — @mthabisi_mthire
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