adminAuxilia Katongomara Entertainment Correspondent
PREPARATIONS for this year’s premier arts festival the Intwasa Festival koBulawayo are going on smoothly with indications that this year’s edition would be bigger and better. The festival is pencilled to run from 24 to 29 September. Intwasa director Raisedon Baya said preparations for the arts jamboree had gathered momentum.
“We are 60-70 percent prepared and we are working on a few loose ends but the ball is ready to roll.
“We have invited a couple of foreign artistes and we are trying to acquire work permits for them to avoid last minute rush and we are also trying to hype up the event,” said Baya.
The Intwasa festival is aimed at celebrating artistic talent present in Africa and globally.
“This year, we are running under the theme “Cultural Diversity: The Common Heritage of Humanity”. The festival shall embrace and celebrate the different cultures and forms of expression found in Zimbabwe, Africa and the world at large,
“We have a number of local and foreign artistes that would be part of this year’s festival, but it is too early to mention them,” said Baya.
Last year’s edition was hailed as highly successful and proved that the festival which is in its ninth year running was maturing with age like wine.
The festival ropes in all people of all ages and this year, primary schools have been added onto the programme.
“Besides the Plan High School drama competitions, we are also introducing the Primary Schools Dance competition sponsored by Habitat Africa and the folk- tale project supported by Unesco.
“The folktale project aims at preserving our tradition of story telling,” said Baya.
So far 11 schools have made it into the Plan High Schools Drama competition.
From Bulawayo there is Eveline, Gifford, Townsend, Msitheli, Mzilikazi, Nketa, Sobukhazi and Milton High schools.
From Kwekwe there is Rio Tinto and Amaveni High School.
One school would be from Matabeleland South Province where the preliminaries are yet to be held.
Baya said there would be a special prize for a creative play by young people.
Last year’s exhilarating programme was headlined by Bulawayo born jazz diva Dudu Manhenga, Alexio Kawara, Cool Crooners and world-acclaimed Binga group Mokoomba as well as local and regional poets from Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.
Bulawayo’s all time classic play Stitsha was also showcased at the festival bringing back memories of the 90s when the play was shown on television with the late Beatar Mangethe playing Thuli.
Meanwhile, the festival is calling on aspiring artistes to register for the third edition of Bulawayo’s Most Amazing Talent Show competition.
The show, one of the most popular talents show in Bulawayo, aims at identifying and exposing outstanding talent from Bulawayo youths in the genres of music, dance, comedy and poetry.
The Most Amazing Talents Show, modelled around other talent search shows such as America’s Got Talent and South Africa Got Talent, carries a winner takes all cash prize of $500.
Deadline for registration is 26 August.
“This year the festival is seeking to continue its efforts to promote young and emerging artistes and talents from the different communities of Bulawayo.
The festival also plans to use the talent show to hype the coming festival and also to take some of Intwasa’s activities to the high density suburbs and other places that will not normally access Intwasa activities,” said Baya.
Online Reporter