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THE curtain came down on the five-day Inxusa Theatre Festival at Amakhosi in Bulawayo on Saturday. The festival aims at preserving the fast-dwindling theatre productions and audiences in the country. The once-vibrant theatre industry is facing a serious challenge particularly in Bulawayo where it produced a number of shining stars.
The Inxusa Festival which drew both industry veterans as well as arts students from different institutions was re-launched last week after a five year absence.
The festival’s re-launch showed great potential in the forthcoming editions as evidenced by the quality of plays and response it received.
The theatre jamboree was officially opened by Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Supa Mandiwanzira last Tuesday.
Deputy Minister Manziwanzira beamoned the lack of support for local productions and bias by the corporate sector in funding foreign arts.
Running under the theme “Merging Cultures” the festival returned with a bang and celebrated 19 years since its birth.
Apart from celebrating World Theatre Day and the premiere of some plays, it roped in students from four local universities, Lupane, Chinhoyi, Great Zimbabwe and Midlands State University and two colleges, Mutare Polytechnic and Hillside Teacher’s colleges.
Zambia and Botswana University were the foreign participants at this year’s event.
The festival also saw veteran arts practitioners sharing their expertise in the film and theatre industry.
Among those that presented were arts practitioners, Butshilo Nleya and Professor David Kerr, the founding Head of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Botswana, who gave a keynote address at this year’s colloquium.
There were presenters from the various universities.
Some of the major highlights were plays such as Song Of A woman, Uproot the Rot, The Disposition, The Civil Servant, Magalas and productions from the participating institutions.
Some of the students who spoke to Chronicle said the colloquium and presentations by veterans in the arts industry were an eye opener for them.
“There are times when we are quizzed by fellow students on why we are studying theatre at university but now we have learnt a lot that will benefit us and we have been equipped with some skills which we overlooked during our theory sessions,” said a student from MSU.
Director of the festival Cont Mhlanga said the festival would be bigger and better in three years’ time.
“This is a small festival, but in the next three years, it will be second best, or the best festival in the country,” he said last week.
The festival is faced with a task to attract a paying audience as well as productions from other towns.
This year’s edition was mainly for invited institutions and artistes in particular.
It ended on Saturday with performances from Mutare Poly, budding artistes and dancers from Bulawayo before the main shutdown party.
Comedian Clive Chigubhu also put up a great performance to wind down the festival in style.
Online Reporter