derick.khumalo
Amos Mpofu
[email protected]
THE Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts (IYASA) has hailed the successful conclusion of its 2026 Germany cultural exchange programme, with five young Zimbabwean performers returning home after a two-month tour of schools and public venues across Germany.
The production, Climate of Change, was presented in collaboration with KinderKulturKarawane, a youth arts exchange programme that bridges Zimbabwe and Germany. The tour, which ran from May until July 20, featured five young artists from IYASA alongside a number of performers from selected local arts groups.
More than 120 aspiring performers auditioned for this year’s exchange, with only five earning places in the travelling cast. The selected artists were Princess Sibanda, Lwazilwenkosi Nyoni, Gabriella Mpofu, Sharon Ncube and Simba Matyarutya.
Each year, the Bulawayo-based IYASA, a registered non-profit performing arts institution, sends talented performers aged under 18 to Germany under the KinderKulturKarawane programme for an extended arts and cultural exchange.
Speaking to Zimpapers, IYASA director Mr Nkululeko Dube said the programme had once again provided young Zimbabwean artists with invaluable international exposure while promoting dialogue on global issues through the performing arts.
“The young performers run workshops on issues that matter to young people worldwide, including migration, climate justice, identity, gender equity and children’s rights. Most of the themes are drawn directly from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, giving the exchange a shared global vocabulary that German and Zimbabwean youth can both relate to,” he said.
Mr Dube explained that KinderKulturKarawane (Children’s Culture Caravan) is a German initiative run by the Hamburg-based Büro für Kultur- und Medienprojekte, which has, for more than 25 years, invited young artists and activists from Africa, Asia and Latin America to tour Germany.
“KinderKulturKarawane’s goals are to give participating youth a genuine experience of self-efficacy through performance, to use art as a tool for social change and cross-cultural dialogue, and to make global issues tangible for German audiences through lived, peer-to-peer exchange rather than lecture. It also channels financial and network support back to its partner organisations in the Global South,” he said.
Mr Dube said the programme has hosted more than 1,000 young artists from over 60 partner organisations during its existence and has transferred more than €1 million to partner institutions in the Global South.
He said IYASA selects participants mainly from its Isiphiwo Sami schools programme and the organisation’s youth training academy, while occasionally recruiting promising performers from emerging institutions such as New Vision Arts Academy.
“Combining them means the touring group blends youth who are just discovering the arts through community-based schooling with those already deep into structured, disciplined training, giving each cohort a mix of raw talent and rehearsed craft,” he said.
Mr Dube said the exchange offers young performers much more than stage experience, exposing them to different cultures and helping them develop confidence, discipline and leadership skills.
“Many come back with a stronger sense of their own culture, sharpened performance skills, and the kind of self-assurance that shapes them long after the tour ends. Several of IYASA’s own mentorship alumni first found their footing on tours like this one,” he said.
The exchange programme continues to strengthen cultural ties between Zimbabwe and Germany while providing young artists with an international platform to showcase their talent and engage with global audiences through the arts.
