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Arts Reporter
THE founder and director of Dzimbahwe Arts and Cultural Heritage Hub, Sarah Kuvenguhwa has praised the European Forum Alpbach event as an eye-opener that left deep impressions and high feelings on her.
Kuvenguhwa is back after a two-week session in Austria for the European Forum Alpbach that focused on an inter-disciplinary platform for science, politics, business art and culture.
Established in 1945, the annual European Forum Alpbach addressed the relevant socio-political questions and challenges of society and received inputs from international partner organisations all over the world.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, Kuvenguhwa said about 4 000 people attended as they shared their cultural stories and journey.
“It was a great experience that was way beyond my optimistic imagination and it left deep impressions and high feelings,” she said. “The goal was to make the event more international, younger and more female and it worked out well, even though fewer African countries representatives were chosen among the 98 different nationalities that were represented.
“There were many representatives of European institutions, with fewer African representatives. It is my hope to have many African representatives in such forums.”
Kuvenguhwa was happy to take part as she highlighted the unique special role played by the art and culture of Zimbabwe.
“Around 4 200 people attended the European Forum Alpbach, as we engaged and took part in different sessions, seminars and activities such as the ‘Food for thought’ session entitled ‘Ancestry and Zimbabwean art’, whereby we had different youths from different nationalities wanting to learn more about Zimbabwe,” she said.
“I also emphasized how Zimbabwean art is inseparable from the country’s land and history with reference to the artistic symbolic Zimbabwean bird on our national flag.”
Kuvenguhwa said they hosted an exhibition that included the Zimbabwean stone sculp,tures, traditional instruments such as mbira, ngoma, hosho magavhu, rusero, claypots and their role in traditional and cultural education.
“We had displays of dried vegetables (mufushwa) which also sparked interesting conversations on the importance of drying food in times of climate crisis such as drought and how this traditional method helped towards food security in times of climate crisis,” she said.
“We also showcased our traditional fabric ‘retso’ and national fabric. The Zimbabwean stand was described as the best and very informative.
“We also participated during different climate change-focused seminars and had an opportunity to raise my voice and share my views and sentiments on the need to also “renew and improve” our approaches towards climate education, meaning as we are constantly evolving and trying new things and ways, how about we also aim to find new ways, answers and meet challenges of today such as climate change crisis with bold creative and cultural solutions.”
There was need to make space for creative and cultural thinkers to find new answers, solutions from a community based approach to meet these challenges with a bold solution.
She further emphasized that it was through art that people could express their feelings about climate change and the need for action.
“Art can also be used to educate people about the science of climate change and the need for urgent action,” said Kuvenguhwa. “Cultural events, such as rain-making, nhimbe, festivals, can be used to bring people together to discuss climate change and to inspire collective action.
“Art and culture can also be used to celebrate and promote sustainable lifestyles and to encourage people to take action to reduce their carbon footprint. So there is a need for academics to engage to the lowest levels of any given society.”
Kuvenguhwa took part in the climate thematic track and was given an opportunity to give closing remarks during the forum and express her experience.
“We have noticed that there is a need to have more voices from the African continent at such forums,” she said.
“My hope and aim as the director of Dzimbahwe Arts and Cultural Heritage Hub is to make space for creative and cultural thinkers, help find new answers and help meet environmental and climate crisis with bold innovative solutions.
“Everyone has a role to play despite their academic background, it only takes one to relate with their own surroundings differently.”
Online Reporter