admin
Nicholas Moyo, has been in Bulawayo to assess the city’s preparedness to host the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama).
The deputy director met the taskforce that was set up to spearhead the event’s preparations. The event, which is annually held on the third Saturday of February, will be held on 16 February at the Large City Hall.
In an interview, Moyo said he had made the trip to satisfy himself with the preparedness of the city to host its inaugural Nama since the inception of the award ceremony 12 years ago.
“I had also come to assure the taskforce and the stakeholders on the Nacz’s commitment to having the event held in the country’s second city,” he said.
Last year the event was moved to Harare after the organisers who had been given the task to see to it that the event would be held in Bulawayo, threw in the towel.
This year the task force is being led by prominent city promoter, Jomo Mhone and it has a number of seasoned arts administrators who have organised other bigger events in the city. Among them are Raisedon Baya, Simon Mambazo Phiri and Nkululeko Dube.
Moyo said the taskforce had managed to have some buy in from the people of Bulawayo who have shown their commitment and goodwill in the successful hosting of the event.
He added that some of the material resources have already been set aside for the Nama and they are working flat out to garner financial resources to meet other important needs.
Among them are funds to transport artistes from different parts of the country and accommodate them in Bulawayo.
Unlike the previous years where all the attendees would come strictly by invitation, this year 200 arts enthusiasts will have an opportunity to buy tickets to the event.
“We might sell 200 tickets to offset some of the costs,” Moyo said.
City Hall has a seating capacity of 1 200, a far cry from 7 Arts-Nama’s traditional home for the past years, which is an 800 seater auditorium.
The Nama honour 35 individual artistes and groups for their contributions to the country’s music, literature, art, dance, visual arts, media, film and television sectors. There is also a special award category which is given to people that have contributed to the development of arts in the country.
Online Reporter