Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
THE National Arts Merit Awards (Nama), Zimbabwe’s premier platform for honouring artistic excellence, is set to broaden its scope by recognising a wider range of creative disciplines.
This was revealed by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (Nacz) executive director Napoleon Nyanhi, who said the awards are evolving to reflect the country’s dynamic and ever-expanding creative sector.
Nama celebrates achievements in Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Film and Television, Music, Literary Arts and Media. The awards will soon include Digital Arts, Culinary Arts, Body Art, Street Art and other emerging forms, in response to sustained calls from practitioners in those fields.
The first major step towards expansion was taken this year with the inclusion of Fashion as an official award category, a decision that came after years of lobbying from the creative community. The debut winners in this new category will be crowned at the next edition of the awards.
Nyanhi said the inclusion of fashion marks a significant milestone in recognising the full spectrum of creative expression in Zimbabwe.
“Once you start to expand, you realise that everything we do is art. We want to ensure that Nama becomes a true celebration of all creative disciplines. This is what we are advocating to Government, ministries, parliamentary portfolio committees and other stakeholders,” he said.
The decision followed a series of consultations between Nacz and 12 fashion houses and industry associations, which helped shape the framework for integrating fashion into the awards. Additional virtual engagements held early this year further explored the challenges and opportunities involved in recognising fashion as a legitimate art-business sector.
Speaking during a Nama capacity-building workshop held in Harare, Nyanhi said expanding the awards will not only give long-overdue recognition to overlooked art forms, but also strengthen the cultural fabric of the nation.
“Art is a vital cog in the setup of any society. Without art, you are nothing. Art should be at the forefront when we talk about critical sectors. If a country has no arts, it risks becoming a mentally depressed nation,” Nyanhi said.
He also revealed plans to decentralise Nama capacity-building programmes, with workshops set to be held across all provinces to ensure that artistes in every corner of Zimbabwe have access to training, information and opportunities.
“We want to deliver this to a bigger audience and make sure that artistes everywhere understand that Nacz exists for them. Our aim is to build capacity, nurture talent, and ensure that every form of creative expression finds its place under the Nama spotlight.”
With these planned expansions, Nama is poised to become a more inclusive and comprehensive celebration of Zimbabwe’s cultural identity, recognising not just traditional art forms, but also the evolving, innovative expressions that define the nation’s creative future. — @mthabisi_mthire
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derick.khumalo