adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz correspondent
BULAWAYO’S tag as the country’s cultural hub is fast fading, if the recently released national calendar of festivals and major arts events for 2015 is anything to go by as only three major events are lined up for the city this year.
Harare contributes the highest number with 19 cultural and showbiz events out of 49 nationwide which is an average of about two events of national significance per month.
According to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) Bulawayo diarised Zimbabwe International Book Fair that was supposed to be held in March, Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and Ibumba Festival which is the same number of cultural events as Masvingo province.
Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo director Raisdon Baya said Bulawayo which was once known as the country’s cultural hub was fast losing the status.
“Nationally there’s nothing of significance that’s happening in Bulawayo apart from what’s on that calendar of events. This is because we don’t sit down as arts practitioners and plan for the year. Everyone is doing whatever they want, whenever they want,” Baya said.
He said it was high time artistes stopped talking and started focusing on giving their events a national status.
“As artistes and promoters, we should stop talking and start acting, planning for the future and creating products that are marketable. If the product is marketable, then promoters can use it to make money through whatever genre of art you’re in,” he said.
Baya said it was almost impossible to have national events from Bulawayo as artistes in the city are also failing to be recognised nationally.
“Most forms of entertainment during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair will come from outside the city. Instead of our locals shining and us hosting some sort of festival or cultural event, we sit back, tweeting about the ‘foreign’ acts performing.”
“We then complain afterwards that people prefer things from outside the city. This shrinking of the number of festivals means that art practitioners now have fewer platforms to showcase their skills.”
Show promoter and comedian, Babongile Sikhonjwa said Bulawayo’s absence on the national arts boiled down to funding as the city’s deindustrialisation had a knock on effect on the support of the arts by companies and audiences.
“Companies should be funding all these festivals but they aren’t as industries are shutting down. This has made Bulawayo’s status as the cultural hub diminish in stature because there’re no cultural events of significance in the city,” Sikhonjwa said.
“Besides Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and the Kalawa Jazzmee Homecoming Party, there’s nothing else to look forward to.”
Sikhonjwa said more could be done by the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture to persuade companies to fund the arts.
“I implore the minister (Andrew Langa) to lobby for tax relief for companies that fund the arts especially outside Harare. We’ve brilliant ideas that lie idle in the minds of young people as they aren’t being utilised. More can be done,” he said.
Bulawayo used to boast of events such as the Winter Jazz Festival, Bulawayo Comes Alive and Inxusa.
Bongani Ndlovu