Native Arts uses theatre to teach Zim history

Faith Ndlovu

NATIVE Arts, a dynamic theatre group based in Bulawayo, is employing a creative approach to educate young minds about the nation’s rich history and cultural heritage through captivating performances.

The group’s plays are based on real events that happened in the past. By dramatising real events, they aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for the nation’s heritage among young audiences.

Co-founder of the group, Mbekezeli Ndlovu said their passion for history, heritage, and culture drives them to create unique and engaging productions.

“We have been writing plays for the past ten years and turning those plays into actual productions has been the main drive with Native Arts. As Native Arts we all have a great passion for history which led to the development of these historical theatre productions,” said Ndlovu.

Native arts have already performed two successful plays, ‘The heir and I’m Nguni.

“I’m Nguni” is one of the historical plays produced and recently showcased by Native Arts at the Culture Month Launch event held at the Amakhosi Cultural Centre. The play was a resounding success, captivating audiences and celebrating rich cultural heritage. The reviews of our performances and unique production from the stakeholders were quite good and life-giving, it was a great motivation where we realised our potential through reviews,” said Ndlovu.

The target audience of Native Arts is young people, particularly school, college, and university students as well as out-of-school youths.

The group’s director, Sam Malede, said their aim was to educate and inspire youths through their historical plays, which are designed to be engaging, informative, and relevant to their lives.

“We believe young people are the future, and we aim to shape their identities and values by teaching them  about history and culture through our performances,” Malede said.

Meanwhile, the group is preparing for another show on 23 August targeting the elderly at Bulawayo Amphitheatre. The young people are also invited to attend the event.