adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
NHIMBE Trust is set to produce content for radio and television and train youths and women in broadcast production through its School Playwrights and Actors Academy (SPAA) class and Women in Theatre (WIT) in 2015 and 2016. The SPAA class, which consists of 30 high school students from various schools in Bulawayo, and WIT which consists of 20 women, will produce a television and radio series in addition to play productions in the upcoming year with the support of Africalia Belgium.
Speaking at the SPAA graduation ceremony held at Masiye Camp in Matopos on Friday evening, Nhimbe Trust Executive Director Joshua Nyapimbi said the organisation would take advantage of the digitalisation of the media in Zimbabwe to produce broadcast content.
“In terms of where we’re going next year, maybe for the next two years, we’re moving into radio, I think you all know that Zimbabwe is going digital by June next year we’re expected to produce content for radio and for television,” he said.
Nyapimbi said venturing into television and radio production was aimed at bringing back content to ZBC through which people can identify with the local culture.
“I think for us we can make or unmake ZBC either in terms of television or in terms of radio and I think really if we’re genuine about the future of this country, let’s get ZBC where it used to be in terms of Sinjalo and all those other productions where people could identify with our local culture,” said Nyapimbi
He said SPAA and WIT would have three productions in total next year, one each for theatre, television and radio.
“For Nhimbe we want to step into that space and we’re very clear about what we want to be doing, next year we’ve six productions, three under SPAA and three under Women in Theatre (WIT). We’re going into television, we’re going to the stage and we’re going to radio,” he said.
Nyapimbi said the organisation would set up a studio for the training of its students for radio and television.
“In terms of television, we aren’t competing for a licence, we’re comfortable with content and we will also do a series for television. The stage – we’ve been doing it so we’re fine on that one,” he said.
Nyapimbi added that the content produced by SPAA and WIT may also feature on the South African market as South African partners of Nhimbe are interested in seeing Nhimbe broadcast content making it in their mainstream media.
The SPAA graduation on Friday saw 17 students receiving certificates after completion of a two year programme in theatre.
Nhimbe Trust is a non-governmental arts advocacy and education organisation based in Bulawayo.
Online Reporter