adminThe expo’s main thrust is to expose up-and-coming poets in schools, to community poets where they will acquaint themselves with reciting poems in public instead of reading in school books.
Speaking to Chronicle Entertainment last week, Dzimbabwe Poets director Tinotenda Chinoda said the expo was organised after a culmination of many things chiefly among them, the reluctance of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Arts and Culture on paying much attention to poetry as part of the curriculum.
“The expo will be an opener to all high schools and secondary schools in Masvingo province as students will get a chance to showcase their talents. There will be competitions between schools from which the best poets will walk away with some prizes.
“The Ministry of Education is not duly taking note of the importance of poetry in schools. We want to groom school pupils so that they can appreciate the significance of poetry and understand it better than they do. This will be a platform for them to share notes with some renowned poets who will grace the occasion,” said Chinoda.
He said there would be guest poets to inspire up-and-coming poets adding that the idea is to take poetry to another level in the province.
“We are going to have Promise Mudavanhu, who won at the just ended Star-Brite Competitions held in Harare. We are expecting a full house as we want to conscientise budding poets on the important aspects of poetry,” he said.
Chinoda who is fondly known as “Dhege” in art circles said pupils are supposed to take poetry seriously as it could become a source of livelihood for some.
“Poetry can be a source of income. Like standup comedians poetry can held one achieve his goals in live. It could become one’s cash cow. Look to popular Mr Bean, he has scaled many heights as an independent comedian,” he said.
Dhege will also be one of the major highlights at the event as he would also perform.
Online Reporter