Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, [email protected]
Savanna Trust has embarked on a collaborative venture with three theatre groups to implement its three-year project titled “Advancing Youth Participation in Civic and Community Development Processes Through Creative Expressions”.
The partnered groups include Intembawuzyo Arts Production from Binga, Shangano Arts from Hwange, and Berina Community Arts from Kadoma.
While Savanna Trust is predominantly associated with theatre, this project aims to engage artistes from diverse backgrounds, encompassing music, dance, visual art, poetry, and theatre, among others.
Teddy Mangawa, programmes officer at Savanna Trust, highlighted that they recently conducted monitoring and evaluation visits to assess the community theatre groups’ ability to address issues hindering youth participation in civic and community development processes.
“After receiving intensive training in utilising theatre for development as a research, problem-solving, mobilisation, and community engagement tool, the groups were surveyed. Key issues emerged, including early child marriages in Binga, drug abuse in Kadoma, and limited economic opportunities in Hwange,” explained Mangawa.
He emphasised that the project’s primary objectives are to encourage young people to actively participate in civic and community development initiatives.
“We aim to achieve this by utilising various artistic forms, such as theatre, poetry, digital theatre, and music, to raise awareness and engage young individuals on the significance of involvement in civic and community development processes,” Mangawa added.
Furthermore, the project seeks to empower artistes to utilise creative expressions for meaningful engagements through capacity development initiatives targeting arts organisations, community arts groups, and individual artistes. – @mthabisi_mthire
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo