Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Reporter
Preparations for the third instalment of the Pumula Royal Arts and Community Awards (Praca) are underway with this year’s event set to be held over three days.
The event will have sub-events starting off with the Praca Street Festival on December 15. The following day will have a film screening and the nominees’ dinner with the main awards ceremony slated for December 17.
Praca director Happy Mpofu said as they celebrate three years of existence, they have decided to host the event over three days as a symbol of the awards’ growth.
“This year, the awards are going to be bigger and better. On the first day, we saw it important to have the street festival whereby the nominated artistes will be creating awareness on issues affecting our community. These include drugs and substance abuse, gender-based violence, sexual harassment, safety issues in public spaces and transport as well as building good relationships between the artistes and their audiences.
“The second day’s event is a result of observations from our last two editions where most of the nominated films were not really known by the audience. Thus we saw it necessary to have a film screening.
“We’ll also invite all arts affiliated stakeholders and organisations to come and participate in a dialogue that will be held during the film screening so as to tackle issues that will be portrayed in the films as well as to create good relationships between them,” said Mpofu.
He said they are contemplating introducing other categories that will cater to artistes outside Pumula suburbs, taking note that the awards cater to artistes from Old Pumula, Pumula South and Pumula North.
Submission of entries is set to open on September 15, closing on October 22.
“Only works produced between July 31 last year and August 10 will be considered. The list of the categories will be shared on the Praca Facebook page where more updates will be availed,” Mpofu said.
He went on to invite people to chip in and assist with sponsorship.
“As Praca, we’re open for partnership, sponsorship, and any contribution that will assist in making our third edition,” he said. – @mthabisi_mthire
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