TV show to promote young models

Tafadzwa Zimoyo Arts Reporter
A local production house Talent of Steel is working on new reality show dubbed “Zim Toddlers and Tiaras” which will begin showing on ZBC TV later this year.

The show is centred on giving platform to talented kids aged between three and 12 years that aspire to be models. The programme is a brainchild of Edmore Ndlovu and Vimbai Mukambi who are the executive producers of the reality show. In an interview with this reporter, Ndlovu said he was happy with the production as they have started working on it.

“We have so many shows on our local stations that are mainly centred on teenagers and adults and younger ages are sidelined. We saw the need to put the little children on the spotlight through art for future prospects. We are already in pre production planning with the first shoot being scheduled for this weekend,” he said.

He said the show will be shot in schools, specifically preparatory schools.

“We give chances to the nursery schools and preparatory schools to do their auditions and we film it as a reality show. The children will have permission from their parents and this will also market the schools,” he said.

Ndlovu said the show will be in three languages — English, Ndebele and Shona.

“We will be conducting interviews with the little children, seeing them going through their day to day paces to show the world how they interact in their separate circles. This helps in grooming children from a tender age of three. It also helps in uniting families as the event requires full family support,” he said.

Mukambi, a commercial model by profession and mother of two, added that they felt the urge to run such a project because Zimbabwe’s kid pageants are not taken seriously.

“We better build children than repair adults. We have seen that of late, local pageants which deal with kids are not fully appreciated. Some are using them for commercial purposes but not developing them. The Bible says train a child the way and he or she should grow knowing the way and won’t depart from it,” she said.

She said she will also use her expertise in modelling for the show.

The production house is well known for the some of the top shows like “Wenera”, which is currently showing on ZBC TV and “Mutapa”, a series which is also in pre-production.