Victory Siyanqoba Champions of Meaningful Art

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I have known Victory Siyanqoba for about five years under the leadership of respected artiste Desire Moyo alias Moyoxide.

Moyoxide is famed for thought provoking poetry. He could arguably be Zimbabweaï¿½ï¿½s version of Mzwakhe Mbuli for some. Back to Victory Siyanqoba, their beat is their brands Eziko Theatre Laboratory and Laundry Cafe. From time to time, they have programmes with international organisations.

They have experience in designing, devising, hosting, implementing and managing high impact activism and protest theatre for development initiatives but NOT political.

When they started out, they used to perform in primary schools, secondary and tertiary institutions including colleges and universities. The Victory Siyanqoba Trust enjoys a wide variety of engagement spaces ranging from self-initiated programmes to invited spaces due to its rigorous artistic and entertaining presentations.

With muiltiple awards, among them Outstanding Human Rights Defender CBO of the Year Award, 2015 (Zimrights Awards 2015) and sweeping all local arts competitions in theatre, dance and poetry last year, the group, unlike most arts institutions has a mission, vision statement and aims like no other.

Their mission statement is to create unique artistic artworks and platforms towards positive social transformation in pursuit of human rights and freedoms. They envision a society that respects peopleaï¿½ï¿½s rights and freedoms, with uncensored artistic liberty. Little is said of the actual entertainment but I can guarantee you that they will deliver when it comes to linkages between education and entertainment, aï¿½?edutainmentaï¿½?.

I like how they do their plays in an interactive style, whereby the audience owns the play, the characters we give to our actors and the roles we play they depict experiences, the language, dialogue. Therefore, it allows the target audience to be actors, pose questions, and be active and see themselves in the play. This ensures effective participation and allows the participants to openly express themselves on various issues on discussion.

Their activities include Eziko Theatre Laboratory aï¿½ï¿½ A monthly theatre laboratory bringing together all Bulawayo artistes to share and perform music, dance, drama and poetry. Laundry cafAï¿½ aï¿½ï¿½ Women`s community theatre and laundry project, where artistes perform theatre shows in support of women. Hiv/Aids community talkshows aï¿½ï¿½ Theatre shows on HIV/Aids raising awareness and positive living. Zim Asset theatre cafAï¿½ aï¿½ï¿½ Community theatre shows on Zim Asset awareness. Constitutional theatre cafes aï¿½ï¿½ Community theatre shows on Constitution awareness.

Elections cafAï¿½: voting, voters and the voted for initiative aï¿½ï¿½ these are platforms for voter education, mobilisation of youths and young women to register and vote. In 2013 VST was cleared by Zec as one of the eligible and relevant voter educators which saw the organisation reaching out to rural masses in Matopo, Ntabazinduna and Tsholotsho.

Various sessions were done jointly with Zec around Bulawayo. Focus group meetings/ community talk shows, human rights referral clinics. These are indoor dialogue sessions for grassroots communities on pertinent issues.

Theatre productions aï¿½ï¿½ Production of theatre shows for festivals, schools and community shows on social issues to raise public awareness on pertinent socio-economic, cultural and political issues so that citizens take relevant steps.
Until next week, be safeaï¿½ï¿½@nkuenkala