World celebrates theatre

Stephen Chifunyise Theatre Corridors
Cont Mhlanga- the Director of Amakhosi Cultural Centre announced the hosting of World Theatre Day Inxusa Festival which will run concurrently with the World Theatre Day Colloquium at The Amakhosi Cultural Centre.
Already confirmed on the programme of the Inxusa Theatre Festival is the world premier of Thabani Hillary Moyo’s “The Civil Servant” by Bambelela Theatre Arts Ensemble which is a community based theatre that was formed in 1992 in Bulawayo’s Matshobane suburb. A number of plays to be presented at the Inxusa Theatre Festival are by various universities which have regularly participated in the World Theatre Day Colloquium since 2012 are yet to be indicated.

Confirmed to deliver a keynote address at the opening of the World Theatre Day Inxusa Festival is Professor David Kerr who is the Founding Head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department at the University of Botswana.Professor Kerr taught theatre arts at the University of Zambia in the late seventies. In 1977 Professor Kerr co-scripted with Garikayi Shoniwa the play “Matteo Sakala” which had been an improvisation by his students in their practical drama course. This play became one of the most popular productions carried by the University of Zambia Dramatic Society’s travelling theatre to provinces. In 1978 Professor Kerr led his practical drama students in creating the play “Bambo Kachasu” which featured a Zimbabwean Martha Mate with the Zimbabwean novelist Lilian Masitera contributing to scripting of the play. In 1979 Professor Kerr’s practical drama students created a play “The War of Liberation” which dealt with Zimbabwe’s war of liberation. In creating this play, the practical drama students received a lot of assistance from ZAPU PF cadres from the liberation camps near Lusaka whose participation was facilitated by Dr. Sikhanyiso Ndlovu who was then the Director of University of Zambia Centre for Distance Education. “The War of Liberation” was presented at a gala at Ridgeway Hotel that was attended by ZAPUPF leaders in Lusaka then which included the late national hero Josiah Chinamano. Professor Kerr continued with the work of Chikwakwa Theatre which had been initiated by Professor Michael Etherton and Dr Fay Chung. He championed theatre for development in Zambia and in Malawi where he moved to in 1981 and helped in setting up the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College. A very well published playwright, Professor Kerr is also the author of “African Popular Theatre from Pre-colonial Times to Present Day” and “ Dance, Media Entertainment and Popular Theatre in South East Africa”. Participants to the World Theatre Day Colloquium should confirm their participation by March 20 to [email protected].

Lloyd Nyikadzino, the coordinator of the International Theatre Institute (Zimbabwe Centre) has indicated that World Theatre Day celebrations will be held on March 27 at the Old Mutual Theatre at the Alliance Francaise Centre in Harare. Already confirmed to present plays at these celebrations are Patsime Edutainment Trust, CHIPAWO, University of Zimbabwe Theatre Arts Department with “Waiting for Godot”, ITI – Zimbabwe Centres’s “Short and sweet plays” directed by Leonard Matsa, Elizabeth Muchemwa, and Everson Ndlovu, a dance piece by Zvishamiso that is directed by Brian Geza. The event will also feature stand up by Carl Joshua Ncube – the well travelled big man of Zimbabwean comedy. There will also be a panel discussion on young theatre practitioners in Zimbabwe that will feature Tafadzwa Muzondo, Blessing Hungwe, and Lloyd Nyikadzino. Thespians who would like to make presentations on this day are invited to link up with [email protected].

Tentative programmes for the celebrations to mark the International Day of Theatre For Children and Young People which falls on 20th March are beginning to emerge.

Chipo Basopo – the manager of CHIPAWO has indicated that the organisation will celebrate the day on 29th March in Harare with short plays being prepared by its centres in Bindura, Harare, Chitungwiza, Norton and Kadoma. The plays will deal with the meaning and use of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in defining and defending children’s rights in Zimbabwe. March 20 is also the World Storytelling Day whose aim is to “celebrate the art of oral storytelling with as many people as possible around the world telling and listening to stories in their own languages on the same day.” The advantage of this performing art form is that it can be performed where ever there is a willing audience.

In many countries on this day storytellers are invited to schools to celebrate the day with storytelling performances.

This day can also be used to take to schools custodians of storytelling from the communities where the schools are for storytelling sessions and discussions about the value this oral tradition.

School children can be requested by their teachers to and ask their parents to tell them stories which they can then perform to fellow students on the World Storytelling Day.

This week’s network focus is on two networks- the International Storytelling Network and the International Inclusive Arts Network (IIAN). The International Storytelling Network currently “ connects more than one thousand professional story tellers from fifty countries in the five continents.” The network has a comprehensive directory of story-tellers and a list of about 191 story-telling festivals throughout the world. The main objective of the networks is “to spread storytelling, promote reading, literary creation and performing arts.” Storytellers interested in the International Storytelling Networks can secure information from [email protected]. The International Inclusive Arts Network (IIAN) is an “online community for people who are interested in creating, learning or programming inclusive work for young audiences. Inclusive arts is mainly the involvement of disabled artists or the engagement with disabled young people. The network is a vital platform for sharing ideas and experiences in including disabled artists. Last year a Zimbabwean team arts educators in institutions caring for the disabled, put together a festival for disabled artists. Such practitioners can benefit from this network. Details about the network can be obtained from [email protected]

Recently the Zimbabwe National Commission for UNESCO indicated that on 31st January UNESCO launched the 5th call for funding requests to the International Fund for Cultural Diversity. “The Fund invests in projects in developing countries that lead to structural change through the introduction and or collaboration of policies and strategies that have a direct effect on creation, production, distribution of and access to a diversity of cultural expressions. These include cultural goods, services and activities as well as the reinforcement of structure demanding necessary support to cultural industries and markets.” Those organisations and individuals in the creative sector wishing to get more details about the call for proposal and methods of applying are invited to link up with Daphne Mukaronda of the Zimbabwe National Commission for UNESCO at [email protected] .