adminTafadzwa Zimoyo Entertainment Reporter
Youthful drama club from Pamushana High School is set for a debut at this year’s edition of Harare International Festival of the Arts. Pamushana High School got the opportunity to perform at Hifa courtesy of being the reigning Youth Cultural Arts Festival champions.
Yocaf programmes manager, Michael Kalongonda said he is happy with the opportunity as it will go a long way in developing the arts sector.
“This partnership with Hifa is a welcome development for our growing festival as it gives the youth the opportunity to brush shoulders with the best of the best in the industry. The Youth Action Kommittee programme which is under Yocaf was initiated primarily for the development of artistic talents in the youth,” he said.
Kalongonda said the committee will focus on empowering the youths especially those in Masvingo district.
“The YAK programme concentrates on the students — how to activate and inspire them, how to induce self-discipline, and how to help them to discover the joys of learning, the uniqueness of their beings, the wonders and possibilities of life, the satisfaction of achievement, and the revelations that literacy, broadly defined, provides. The arts are a central and fundamental means to attain these objectives,” he explains.
He said the school will take a leaf from foreign and renowned actors too.
“This is a positive development which will expose a school from this Masvingo region. The students will be able to interact with artists from all over the world and this exposure is a crucial learning tool,” he said.
He said Masvingo province is slowly becoming a household name in the arts.
“The representation by Pamushana High School is a clear indication that we take pride in the young and the need to nurture them is quite pivotal for their growth,” he said.
HIFA head of media and community liaison Tafadzwa Simba has confirmed the latest development.
“HIFA has always been closely aligned to young people. HIFA deliberately works with young people in the staging of the event. This is because HIFA believes in giving young people choices that will help them to develop into creative, productive citizens. One of the areas in which HIFA encourages this creativity is the performance arts, and HIFA is excited at giving school children the opportunity to perform,” he said.
Online Reporter