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ZITA chairman Joshua Nyapimbi said the association had submitted its policy document to the ministry’s Sport, Arts and Culture director, Reverend Paul Damasane.
Nyapimbi said the policy document titled “Towards a national performing arts policy” was a summary of deliberations by the association members at their cluster workshops held nationally last year.
“Although ZITA is predominantly concerned with theatre and the theatre sector, it has also considered issues to do with performing arts in general,” he said.
The document calls for among other issues the recognition of the social function of performing arts.
Nyapimbi said ZITA was convinced that a viable performing arts education in Zimbabwe should include among others music, dance and drama.
“The performing arts can be used as a tool for teaching moral values, customary practices and traditions, especially at the early stage of primary education where cultural studies as stand alone subjects may be difficult to devise and accommodate in the school time table,” said Nyapimbi.
Zita says financial resources from levies paid by artistes should be ploughed back into the performing arts sector.
“ZITA is also aware of the fact that many promoters of performing arts events are finding these levies prohibitive but we are of the view that they could be put to good use when they fund educational programmes,” he said.
The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture is the process of reviewing its cultural policy.
It has since held five consultative meetings with artists, educationist and cultural practitioners from all the country’s 10 provinces.
Nyapimbi said Rev Damasane told stakeholders recently that two cultural researchers had been appointed to produce a draft cultural policy document from the many submissions by different stakeholders.
Online Reporter