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Tonderai Zvimba, Showbiz Reporter
THE Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards have been launched with event organisers saying the ceremony will be moving from the Large City Hall to the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC).
For the past two years, the Bulawayo Arts Awards have been oversubscribed with some people failing to witness the event live as a result of limited space.
However, this will be a thing of the past as this year’s edition will be hosted at the 4 500 seater ZIEC.
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) marketing manager Stella Nkomo, who attended the awards launch last Friday, said when they attended last year’s show, she felt that ZITF needed to be involved in the event.
“As ZITF, we saw it fit to give back to the community by being involved in activities that celebrate the city hence why we have partnered with the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards,” Nkomo said.
United Refineries through its Roil cooking oil brand have retained their position as major sponsor of the awards with their chief executive officer Busisa Moyo saying they are not one hit wonders.
“As Roil, we don’t want to be a one hit wonder by being a brand which comes once and disappears forever. We’ll continue being part of celebrating the arts excellence of Bulawayo,” Moyo said.
Award organisers are now calling on the city’s artistes to submit their works in the 50 categories with five new categories being added this year.
These are outstanding music producer, outstanding choral award, outstanding arts primary school teacher, outstanding national arts as well as outstanding community engagement award that will be given to an artist doing something positive in their community.
Artists can submit their entries online on the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards website while those with physical forms can submit their entries at Boom City offices, National Art Gallery (office number 10) and at the ZITF offices.
Entries will be closed on May 1. From there, an adjudication panel will shortlist nominees and a nominees’ dinner will be held on June 27 at ZITF Hall 5.
Online Reporter