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UNESCO supports the Zim Academy of Arts Education's 10-Day Performing Arts Training Workshop as a national model
CHIPAWO
April 24, 2006

The Zimbabwe Academy of Arts Education for Development is conducting a 10-Day training workshop based on a 10 Day Performing Arts Education in Schools Module from 19 to 28 April at the Academy premises. The promotion of the module as a national model is being promoted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco)

The workshop will culminate with an evaluation concert, which will see representatives from stakeholder organisations attending. 30 participants have been drawn from 13 districts namely Binga, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Zaka, Chivi, Nyanga, Rusape, Plumtree, Mudzi, Chiredzi, Norton, Gokwe and Chipinge. Participants include primary and secondary school teachers and lecturers from Teacher Training Colleges. Lecturers and demonstrators have been selected on the basis of their experience from the Dance Trust, Zimbabwe College of Music, prominent performing arts groups, the University of Zimbabwe, CHIPAWO and the Zimbabwe Academy of Arts Education.

The selection process of the participants was conducted in consultation with the National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH), National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH), the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. Representatives from these stakeholder organisations will visit the workshop to familiarise themselves with its methods and approaches as well as evaluate the programme. The evaluation process will culminate in a meeting to consider the possible adoption of the module as a national model in for teachers in Zimbabwe.

The 10-Day module is an introductory course that aims at exposing to teachers who are beginners to the comprehensive spectrum of performing arts for both primary and secondary school curriculum. The module is so designed that at the end of the programme, participants will be able to determine which performing arts they can continue to practise on their own as well as which can be introduced into their schools with the involvement of performing arts practitioners as well as the performing arts practised in their communities. It is also expected that at the end of the course the participants will show appreciation of subsequent performing arts education programmes they need.

The module encompasses indigenous performing art forms in Zimbabwe, exposing the teachers to the comprehensive spectrum of indigenous performing arts, which performing arts education programmes in schools should deal with. It also introduces them to the traditional dances of Zimbabwe, with at least one dance from each province, including Muchongoyo (Manicaland), Mhande (Midlands), Isitshikitsha (Matebeleland North), Amabhiza (Matebeleland South), Dinhe (Mashonaland Central), Shangara (Mashonaland East), Mbakumba (Masvingo) and Mbira from Mashonaland West. Other dances to be featured are inquzu, chokoto, jaka and chinyambera.

The module will also cover modern dances such as kwaito, hip- hop and rhumba. The music component also takes in theory, singing and playing of musical instruments such as mbira and marimba.

The 10-Day Module was developed by the Zimbabwe Academy of Arts Education In 2003 and tested on introducing performing arts education to beginner teachers from Binga, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Zaka, Chivi, Nyanga, Rusape, Plumtree, Mudzi, Chiredzi, Norton, Gokwe and Chipinge. The module was designed to introduce an integrated approach to teaching of performing arts, introducing teachers to the indigenous performing arts in Zimbabwe, equipping them with both performing and teaching skills in music, dance and drama and providing them with basic knowledge of the diverse performing arts of Zimbabwe by way of assisting them to organise performing arts groups in schools. The 10-day workshop was comprehensive though it was based on the understanding that most of the teachers and community artists were not familiar with what was being taught, especially dances from all the provinces of Zimbabwe as well as playing different musical instruments.

The Academy offers Diplomas in Performing Arts and Media Arts, Certificates in either Music, Dance, Drama or Musical Instruments Manufacturing as well as other short courses on musical instruments such as the steel band, key board, guitar, marimba, mbira and drums, traditional and modern dance, theatre and media arts.

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