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CHIPAWO
end-of-year concert: A day of children's power and beauty
CHIPAWO
July 18, 2006
Every year since
1989, with the exception of last year when cash and fuel shortages
led to its cancellation, the children of CHIPAWO have ended their
year in CHIPAWO with the End-of-Year Concert. The CHIPAWO year starts
in September and ends in the beginning of August. This is to avoid
the end of the annual school year in November/December, which is
packed with school activities, in which CHIPAWO participates fully.
Thus on Saturday
afternoon 29th July, the Blakiston Primary School Hall, where CHIPAWO
began holding its first sessions 17 years ago, will be packed with
children of all ages, parents, friends and invited guests as the
CHIPAWO year reaches its climax. This is marked by the presentation
of awards to the CHIPAWO Child of the Year, the CHIPAWO Layiti (Infant)
of the Year, the CHIPAWO Centre of the Year and the Chairman's Prizes
for CHIPAWO staff. All those children who have completed a year
in CHIPAWO will also presented with their certificates.
The End-of-Year
Concert is the culmination for the year of the activities of the
Arts Education for Development and Employment Programme in CHIPAWO,
in which children at various centres acquire and share artistic
knowledge and ability, are educated on issues relating to children's
rights and welfare, and develop life and career skills.
In the lead-up
to the big day a series of minifestivals are held where CHIPAWO
centres come together and share with each other what they have been
learning and creating during the year. At these minifestivals a
selection of items is made for presentation at the End-of-Year Concert.
The selection is not based exclusively on the artistic quality -
although this is a factor. It is more concerned with demonstrating
the process the children are going through in the arts education
for development and employment programme and is equally concerned
with what the children have learnt about matters such as HIV/AIDS,
gender, rights, their welfare and about how they have developed
life and career skills.
The End-of-Year
Concert is an explosion of children's talent and creativity. From
the MCs to the performers, it is children all the way - a time of
children's power and beauty. Everything that CHIPAWO is, is on display
and this is when all CHIPAWO children have the opportunity to show
the other children, parents, friends and guests what they have achieved
in CHIPAWO over the year.
On the programme
there are always a variety of traditional and modern dances, plays,
marimba and other items. This year the programme features presentations
by the all-girl Girl Power centre, popular CHIPAWO performing groups,
the Harare Junior Theatre and the Harare Youth Theatre as well as
New Horizon Theatre Company, a professional performing company formed
from CHIPAWO graduates.
The final afternoon
programme usually aims to give the audience an insight into the
spectrum of activities CHIPAWO is involved in. For instance, on
the programme is an extract of the play, Tsitsi, by children from
the Nyameni and Musha Wevana centres in Marondera, just returned
from the World Children's Theatre Festival in Lingen, Germany. There
will also be a short performance by a CHIPAWO group that accompanied
the Hon. Francis Nhema, Minister of Tourism, to Singapore and Indonesia
over the Independence Day celebrations earlier this year. New Horizon,
a project in the newly established Youth Programme, will perform
their dance medley, Beautiful Zimbabwe, as well as a bit from their
play, A Journey to Yourself. The play was premiered at HIFA and
toured to Masvingo, Gweru and Kadoma as part of the centenary commemorations
of the death of the famous Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen.
The CHIPAWO
year starts again in the second week of next school term and all
CHIPAWO centres and activities are open to all children who wish
to participate. The Blakiston CHIPAWO Centre, where CHIPAWO began,
is an ideal centre for all those children who do not have a centre
at their school. It is held on Saturday mornings from 9am to 12
noon and any child is free to register. For those living in Bindura,
Chitungwiza, Marondera or the high-density suburbs of Mabvuku, Mbare
and Mufakose, children register on the second Saturday of each term
at the following schools - (morning) Chipadze, Domboshawa, Nyameni,
Rusununguko, St Michael's, Tashinga and Zengeza 1; (afternoon) Seke.
Visit the CHIPAWO Fact
sheet
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