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About Face!? Wazzat HIFA?
The Zimbo Jam
February 22, 2010

View this article on the ZImbo Jam website

So, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) has brought out the 2010 theme - About Face. What face? Whose face? When face? Why face? About Face? What on earth does it all mean and how will it explode from those two words on paper into the awe-inspiring festival that we expect? HIFA explains . . .

Many of our HIFA themes have celebrated in some accessible way, the essence of the current Zimbabwean experience, whilst concurrently reflecting our collective Zimbabwean psyche. What is it that makes us tick, what is it that pulls us together, where does our sense of community come from? What values do we share, across all potential About Facebarriers and actual differences, whether these be our ethnic background, our spiritual beliefs, our socio-economic position, our gender. There can be no doubt that we are knit together like colorful tapestry in so many positive, life-affirming ways regardless of all our differing personal circumstances as Zimbabweans, from so many varied walks of life.

About Face may well be the most thought-provoking, challenging HIFA theme ever devised, and we hope you all, including our nation's vibrant artistic communities, will enjoy it, and find your own particular ways to interpret it and what it says to youy personally. We hope that you will fully embrace this theme, as you have those that have come before!

About Face - what does it mean?

The expression About Face, means by dictionary definition, "the act of turning to face in the opposite direction" and as such, was first used in the United States as a military command. It also means "a complete change of opinion or attitude".

So as HIFA themes tend to be, About Face is multi-layered, open to interpretation, and serves as a catalyst for tremendous creativity! For the Artists and the Festival Goer alike, it provides opportunities to let your mind run riot about what it says to you, right now. You can tease your mind by playing with these words as they prompt new thoughts and ideas.

It is often said that when you can not change anything else, the one thing you can nonetheless always change, is your attitude. We'd all like to be able to control everything that goes on in our lives, but in reality, we simply cannot.

However, we most definitely can alter the way we choose to perceive and experience what happens to us and around us, we can keep an open mind and change our opinions, regardless of how young or old we are. Perception can be everything, when we interpret events and circumstances.

The pessimist will interpret an occurrence quite differently from the optimist, yet the objective facts of the matter are the same. The pessimists will see only the bad things around them, the optimist will tease out the good that all the same remains or can be found, even while accepting that the bad is still there.

Can we actually change anything through the exercise of attitude? Most certainly! Attitudes are highly infectious in a society or community. Both hope and hopelessness can spread like wildfire! Which environment would you prefer to exist in? The hopeful one or the fatalistically hopeless? Which is the most energizing, which is more likely to galvanize action to make positive changes for the betterment of our lives and communities? It's obvious!

About Face celebrates the resolute face of Zimbabweans, past and present, who continue to stare down seemingly overwhelming challenges with grace, determination and creativity.

About Face invites all Zimbabweans to turn things around, to look with hope and optimism for transformation and new beginnings, both artistic and societal.

About Face calls artists to consider new vantage points, ideas and inspiration at a time when moving forward is about facing the future.

About Face signifies moving onward and upward, it signifies positive change and growth, developing new attitudes, changing our minds and changing our lives.

Let's turn everything around, as we march proudly into a brave new era, ripe with promise and new opportunities, whether these be artistic, financial, business, touristic or hold at their centre the uplifting and betterment of society as a whole.

First, we face and acknowledge the past. Then we turn, About Face, and look into our brighter future, with dignity, pride and resolute determination.

We invite you to share in our excitement about this theme, and find inspiration in it!

Walk with HIFA into our brighter tomorrow, at our 2010 Festival.

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