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Cultural symposium: Giving voice to the artist
Nhimbe
Trust
April 27, 2012
Each morning
from Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th May, Book Cafe hosts a major cultural
symposium organised under Nhimbe Trust and Arterial Network, encompassing
cutting-edge policy challenges in Zimbabwe's burgeoning creative
sector. Overall the symposium looks towards the impact of current
cultural policy on Zimbabwean arts and artists with a focus towards
the "voice of the artist" to encourage a genuine dialogue
between policy makers and practitioners.
Acclaimed policy
expert, Steven Chifunyise takes the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the
Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity, cited as the most
important international protocol in culture in the last 50 years,
as his start point to look at cultural diversity, exchange and tolerance
in SADC with UNESCO's Chimbidzikai Mapfumo. The UNESCO agreement,
to which Zimbabwe is a signatory and therefore bound by its provisions,
aims at giving power to diverse local cultures in the wake of global
entertainment "branding" by corporate multinationals.
Theatre maestro
Daves Guzha addresses artists' interests in regional economic
integration, especially free movement of artists and arts products
in the region. Minister of Regional Integration and International
Cooperation, Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga will respond giving
artists an opportunity to assess and question government thinking
as to how regional platforms can be harnessed towards arts development.
As SADC and
its sister regional body COMESA move closer to the dream of regional
economic integration, this session is aimed at exploring the barriers
to mobility of "creative industry products and services"
amongst SADC countries and how those barriers may be at odds with
the "big picture" of regional integration.
Policy advisor
Herbert Chimhundu from Great Zimbabwe University investigates experiences
from the African context in current moves to develop meaningful
strategy and policy in the creative economy in Zimbabwe alongside
straight-talking writer and arts activist Virginia Phiri.
Zimbabwean culture
has global potential in cultural tourism. No longer are visitors
interested solely in game excursions and tourist sites, they want
to see, taste and hear local culture. What greater tourist thrill
could there be than catching a Tuku show, a Rooftop
theatre, or being immersed in a traditional Mbira night at Book
Cafe "live in action"?
Respected tourism
operator Emmanuel Fundira looks at partnerships between tourism
and culture and asks what tourism planners are doing to position
Zimbabwe as a cultural destination? Music manager Tsungi Zvobgo
(who represents Chiwoniso amongst others) investigates this tourism
potential from the viewpoint of artists.
Harare and Bulawayo
are cities of culture, punctuated by sculpture and crafts, arts
centres, vibrant venues, restaurants, galleries, school cultural
activity, and several theatres. Strategic festivals (HIFA, Intwasa,
the Zimbabwe International Book Fair and film festivals) take place.
For creative economy to thrive in the city there is need to position
and enhance city-level creative economy. Peter Primus, German Deputy
Ambassador in Zimbabwe looks at the hugely successful German experience,
especially Harare's twinned city of Munich.
Finally business
consultant Luxon Zembe looks towards public-private and corporate-NGO
partnerships and their role in development. Is this is a matter
of "charity" or is there a basis for far-reaching mutual
benefit?
The symposium
which takes place from 8.30am to 1pm daily is free to the public
while the style is informal and participatory. The organisers aim
for maximum artist participation in the process of dialogue. Artists
are welcome to attend and pose their needs, perspectives and questions
to the symposium and to the experts that have been brought together.
Visit the Nhimbe
fact
sheet
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