LONDON - The Tongue Tied? fundraiser is back at the Cochrane on May 7 for the fourth and final time. An exciting evening of music, poetry, dance and theatre has been lined up to raise funds to support Xen Arts projects in Zimbabwe, which provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people to speak out through the arts. Xen Arts was founded in 2008 and the first Tongue Tied? night was created to use the voice we still have – but which is often take for granted. The event showcases established and emerging talent from both Zimbabwe and the UK. The organizers describe it as: A night of energy and inspiration bringing together a range of artists who perform for free to support the projects initiated in Zimbabwe.
Reflective of its name, Tongue Tied? also aims to be a platform of expression encouraging conscious and social change, a chance for voices to be heard.
Xenoula Eleftheriades, coordinator of Xen Arts said, My first trip to Zimbabwe was in 2007, when I went to perform at the HIFA festival in Harare with Tavaziva Dance. It was after spending some time there and meeting some of the dancers and musicians that I became amazed and inspired by the energy and enthusiasm for the arts by a nation experiencing such hardship and turmoil. I felt I needed to try and bring a little of this to a back to London, to bring awareness of the situation and also to give the other side of the negative story that we are often shown of Africa and Zimbabwe.
With the money Xen Arts have raised so far, along with some dedicated volunteers from both in the UK and in Zimbabwe, they have managed to set up three youth groups in the townships of Harare which are still currently running as weekly sessions, taught by a Zimbabwean dancer/musician. These are now being linked with youth groups in Hackney, London, to create a cultural exchange between the young people. In 2010 the project included a mini-festival for the children in Zimbabwe to perform their dance and drama pieces alongside professional artists.
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