The New! Book Café, 139 Samora Machel Ave/6th Street
The dynamic SISTAZ OPEN MIC programme claims its stage at the new! Book Café at 139 Samora Machel Ave this Saturday 31 March, celebrating its 5th year of growing into what has become the hottest platform for emerging women artists in Zimbabwe.
Arts development organisation Pamberi Trust is committed to enhancing opportunities for women in the arts, and its FLAME project (Female Literary Arts and Music Enterprise, established 2006) works to bring women artists into the mainstream of the arts in Zimbabwe. The project is tailored to support women artists practically by providing gender-sensitive platforms, publicity and exposure, performance opportunities, networking and skills workshops.
In January 2007 the inaugural Sistaz Open Mic was held at the Book Café under the FLAME programme, addressing the need for a safe, daytime platform for young and emerging women artists, to ‘do their thang’ and expose their natural gifts and talents to the world – with music, poetry, theatre and dance performances in the open mic style. Every month since then, over 30 artists take to the stage at each event, overflowing with creativity. There are very few, if any, such platforms available to young women artists of Zimbabwe. Since its establishment, over 1200 young women artists have taken advantage of the platform and its opportunities, many growing to professional status in the process.
To promote the empowerment of women in 2012, the FLAME project be providing a platform for intersection between women artists and civil society, and a number of gender-based organisations have been invited to network and share information, and experience the power of women in the arts to bring healing, awareness and participate effectively in nation-building.
Featured Artists for this special event on 31 March will be Dudu Manhenga, Edith Katiji weUtonga, Tina Watyoka, uZanele, Inkanyezi, Tamy Moyo and poets ‘Flowchyld’, ‘Black Pearl’, with Linda Gabriel and Aura Kawanzaruwa as MCs.
The event is supported by the Embassy of Canada. It marks the end of ‘women’s month’ and sets a high standard and value on the impact of the arts in the year ahead.
The next regular Open Mic event will be held in May, making way for Easter in April and HIFA in May.
Post published in: Arts