The aim of the day is to celebrate the diversity and energy of the arts in the making and remaking of Zimbabwe
The Commonwealth Culture Cluster’s findings from their recent visit to Zimbabwe to assess the needs of the cultural sector will be assessed by actress and cultural activist, Chipo Chung.
Writer and poet, Chenjerai Hove, will be sharing his reflections from exile, which will be complemented by Drew Shaw’s analysis of the interweaving of literature and current ‘unity’ politics.
Prominent Zimbabwean author, Petina Gappah, who has returned to live in Harare, will be joining Professor Isabel Mukonyora to share the latest research findings on contemporary African prophets in the Culture and Religion panel.
A panel on the visual arts will video material from Raphael Chikukwa and Doreen Sibanda of the National Gallery, Harare, filmed in the Zimbabwe pavilion at the current 2013 Venice Biennale, and from Zimbabwean artist, Berry Bickle, on how she interprets archive and history in her work.
A film panel with Simon Bright, director of ‘Robert Mugabe – What Happened?’ and co-founder of the Afrika Eye festival in Bristol, will also feature presentations from the Africa Film Festival in Edinburgh.
In the evening there will he a musical celebration featuring Linos Magaya and his six-piece band. Magaya’s band will be playing a mix of inspiring Shona mbira music and reggae to dance to.
Linos is one of the top mbira players living in the UK and his band has performed at WOMAD and numerous other festivals. There will also be an open mike session with surprise guests. – BZS
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