This will be the second arts festival staged in a high density suburb of Harare by Xen Arts, a non-profit organisation which delivers dance and arts projects in the UK and abroad. Xenoula Eleftheriades, founder and artistic director of Xen Arts, has launched a crowd-funder appeal to raise funds for the project.
“The money will help fund local artists to teach and inspire young children in art, music and dance workshops which will culminate in performing at the Youth Festival. The children will have the opportunity to perform alongside professional artists who can inspire hope and share dreams even when times are tough,” she said.
“Some of the children we will be working with are from a local primary school. Others have no homes and live on the streets. They have had no chance at a childhood, instead are vulnerable to substance abuse and forced into begging or stealing at a young age. These young people are often seen as a nuisance and outcasts of society. The arts provide them with a means of expression, an opportunity to be inspired, as well as a chance to mix with their peers and feel a sense of self-worth.” – Follow this link to Xen Arts Fundraising Campaign http://igg.me/at/zimyouthfest15