The Sunday News
Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday Life Reporter
ISIPHIWO Sami School of Arts (Issa) will this year launch an arts festival for primary and secondary schools dubbed Matabeleland South Schools Festival (Massfest) aimed at promoting arts as an industry in schools from where established groups can tap into.
The launch comes amid calls for schools to maintain a strict adherence to the theatre and dance syllabus in the new curriculum.
Issa founder and director Mr Adrian Musa commended the introduction of theatre and dance syllabus by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in the new curriculum asserting it would create a well structured arts industry from grassroots level to the top.
“The move marks the birth of professionalism within the arts industry at grassroots level. The introduction of the new curriculum is to try and equip the learners with adequate skills and knowledge in both practical and theory processes.
“It will also help learners develop their creative imagination which will be essential for employment creation, entrepreneurship and deep understanding and appreciation of arts,” he said.
He said Massfest was meant to mould the young ones in the arts sector and equip them with the requisite skills for them to make an easy breakthrough in the sector.
“The festival is a platform for children and it promotes creativity, innovation and originality through performances and showcasing of theatre and dance. It is where children from diverse backgrounds and abilities collectively channel their energies into aspiring artistic geniuses through theatre and dance,” said Musa.
He added that there have certain goals they intend to achieve and influence on the pupils and urged parents to rally behind their children in pursuing their talents into careers.
“The platform brings about creative expression, identity, discipline, competition, collaboration, cultural exchange and networking. We encourage parents to allow the kids and youths to be part of the academy as it will help them realise their talents and mould them to be responsible within the society,” he said.
The ISASA arts academy specifically deals with performing arts for children and young people. Its main objective is to identify, nurture and promote arts talents at grassroots level through skills training and capacity building workshops.
The academy also facilitates the organising and coordination of programs and activities such as arts festivals, exchange programs, talent shows.
The academy has been actively involved in training traditional dance in primary schools especially in the southern part of Gwanda District.
It has a highly skilled personnel trained by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) that has adequate knowledge and capacity in the dances that include isitshikitsha, amajukwa, amantshomane, amabhiza, hosana, muchongoyo, chinyambera, mbakumba and many more.
Schools that have benefited from the academy through training workshops include Manama, Garanyemba, Ntepe, Mawane, Samlodi, Nhanha, Mlambapele, Mapate and Selonga.
The academy also provides instruments and costumes for the different dances apart from the training.
Playing instruments is one major component the academy specialises in as well as dance choreography.
