The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
WHEN the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane, came for his face to face meet with Bulawayo artistes I made a presentations for festivals in the country. The presentation was a brief, and in the presentation I tried to compress the issue but still leave the Minister and his delegation with a clear view of the current state of festivals in Zimbabwe and one or two issues that could improve the situation. Below is my presentation verbatim:
Five years ago Zimbabwe had over 20 festivals sprinkled around the country and spread throughout the year; big, medium and very small festivals all celebrating Zimbabwe’s arts and culture. Five years ago we the like of Rainbow Arts Festival (Gwanda). Beitbridge Arts Festival, Midlands Arts and Culture Festival (Macfest), Shangano Arts Festival (Hwange), Protest Arts International Festival (PAIF), YOCAF, Dzimbabwe Arts Festival, Karoi Arts Festival, Bafa, Shoko Festival, Ibumba International Arts Festival, Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and Harare International Festival of the Arts to mention but a few. Years back every major city had a festival or two. Gwanda. Beitbridge, Masvingo, Mutare, Vic Falls, Gweru, Bulawayo and Harare — all had vibrant festivals. Fast forward to now, today and the whole country is left with just about six festivals still standing and worth talking about. Reasons for this depletion are several but the major ones are the economic situations currently facing the country, donor fatigue and flight and lack of government support.
Honourable Minister, all over the world cultural festivals are the main drivers of cultural tourism and today, more than before, festivals have become important creative activities for developing countries, particularly when associated with tourism and the promotion and celebration of cultural diversity. Festivals are now perfect platforms to appreciate, acknowledge and celebrate a nation’s tangible and intangible heritage.
Viewed objectively, and in light of Zim Asset, festivals can be serious mechanisms for re-organising cultural products in the context of economic challenges and to make artistic works accessible to the general public. Festivals also can promote intercultural exchanges and are critical cultural spaces for citizen participation acting as meeting spaces for people.
To date the biggest success story in terms of festivals is in this country is Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa). At one point it was rated one of the biggest festivals in Africa and among the best eight festivals in the world. Hifa brings thousands of artists into Zimbabwe and tens of thousands tourists. Hifa is proof enough of how festivals can impact on a people, a particular place and country both in terms of arts and culture and the economic contribution to the country’s coffers.
Apart from Hifa we have had Intwasa here in Bulawayo, Shoko in Harare and the Vic Falls Carnival bringing in foreign artists and marketing Zimbabwe as a tourism destination. Festivals should be part and parcel of the country’s strategy to preserve and promote Zimbabwe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and in the process market Zimbabwe as an important tourist destination.
Here are some success stories in our discipline:
1. Hifa is regarded as one the best 8 festivals in the world
2. Zimbabwean festivals have been able to attract and bring big and reputable foreign artists.
3. Zimbabwean festivals have been able to send festivals managers to international conferences
4. Most festival have been able to survive without funding from local or national government.
5. Most festival have brought people together and promoted diversity and intercultural dialogue.
And some common challenges:
1. Most festivals are under-funded and have questionable life spans
2. Most festivals depend on foreign funding. (National Govt has never funded even one festival)
3. There are few trained personnel working on festivals.
4. Most of our festivals lack of a shared national vision.
5. Travelling and trade barriers affecting cultural exchanges and tours, both within the Sadc region, the African Continent, and across the world.
Honourable Minister, I shall conclude with a plea for three things:
1. Please help us in resuscitating the Zimbabwe Festivals Network/Association. We are aware that as individual entities we can become selfish and you cannot be attending t our issues one by one. We need a structure that unites us so as to push a bigger vision together.
2. We also need your intervention especially with the movement of artists in the country. It is tedious, cumbersome and very expensive. Zimra wants a piece of the cake. Nationa Arts Council makes you pay something. Censorship board makes you pay something and at Immigration wants $500. You likely to part with over a $1000 for an artists who will be watched by 20 people and make less than $60. We desperately need your intervention here, sir.
3. Last but not least is the issue of funding, particularly Government funding of the arts. We need Government to put money into festivals — that is the only way to keep the festival sector alive.
I thank you.
