The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Life Correspondent
THE second edition of the Bulawayo Arts Festival (BAF) is set to spread its wings beyond the city with performances and activities to be held in towns that include Plumtree, Gwanda, Mutare, Murewa, Harare, Kwekwe, Hwange and Victoria Falls.
In a press release, the organisers said this year’s festival will run from 2 to 5 June and it will be a hybrid festival with virtual and physical performances.
“This year’s festival will be a hybrid festival -with some performances being for physical audience while others recorded live will all be streamed online on the BAF TV channel and other social networks for audiences in Bulawayo and the world.
“The Bulawayo Arts Festival continues to grow and diversify and this will be seen in the content of this year’s festival. The BAF team will visit the country’s provinces to identify diverse content for the festival, together with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe offices in those areas,” read the press statement.
BAF is part of the annual Bulawayo Day celebrations that are held on 1 June when the city got town status. Last year the festival was held online as the country was under tight lockdown measurers that saw gatherings banned.
The organisers said they are well aware that Covid-19 has changed a lot of what can be done within the creative sector, but they are rearing to go, and ready to showcase the city as a cultural capital of Zimbabwe by running a hybrid festival for both virtual and physical audiences -within the Covid-19 stipulated regulations for gatherings, which has become the new way of doing the business of the Arts.
“The Bulawayo Arts Festival 2021 is availing limited opportunities for organizations or artists who are about progressiveness and diversity to join their team and partner with them,” read part of the statement.
Last year’s lineup featured musicians such as Nkwali, Vocal Ex, Msizkay, Cal Vin, Ngoma Ingoma, Selmor Mtukudzi, Jeys Marabini, Thandi Dlana, Vuyo Brown, Obhudi bespace and Western Kazinz.
There were also theatrical productions that were aired such as Vagina Monologues, Blood Tongue and Bloom. Dance groups such as Iyasa, Super Geeks, Thandanani Womens Ensemble and Iluba Lemvelo also showcased their work.
