The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
SEPTEMBER is here! How time flies. We really can’t believe spring and the season of blooming is upon us once again. For Bulawayo and her people September is also time for the annual arts jamboree, Intwasa. Fourteen years of existence and continuous exhibition in an environment that has seen many arts festivals and institutions going under is a serious achievement. However, when critics look at the festival they have their own yardsticks and “rulers” to measure its success. But then that is a matter for another day.
Today is about reminding Bulawayo and arts lovers anywhere in the world that Intwasa is a few weeks away. Dates for this year’s edition are 26-29 September.
This year the festival is being curated under the theme ‘‘realities and experiences’’. There is something very special about this year’s theme. It’s an open theme and speaks to everyone. It is a challenge by the festival to artistes to bring to the festival the biggest mirror and reflect upon our lives, past and present, good and bad, sad and funny.
This year’s festival is a time to reflect, and through art, hopefully redirect our lives. So far there are quite a number of daring and exciting works that have confirmed their participation.
Like most arts festivals around the world Intwasa is driven by several objectives, some of them directly linked to Unesco 2005 Convention. Intwasa’s main objectives are: To celebrate human creativity and cultural diversity; To market Bulawayo as a tourists destination; To create employment and promote sustainability of local arts.
During the week of the festival the arts community and Bulawayo at large celebrate art, in its diversity. We celebrate creativity and the city as a cultural hub.
We celebrate Bulawayo’s unofficial status as the cultural capital. Intwasa is also a platform to market the city as a tourist destination — one reason why last year the festival partnered with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Ministry of Tourism to celebrate World Tourism Day during September. Intwasa strongly believes it is a window through which tourists and foreigners can view Bulawayo and Zimbabwe in general.
So how does the festival’s objectives link with those of Unesco 2005 convention? One might ask. Here are a few of the convention’s objectives that dovetail well with Intwasa’s objectives: To protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions; To reaffirm the importance of the link between culture and development; To strengthen international co-operation and solidarity in a spirit of partnership with a view to enhancing the capacities of developing countries in order to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions.
In all honesty festivals are now the main drivers of cultural tourism, in Europe, America and even here on the African soil. In Africa, particularly South Africa and several West African countries, festivals have become important creative activities, particularly when associated with tourism and the promotion and celebration of cultural diversity. Festivals, also, have become perfect platforms to appreciate, acknowledge and celebrate a nation’s heritage.
However, the big question is what is national Government doing about local festivals sprinkled around the country? We call for more Government support through its various departments.
At local government level Intwasa always gets some kind of support from the city fathers. For the past four years the city of Bulawayo has given Intwasa free use of the City Hall car park.
More can be done but we believe their heart is in the right place. They believe in the value of the festival and acknowledge its importance.
