This is an interview that was conducted by Caven Masuku with the Midlands Provincial Arts Manager, Abigal Sivanda about the plans and developments that are lined up to improve arts in Midlands Province. Midlands Province is a placed blessed with talent and is the third largest city in Zimbabwe. Most artists move to vibrant towns like Harare and Bulawayo, where they think they can make money leaving Midlands province desolated.
Q. Can you give me your background as Provincial arts manager?
A. Thank you so much Mr Masuku! I am the Midlands , provincial arts manager, a former lecturer at Nyadire College, in arts and design field. I started at grass root level as a junior lecturer and rose through ranks to become a senior lecturer. I was trained as a teacher at Hillside teachers college, specializing in Arts and design ,and English and taught in Beitbridge from 1999 to 2002. In 2002 l studied an Art and Design degree at University of Zimbabwe, and then worked for the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo as arts administrator under Mrs Adellis Sibutha.
Q. Miss Sivanda can you comment about the artists activities in the Midlands province?
A. Artists in Midlands province have great potential that can be catapulted further through exposure and funding. In Midlands artists are working hard to earn a living and with “struggling economy” , what people around are earning do not have disposable in-come to support the work of art. Artists are starved for the platform at provincial level to show case their talent. As national Arts Council of Zimbabwe in the Midlands province, we are looking at the ways to improve artists position through promoting them. Women in arts especially in Gweru are few and as an arts organization we are working towards addressing that problem. Rural folk in terms of arts are not given space yet they play a major role to preserve our culture. Midlands is a province with mixed lot of bag where we have the Shona tribe, Ndebele, Shangani, Tonga and so forth.
Q You mentioned the word culture and what do you understand by that?
A. Thats interesting Mr Masuku, Culture is the way people live and interact as a society. It is the people's beliefs, tradition, life-style and way of thinking. In Midlands culture is captured through inherent practices that is transmitted from generation to generation. The good examples are mbira music, potters in Mberengwa, traditional dance around the Midlands province.
Q Comparing Gweru with Bulawayo in arts disciplines, is there any gap?
A. Oh! Not at all Mr Masuku. The issue is that there are more activities in the metropolitan like in Harare and Bulawayo where artists can earn a living and amass wealth out of it. Most artists from Midlands province move away from Midlands to bigger towns like Bulawayo, leaving Gweru desolated. If we do away with that then it is clear that there is no gap whatsoever in arts activities that make Gweru distinct with Harare and Bulawayo.
Q. What plans as new administration do you have to improve arts activities in the Midlands province?
A. Yes! We have lots of plans to develop artist and to benefit them along the way. We are organizing the Midlands Arts Festival in June that will encompass all the eight districts. Artists are important and without them we are nowhere. Artists speak where words, eyes, ears and mouths fails. We are constantly working with them through various programs that are lined-up for them. Our main aim is to create a platform for them and amongst themselves. The Midlands province national arts council have created a web-log to market and promote artists in the province. As a new administration we are there to market the artists products not only within boarders but also across the boarders. I hope to create a website that will equip our artists and create a forum for them to interact with the lager world.
Q. From your opinion what do you think can be done to improve arts industry in Midlands province?
A. There are some setback in the Midlands province that need to be rectified for the development of our arts. There is need for concerted offices, co-operations by business community and social responsibility. Artist have been complaining about lack of the art gallery. An art gallery is a custodian place, where information can be preserved. As National arts Council in Midlands province, we may not be able to build a gallery, but there is great need to look into that.
Q. How is your relationship with electronic media in an attempt to improve the arts discipline?
A.Yeah! We do have strong relationship with the electronic media. Artists need to have tangible papers as an offer when need be by electronic media, that is the only way they can go on air. National arts Council of Zimbabwe have links with Radio Zimbabwe and media houses in Midlands. Electronic media are so much into educational programs such as theatre and reading of books. Television perhaps is the only media that we are yet and have not given us a coverage. Well in short i will then say reception has been a problem and will be a problem.
Q. How do Midlands province National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) assist artists in marketing their artifacts?
A. I like your question! Yes we assist our artists to market their products by planning and organizing festivals as a way of them to show case their talent. For instance the Midlands Arts Festival will be a combined effort for everyone in Midlands including the business people, community, tourists and artists. So the festival will be the first stepping stone and culture week to be held on 15-22 May 2010 in Matabeleland North will be another good platform to market the artists products.
Q. Do you have any plans or programs lined up for 2010 as Midlands province?
A. Not really. Well artists have started and the NACZ have strategic plans for 2010 to benefit artists . Artists have to take their artifacts to the world cup in South Africa. NACZ is in the mid of preparing for arts development fund.
Q. What words of encouragement can you pass to the artists in the Midlands province?
A. l would want to urge artists to endeavor to do their best, seek new opportunities and ideas to create something unique in showing cultural background and also to work on artifacts that will attract tourists out there.
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