WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE OF INCLUDING NORTON & CHITINGWIZA IN THE RESEARCH?

By Raisedon Baya

This article is a follow up on my previous article on statistics in which I emphasised the serious need for the arts sector to have qualitative and quantitative data as part of its armour when debating about the importance and worthiness of arts and culture. In the last article I mentioned the on- going statistical research by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust made possible through a grant from UNESCO. The research is taking place in Norton, Chitungwiza and Harare. It is the inclusion of the first two cities that will form the crux of this article. 

A number of artists, particularly those from Bulawayo, have questioned the rationale of doing a research in Norton and Chitungwiza and leaving out bigger cities like Bulawayo, Mutare and Vic Falls. It is quite understandable to do research in Harare as arts and culture business is vibrant in the capital city. A lot of arts and culture activities take place in Harare. The book café regularly holds live performances cutting across genres; from poetry to live literature readings and music. Harare is known for the good business that happens in its many galleries – National Gallery, Delta Gallery, and other private galleries. The Harare International Festival of arts (HIFA) is not only the biggest arts gathering in Zimbabwe but is now rated among the best in Africa and the world. The festival is obviously a multi-million dollar business. So there is no problem in starting the statistical reaserch in Harare. However, eyebrows get raised when the research moves to Norton and Chitungwiza. What is there is Norton besides Oliver Mutukudzi’s Pakare Paye Arts Centre? What other arts and culture activities take place in the small town that warrants a national research? What is the research expected to come out with? 

And what is there in Chitungwiza? While there are a lot of musicians and artists in the townships it is a public secret that the bulk of these artists trek to Harare everyday to do business there and thus by extension any research in Harare would have silently included Chitungwiza.  So in other words The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, and perhaps UNESCO, need to tell us the rationale of excluding Bulawayo, Vic Falls and Mutare in this very important national event. Clearly the city of Bulawayo records the second arts business in Zimbabwe after Harare. The city hosts the second largest gallery,  several annual arts festivals, has more than five arts institutions – SIYAYA, IYASA, BLACK UMFOLOSI, INSINGIZI, and others who export local arts products to the diaspora. This alone would have been enough to warrant the city being included in the research. Vic Falls should have been part of the research too as obviously most tourists that come in Zimbabwe visit the falls and while there buy a lot of crafts. Most hotels in vic falls have a resident arts group that perform almost every night. It then boggles the mind why the tourist city is not part of this important research. 

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