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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