Award-winning Actor, David Mubaiwa (left) also known as Sabhuku Vharazipi, Dennis Rusoso (VaMayaya) and Kumbirai Chikonye (Mbuya Mai John) of the Ziya Cultural Arts Trust.
By George Swarei
The European Union, in collaboration with the Culture Fund, has announced the award of grants amounting to USD748,588 which has been distributed to 42 exceptional projects by Zimbabwean artists.
The funds are part of the first round of the Creative Actions II project meant to help artists and cultural practitioners from various disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, literary arts, and fashion.
Announcing the grant Friday, the EU Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann, expressed his excitement about this development stating that the grants come with a host of benefits to the artistes, society and country at large.
“As the European Union, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering Zimbabwean creativity. The projects will not only entertain but create jobs, raise awareness, promote tolerance and preserve Zimbabwean art and culture,” he said.
The director of the Culture Fund, Mr Mpfunya weighed in saying the first grant cycle received highly competitive responses.
“We are delighted to share that the project received a remarkable response during the first Grant cycle, with 248 highly competitive proposals submitted,” he said.
In a joint communique, the EU and the Cultural Fund revealed that the 42 projects covering all ten provinces in Zimbabwe will promote culture as a goal in itself and as a powerful vector for social and economic development.
It noted that some of the activities to be implemented include the creation of a diverse range of artistic and cultural expressions by artists in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Bindura, Chinhoyi and other areas, encompassing film making, music, theatre, crafts, fashion, sculpturing, comedy and dance.
“Some projects will support the holding of festivals, fairs, exhibitions and awards ceremonies in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Victoria Falls, Matobo, Murehwa and other areas. Projects will also empower creatives (especially women and youth) from Hwange, Binga, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Masvingo, Murehwa, Harare, Bulawayo and other areas on digital technologies, intellectual property rights, accessing new markets and professionalizing their work,” reads the statement.
The statement further added: “Preservation and promotion of minority cultures of communities such as the San and Ndau as well as promoting accessibility to arts and cultural creations by people with disabilities will also be the focus of some of the awarded projects.”
The large share of the grants- 42% -is from 2 provinces only, Harare and Bulawayo and the EU is calling for creatives from other provinces to apply for the grants.
“The projects will also support women, youth and people with disabilities, however only 31% of the projects are led by women while 34% are led by youth. To address these imbalances, the EU and the Culture Fund strongly encourage creatives from provinces with fewer grant awards, as well as women, youth and people with disabilities, to apply for the ongoing Small Grants scheme.”
The Creative Actions II project aligns fully with the Government of Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS-1) and contributes to its implementation by funding innovative artistic and cultural expressions, empowering civil society, promoting gender equality and War omen’s empowerment, and providing training and skills development programs for arts and culture practitioners.
Some of the awardees include, among others, Mukoma Nthume aka Mundau whose project seeks to build the capacity of an emerging and unpublished vernacular author. It aims to promote restoration of pride in the Ndau language by supporting written work get to printers. It will result in the publication of several materials that exist in the Ndau Language.
The popular Sabhuku Vharazipi’s Ziya and Community Development Plan is among the beneficiaries who work towards promoting tolerance on socio-economic and cultural practices at community level. It seeks to engage in provocative diverse themes which identifies with communities’ conflicts. It seeks to further engage with all community stakeholders in creative work development and peace building.
Ziya expects to conduct capacity building trainings and community dialogues targeting 180 participants in Masvingo district. Video skits will be produced to touch on pertinent intolerance which violates communities’ peace.
The EU has committed EUR 2,060,500 over 36 months through the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust under the Creative Actions II project which began in January 2023.