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Nkwali

Douglas Ncube, Showbiz Reporter
PREPARATIONS for this year’s Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo are on course despite the funding challenges being faced due to the prevailing economic situation, festival director Raisedon Baya has said.

The 12th edition of the festival, which is to be held from September 26 to October 1, will run under the theme “Expressions”.

Baya said funding for the festival was not good enough when compared to previous years.

“This year there’ll be no big acts because there has been a decline in funding from sponsors. The depressed economy is the major problem. This, however, has not deterred us from preparing for the festival as a full programme will be out during the course of this week,” said Baya.

At the beginning of the year Baya said they were targeting 30 000 visitors to the festival, a figure he said looked difficult to reach in light of the decline in funding.

“Our target was 30 000 at the beginning of the year. Although this figure now looks impossible to reach, we are still optimistic on getting it. People need crowd pullers as headline acts and a huge programme that they can look forward to,” said Baya.

According to teasers released, the popular Women, Words and Wine, is on the programme with songstress Nkwali headlining the show on September 27.

In theatre, award-winning Umkhathi Theatre Works will showcase a play “Warrior” at the Bulawayo Theatre on September 29.

Following the success of the Bulawayo Music Carnival, Baya hinted there would be a concert that will feature local artistes.

“We have an event that we call Celebrate Bulawayo which is a concert. Tentatively we want to have a concert that has locally based artists just like the Bulawayo Music Carnival,” said Baya.

Baya added the venues for the festival events were already secured, such as the Large City Hall car park, Bulawayo Theatre, Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and Bulawayo Club.

The Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo brings together members of the public and artists from around the world with the aim of celebrating the arts, promoting cultural heritage and tourism, and also creating new markets for local and international artists through collaborations and partnerships.

The festival consists of different activities such as performances, exhibitions, public readings, book launches, workshops, competitions and also schools program. The activities will take place over six days, in seven venues and showcasing fifty events.