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Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]

THE British Council is partnering with the US Embassy in Zimbabwe to support local creatives. On Friday, the pair will combine for an event dubbed, “Showcase” and the “The Creative Hustle” where Bulawayo artistes and poets will take centre stage at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo.

These include Lady Tshawe, Zarae, Meet Luminous, Indigo Saint, Msiz’Kay, Thandy Dhlana-Jele, Thaluso Da Poet, Sonkomose and Vuyo Brown.Also on the day, media personality, Brighton “Beefactor” Ncube will moderate “The Creative Hustle” panel discussion where singer, Msiz’Kay, Skyz Metro FM station manager Possenti Sikosana, Girls in STEM’s Victoria Nxumalo and Djembe Monks’ drummer Emmanuel Nkomo will share insights on the music business and how technology plays a role in it.

In an interview, British Council’s arts projects co-ordinator, Ronald Moyo told Chronicle Showbiz that it is in the British Council’s DNA to curate events with creatives in mind.“We broadly support creatives through our strands of Creative Economy, Culture Connects and Culture Responds to global challenges. Through our Creative Economy Week, we have supported musicians, poets, animators, book writers and publishers via the Scripts and Bars project we did with KayMedia Pvt Limited.

“This has seen over 100 local creatives receive face to face training on the key elements of converting their craft into business and many of their talents being incubated and accelerated for a national and global market, under this programme,” he shared.

“Through Culture Connects, we have recently supported culturally-poignant projects such as the ‘I Wear My Culture’ documentary by Gilmore Khumalo and the Paperbag Africa team, which has brought together Zimbabwean fashion with the cultures of many tribes within the country and conducted various researches in the fields of theatre, literature and music,” Moyo added.

The US Embassy in Zimbabwe’s press and Media Co-ordinator, Raymond Zarurai said the embassy is dedicated to nurturing Zimbabwean creatives through various exchange programmes, fostering cultural exchange, diplomacy and talent development.

“We have a range of exchange programmes for creatives such as ‘One Beat’ that gathers musicians from across the world in the United States to collaborate on musical ideas and projects. American Music Abroad and American Film Showcase brings American musicians and filmmakers to Zimbabwe to showcase their talents and collaborate with Zimbabwean artistes. The ‘Iowa Writers Workshop’ offers a variety of programmes for poets, novelists and screenwriters.

“The ‘Global Media Makers’ offers a programme in the United States, for all types of professionals in the movie and television space. ‘Next Level’ is a hip-hop training programme that we will welcome to Zimbabwe in July, to help youth develop skills in Deejaying, beat-making, MCing and break-dancing. The U.S. Embassy also offers grants to local arts organisations for further opportunities to network and professionalise the creative economy,” he said.

According to Zarurai, the US Embassy’s “Public Diplomacy facilitates people to people connection and creates opportunities for individuals to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, deepen their knowledge of foreign cultures and strengthen international relationships to achieve international peace and prosperity.”

Since 1955, a remarkable 4 600 Zimbabweans have benefitted from exchange fellowships offered by the US Embassy, leading to numerous success stories and notable alumni. One such alumnus is liberation war fighter Herbert Chitepo, who participated in the International Visitor Leadership Programme in 1967. More recently, accomplished artistes, Hope Masike and Chirikure Chirikure have also benefitted from programmes like “One Beat” and the “Iowa Writers Workshop”.

Furthermore, many alumni have gone on to start innovative businesses, enhance healthcare quality, expand community development initiatives and create job opportunities, making a positive impact in their communities and the nation at large. — @MbuleloMpofu