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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
THE second edition of the Bulawayo Arts Festival (Baf) which will be held just after the Bulawayo Day celebrations on June 1 is set to arouse the creative sector as it will be rolled out countrywide.

Adhering to Covid-19 regulations, the fete will see quite a number of events being staged physically and virtually with all happenings set to be streamed online on the BAF TV channel.

For Bulawayo Day, various exhibitions among many other diverse events will be staged at different venues including schools and public spaces around the city.

For Baf which will be held from June 2 to 5, music, dance, theatre, comedy, visual arts, poetry, fashion, arts workshops and economic tourism will be the order of the fete.

“Celebrations of the city’s history will kick off festivities for the second edition of the Bulawayo Arts Festival running as a hybrid festival. Bulawayo Day will be commemorated on 1 June.

“Some performances will be staged for a physical audience while others will be recorded live. All events will be streamed online on the BAF TV channel and other social networks for audiences in Bulawayo and the world,” said Penny Yon, Baf spokesperson.

Baf director, Saimon “Mambazo” Phiri called on artistes from across the country to register to perform at one of the fast-growing arts festivals in the country. He said the festival is growing and will this year diversify, something that will be appreciated by most when they watch proceedings.

“The Baf team will visit the country’s various provinces to identify diverse artistes who can perform at the festival with the help of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe. This will open up the festival to the nation at large and will see artistes from Plumtree, Gwanda, Mutare, Murehwa, Harare, Kwekwe, Hwange and Victoria Falls taking part in this year’s edition,” said Mambazo.

The director said they are cognisant of the Covid-19 pandemic and are working towards ensuring their events do not put people’s lives in danger. “We’re well aware that Covid-19 has changed a lot of what can be done within the creative sector, but we’re raring to go and ready to showcase the city as a cultural capital of Zimbabwe by running a hybrid festival for both virtual and physical audiences. All this will be done observing the Covid-19 stipulated regulations for gatherings as this has become the new way of doing show business.

“In this regard, Baf 2021 is availing limited opportunities for organisations or artists who’re about progressiveness and diversity to join the Baf team and work with us.”

In 2019, the Bulawayo City Council declared June 1, Bulawayo Day. This day, set aside to commemorate the declaration of the city as a town in 1894, is marked by arts and cultural activities. Bulawayo was declared a town by Dr Leander Starr Jameson on June 1, 1894 and attained city status in 1943. The city also had its first advisory board in 1894.

Last year, the inaugural Bulawayo Day was cancelled after the ban on public gatherings was imposed. Baf went ahead and was staged virtually. -@mthabisi_mthire.