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Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]

CULTURE Fund Zimbabwe Trust projects officer, Simbarashe Mudhokwani has heaped praise on the amount of artistic talent that Bulawayo possesses.

He shared these sentiments in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Showbiz at Eveline High School where diverse schools converged at the school for the Bulawayo Intellectual Property (IP) School Clubs Competition last Friday.

Northlea students pose with their floating trophy last Friday at Eveline High School

“Bulawayo has abundant talent. What I just saw is amazing and this is testament to a commendable level of preparation that the participating schools had. I saw an understanding of the subject matter at hand and this feels me with joy and further buttresses the reason why this proposal was granted funding because we are trying to work with schools and young people in the creative space.

“It’s really encouraging to also see the kind of arrangement that this project has where they have managed to rope in diverse IP governing bodies. What was done today was not guess work but they brought in people who are well-versed with the subject and that’s commendable,” he said.

The competition, sponsored by Creative Actions II was bent on exposing how copyright infringement is rife within the creative sector and how it can be abated saw Eveline, Northlea and Mpopoma High Schools attaining podium finishes and winning monetary prizes as well as floating shields for their troubles.

Representatives of schools celebrate their Bulawayo Intellectual Property School Clubs Competition triumph at Eveline High School last Friday

The Culture Fund Trust’s Creative Actions II Project seeks to fund innovative, artistic and cultural expressions, empowering civil society, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as, providing training and skills development programmes for arts and culture practitioners.

The trifecta of schools will then head to Victoria High School in Masvingo on 12 October for the National Intellectual Property Schools Competition which will be sponsored by the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) with the winners representing the country in a regional IP competition.

The other four participating clubs were from Mzilikazi, Founders, Gifford, and Pumula High School.

Eveline IP School Club President Musawenkosi Nyoni who is the beneficiary of a grant to the tune of over US$9 000 from the European Union (EU), in collaboration with the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust under the Bulawayo IP School Clubs banner said their exploits at the competition gives her renewed hope.

“I’m super excited about this (winning and heading to Masvingo for the next competition), l can’t wait to see that day and this time, l trust that we are going to win because of what we have done as Eveline High School.  Our commitment, cooperation, and hard work got us here,” she said.

A theatre arts teacher at Mzilikazi High School, Sandisisizwe Bhebhe said the curation of the competition was timely.

“It makes me happy to see such events being curated for pupils because they don’t just hone their skills but rather, equip them with the requisite knowledge in the creative space. It was timely because art can be a career and therefore, people should understand the value and importance of IP so that they don’t end up on the wrong side of the law,” shared Bhebhe.

Award-winning playwright Raisedon Baya and thespian Lady Tshawe were part of the adjudicating panel who assessed the introduction, theme, characterisation, setting/props/costumes, stage management, creativity and originality, use of other art forms, resolution, and time management of the plays presented.

@MbuleloMpofu