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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
ON Saturday, the Intercity Hub Exchange Programme culminated with a Baseline Academia micro-conference for creatives which was held at Rock Church in Riverside.

Baseline Academia

The Interstellar Residency, a part of Scripts and Bars (a digital content creation project) saw various creatives converge in the City of Kings and Queens for a co-creating art exchange.

UK-based DJ, Patrick Denny, Bulawayo songstress Novuyo Seagirl, Mutare author and poetess Margaret Chideme, and Bulawayo animator and comic book artist Tafadzwa “ZOMBiE” Shumba shared the four-day experience together.

The end product of the exchange was a song titled Umuntu Ngabantu sung by Novuyo Seagirl and Chideme. Denny produced the song while ZOMBiE did the visual components.

Besides the exhibition and performance of the song, the four creatives shared their experience, citing “art being common among us”.

Also at the event were hordes of local creatives including Msiz’kay, Luminous, Stewie Le Savage, Indigo Saint, and Happy Mpofu.

The showbiz men and women were mentored by Harare-based music producer, Keith Kuhudzai.

The audience was taught about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a new way they can digitally monetise their craft.

Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Patrick Denny said being in Africa for the first time afforded him the chance to experience African talent first-hand.

“I’m overly impressed with the creativity in Zimbabwe.

I enjoyed interacting with Novuyo, Margaret, and ZOMBiE.

They’re a cool bunch with positive energy.

I went to the club the other day and was impressed by the DJs who played amapiano.

The genre has penetrated the UK market and is a hit now, both on radio and nightclubs,” said Denny.

The Interstellar Residency is part of Scripts and Bars and the project was delivered by Kay Media Africa (Zimbabwe) in collaboration with Reprezent radio (UK), working with Comexposed, Khura Agency, and Page Poetry Alive. – @eMKlass_49