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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent

INKULULEKO Yabatsha School of Arts (Iyasa) member Newman Gondwe has followed in the footsteps of mentor and director of Iyasa Nkululeko Dube as he recently opened a school of arts for children called Infinity School of Arts.

The art school focuses on children aged between five and ten years. The children are taught dance, music, theatre and life skills.

Gondwe said as someone who has been in the game for quite a while and being able to fend for himself through art, he saw it fit to nurture raw talent. 

He said he wanted to groom the young to take art as a career.

“My whole life I have managed to put food on the table and clothe myself through art and I’ve taken it as a career. Realising that a number of children drop out of school at a young age, I took it upon myself to open the Infinity School of Arts as we want them to be trained, become professionals and fend for their families,” said Gondwe. The talented dancer featured on Jah Prayzah’s Sadza Nemuriwo video which was shot in rural Matopo.

Gondwe said the art academy which opened last year in August, has recruited more than 40 children who are undergoing training.

“The aim of the school is to share knowledge on arts with the young people so that they appreciate the value of art. It is also meant to address the challenges of peer pressure, drug abuse and other anti-social behaviour,” he said.

Gondwe said the recruits who are the first group of students, were about to complete level 1 of their training. He said the last level was the training of teachers (TOT) which involves imparting teaching skills so that the graduates are able to teach others.

Gondwe said the training was free as it was a way of ploughing back to society that supported him over the years. – @mthabisi_mthire.