Ndau festival returns to empower girl child
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Loading... - Shem Nzioka
- 03 Aug 2022
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Thrills and jubilations are expected as the Ndau Festival of the Arts returns after a two-year sabbatical due to COVID-19 that had choked the creative sector.
The festival organisers have set September 24 as the dates for this year’s event to be held under the theme Mainstreaming the Ndau Language Through Fronting the Girl Child as a Symbol for Development and Civilisation.
The brain behind the festival, Phillip Kusasa told NewsDay Life & Style that it will be held at Paiyapo Arts Development and Heritage Centre in Bangira village under Chief Musikavanhu, Chipinge.
“The Ndau festival is among the fast-growing rural festivals where most cultural players in the country converge since its inception in 2013,” he said.
“In the past, the festival has attracted guests from major institutions whose activities are culturally biased. The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education have always put their weight behind the festival.”
Kusasa said this year’s festival is meant to promote Ndau literacies as an integral part of life in all aspects such as in food, dressing, cultural norms and values as well as paying special attention to the girl child.
“The event inspires youths, especially those of schoolgoing ages. Most children in the rural setting have been deprived of a conducive environment that can inspire their creative potential,” he said, also noting that the birth of the festival was to create a platform for the local children to exhibit their creative prowess.
“As most children, especially girls were a bit hooked back by some unfair stereotypes that could not celebrate their public performances, the Ndau festival emerged to create an all-child creative space,” he said.
The festival will be a two-in-one event that will encompass an awards ceremony to honour those who are championing Ndau language, while the occasion will also promote various other Ndau cultural aspects.
“The festival will also be a platform to honour some creative arts legends from the Ndau cultural landscape who have done a lot in the creative arts. Also, promising young creative artists from the Ndau cultural space are going to be honoured,” he said. Read More…
