FIGHTWELL Mutambo, who is Mufulira District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) deserves praise.
His call to head teachers, teachers and parents when he formally opened the School Arts Association of Zambia (SAAZ) festival held at Mufulira Little Theatre last Tuesday, was that they document artistic works presented by the pupils into video and DVDs for posterity.
The DEBS said Zambia in general, and Mufulira in particular had attained a level where artistic talents should decisively be turned into money through the good use of in-born artistic skills.  He also called for discipline among the young actors.
Mutambo, a dramatist whose theatrical record spans over 30 years as an unswerving actor and playwright, said artistic festivals that promoted young and inert talent should be noted as significantly essential in schools.
“I want to see the artistic skills in pupils supported, and the eight winning groups at the end of the festival to be documented into a video for the future generation,” said Mutambo.
“Don’t relax, don’t underrate yourselves in these artistic activities as you can eke out a good living at the end of your school career,” the DEBS whose play script entitled Lanzii is under consideration for auditions at Mufulira Little Theatre, said.
Mutambo, a veteran performer whose character in the defunct Kitwe-based Bakanda Theatre club’s award-winning play The Cell by Dickson Mwansa in the early eighties earned him the virtuoso acclaim as a favorite actor later lead him to produce several plays at Bwanayina Theatre club, assured support for artistically-imbibed schools in Mufulira.
The DEBS later pledged to buoy up schools in Mufulira during the forth-coming Provincial SAAZ festival set for Kalulushi Secondary School next month.
I was stunned by the profuse talents exhibited by the pupils in the drama and poetry category during the same festival; the attributes and potency in the performances illustrated most plays told straight stories with the discourse in dialogue and banter exhibited realistic plots and themes.
Perhaps, my annoyance was the universal and wide-ranging lack of good script-writing with some plays that generally appeared incredibly illusory and dreamlike.
For school drama, I expected to see good dramatic performances as teachers were hypothetically to guide the pupils in innovative and creative works.
As one of the adjudicators, sharing this role with my two chums Godfrey Chitambala and Nandi Mlotshwa – I found out that most teachers had not done enough in ensuring pupils as actors tailored the basic tenets of good drama; characterisation, movement, body language, prop use and gestures while most poetic recitals were devoid of high-quality poetic lyrics.
For instance plays should present genuine conflict, believable story-lines and actions, and necessary stage movements, appropriate language and right props positioned in right places.
How for instance could a would-be son in law share plain street language with his father-in-law, still share a seat and the would-be wife in Mutundu Primary School’s play Early Marriage? And why was the father walking with a stagger?
Realism and etiquette renowned in the Zambian culture and norms was absent.
In Chankwa Secondary School’s No Man is an Island written by James Ngandwe Chitendwe, favorably one of the most mature scripts, the deliberate lengthy and silent scenes were uncalled for.
For Butondo Secondary School’s Human Rights a Right to Destruction to Human Lives, a mouthful title, a theme that pointed on the wayward living, was a mixture of poetry and drama – the teachers should have noticed that the story was unfolding into conversation and dialogue departing away from poetry.
Eastlea Primary School’s poetry Africa Unite by Sam Musunga could have been better staged as the unison chants were a repetition of yester-years!
The choral and traditional dance adjudicators comprised Earnest Tembo, Maggie Chirwa-Chola and Julian Sinyangwe and came up with the following results; Primary school category; choral music was won by new entrants in the festival Misambo Primary school alongside Mutamba who took first position in traditional dance.
In the secondary school choral, first prize went to Ipusukilo while Kantanshi took the first position in traditional dance.
Mufulira Secondary school’s play Who is to Blame by Presley Mwelwa scooped first position in secondary school drama followed by Kantanshi’s Born from my Father’s Action by Jonathan Simpemba with Chankwa’s No Man is an Island coming third. In the Primary drama category Central School won first position with The Divas producing Rebecca Mulenga and Queen Mpundu as darling best and supporting actresses, respectively.
Mufulira Secondary School’s Jared Mwila, 16 a Grade 10 pupil turned up as the best actor retaining this fete when while at Central School in Grade 9 last year won the same prize and shared this role with his schoolmate Balete Kaluba who took the best supporting actor.
Evelyn Kaunda in Kantanshi’s Born from my Father’s Actions won best supporting actress while the cameo role went to Victoria Chanda.
Voted in as best at reciting poetry at Primary level were Florence Kafuko, Denson Bwalya and Clara Kunda all from Eastlea’s Africa Unite.
At secondary school, best at poetry were Evelyn Kaunda and Fredrick Lungu.
For Misambo Primary’s feat, head teacher Francis Mubanga and his team of teachers Cynthia Muyoka-Chisanga, Jedidah Siingwa and Gertrude Mwewa-Malaya were jubilantly pleased that their pupils had done well. The challenge, Mubanga, said was to improve on the children’s attire which he said was key as he called for financial assistance.
And SAAZ head teacher coordinator Douglas Chama has set April 11 at 14.30 hours as a day for a huge performance by the winning schools; Eastlea (Poetry), Central (drama), Misambo (choral)and Mutamba (traditional dance) Primary schools while secondary schools are Kantanshi (traditional dance and poetry), Ipusukilo (choral music) and Mufulira (drama) is set for Mufulira Little Theatre.
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The World Theatre Day comes round this Thursday March 27 with plans highly heightened with an itinerary programme already released Pamela Hojane the organising Committee’s secretary said during the week.
She said the National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia (NATAAZ) and the National Arts Council (NAC) are expected to give keynote speeches.
According to Pamela, the minister of Tourism and Arts had been invited to grace the occasion where a world-wide theatre message written will be read by one of the theatre artists.
Pamela said logistics were inadequate with the committee calling for financial support  in terms of  providing branded T-shirts.
She further thanked NAC for disbursing K4,000 which will go into snacks and drinks for the 120 the participants expected at the gathering.
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Chingola Arts Society (CAS) has The Co-habitor written by Evans Mulenga set for performances on 28 and 29 March at CAS.
The play casts aspersions on a character called Bob (Elias Chabushiku) whose extra-marital affair with a shanty compound girl (Thelma Chintu) affects his work as manager until the climax when the girl falls pregnant and ends up dumping the baby at Bob’s workplace.
The drama betrays at the same time robs Bob of the filial trust both at home and at his workplace. Set in a comical manner, Co-habitor relates to real life situations which the audience would find exciting.
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I am trailing a story in Kitwe where the organising committee engaged to run the Women International Day and the Youth Day last month left artistic participants hungry with unfulfilled promises.
From the grapevine, the story is that the men and women who organised this event from the District Commissioner’s office will need to explain to the participants why they did not inform the groups what their take was prior to the performances other than leave this to the last minute.
I am certain  that Kitwe DC Elias Kamanga, who happens to be a good friend of mine in the arts, would not tolerate indiscipline if it is proved that his officers went against their word.
How for instance can anyone explain why the officers from the accounts department agreed to pay above K1,000 ended up paying K500 each to the groups and deprived the participants even the young majorettes of lunch and water!
This matter should be investigated as most entertainers like Sunga Mukoshi and Mutende Cultural ensemble have vowed not to take part in major celebrations before agreed upon terms are fulfilled.
John.kapesa818@yahoo.co.uk – 0955-0967-0977-710975