By CLEVER ZULU –

BAREFEET Theatre is hosting the Roar festival which starts today with the local version of the Oliver Twist play at Pestallozi children’s village in Lusaka.
The 2012 Ngoma Award theatre company winner is set for the eighth edition of the annual Barefeet Youth Arts Festival at various locations in Lusaka starting tonight to Saturday, 30 September.
Barefeet is a non-governmental organisation that uses arts as a too to withdraw street children from the streets.
‘The Barefeet Youth Arts Festival has been held every year since 2006 and is a two week event characterised by music, art, theatre, dance
and film inclusive of interactive workshops and debates which culminates into a carnival that affirms the spectacle and brilliance
that is representative of Barefeet. The festival also offers young people an opportunity to interact with local, national and international artists,” said Charlotte Groen of Barefeet theatre.
The Festival groove started on Monday with the community performances that will happen across 40 communities in Zambia. The Festival will then be launched at Pestilozzi Children’s Village on Twin Palm Rd this evening with a Zambianised interpretation of the musical Oliver Twist.
A series of public workshops will be available to people who want to increase their artistic skills on Tuesday, workshops include physical theatre- Teatrotestoni Ragazzi – Italy, Most Wanted – UK.
Other highlights include: Stand-up comedy at the Playhouse on Wednesday, Children’s ‘Revolution’ performances and the Barefeet Children’s Councils Innovation Conference at the New Government Complex on Thursday. The night will then culminate in an Open Mic at Chit Chat where poets, music and spoken word artists will grace the night at Lusaka Museum they will be a collection of local, national and international artists presenting a mesmerising blend of music, dance, circus, smoke, fire, lasers, puppetry and film. ‘The Wedding Party’
will be futuristic extravaganza which features Most Wanted/ Dance Africa, The Burundi Drummers, The QUEST winners, Cactus Agony and a host of the Barefeet youth in a one off spectacle of matrimonial curiosity.
On Friday WakaWaka hitmakers from South Africa Freshly Ground are expected to perform at the  Revolution Concert at the Civic Centre alongside Zimboita from Zimbabwe and Pompi from Zambia.
The final day of the festival on Saturday, kicks starts with the Revolution Carnival from Manda Hill Mall which will be followed by a picnic and a revolution party at the Sky Bar in Roma.
This festival is sponsored by UNICEF, Manda Hill Mall, Stanbic bank, Fresh View Cinema, Alan Kerrins Projects, The Irish Embassy, HIVOS, Proflight, Intercontinental Hotel, National Arts Council and the Mackintosh Foundation.