ABOUT this time, schools countrywide are actively rehearsing plays, poetry, traditional dances and choral music intended for festivals in view of the forthcoming annual Provincial School Arts Festivals – this, generally, has been a piece of good fortune indeed for beginning 21 March to 27 it’s World Theatre Week culminating into the World Theatre Day on 27 March.
Additionally, March 21 is observed as World Poetry Day, so the emergence of theatrical and poetry performances during these school festivals has been most welcome; but let us map out, plan and celebrate these activities knowingly – with full information at the back of our minds, not accidentally.
Theatre is a vital resource, which should not merely be made to just passby.
I believe these school festivals are being organised as a preamble to the end of the first school term, not because it is theatre and poetry week; this is welcome indeed. I strongly feel, and suggest that the National School Arts Association of Zambia (NASAAZ) alongside the broad-based community entailed National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia (NATAAZ) can plan, and workout some programme together – at least for 2016. Incontestably, if they did, it could be a plus for Zambian theatre – for schools and community theatre!
I have in mind officers at the Ministry of Tourism and Arts – most of them are moribund, planning nothing much, doing very little work! Or else we should have all the arts’ memorable days well outlined on all calendars; World Dance Day inclusive as others.
Organising the World Theatre Day is not the wholly baby of NATAAZ, but all those involved in promoting the performing arts of drama and theatre at club or institutional levels.
But it wa good that Kitwe and Ndola cities held their school performing arts festivals last week, while Mufulira’s festival begins tomorrow 23 – 24 at Mano Primary School, according to head teachers Association Arts Coordinator Douglas Chama.
Chingola host their school festival from 27 to 28 March at Chingola Secondary School.
I am unsure when Luanshya, Chililabombwe and Masaiti – Mpongwe will have theirs; subsequently, the Copperbelt Provincial NASAAZ Chairperson Chilufya Nkandu told me the Provincial Festival takes place on 17 to 21 April, 2015 in Mufulira at two venues; Pamodzi Girls’ Secondary and Mufulira Secondary Schools for fine art, and performing arts, respectively.
With the theme, ‘promoting cultural reforms and heritage through linkages in the arts,’ Nkandu, who spoke to me from Samfya, where he had travelled this week on Tuesday to bury his grandmother said, the festival was highly pitted, and wished the very best of groups to take the day.
“We have purposefully allowed schools to go on recess first before we could host the provincial performing arts festival so that everyone will be free from any learning and teaching pressures – so the festival begins on 17 to 21 April in Mufulira, who are our round robin host this year,” Nkandu said promising to use some of the most impartial and objective adjudicators.
Besides school drama this time round, there is a gallant programme scheduled for public performances at Mufulira Little Theatre on 27 and 28 March (Friday and Saturday) with visiting Bob Nkosha’s inaugurated Metro Theatre to mark the end of the theatre week.
Though not fully explained, Bob intends to use the stage to introduce Metro Theatre and Arts as well as pay tribute to Mopani for refurbishing Kitwe and Mufulira little theatres.
It is believed, admittedly I agree, this theatre week, is the best one can thank all those that have contributed to the development of the arts in Zambia. I am thinking of late colleagues in the arts; Jacob Chirwa, Graig Lungu, Vitor Mweetwa, Victor Kapansa, Iasiah Bukanga, Chansa Musonda, Darius Lungu, Emmanuel Chuunda, Emmanuel Musonda, Jubilee Mulenga the list relatively, is longer!
And on Saturday, 28 NATAAZ will converge in Kabwe at the Civic Centre to promote and mark the end of World Theatre Day expectantly with guests that include the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, National Arts Council and other stakeholders, confirmed Boyd Chibale.
The event, the NATAAZ national chairperson Chibale uplifted the collaborated efforts in making the Kabwe celebrations a success.
The event will be marked with dance, recitals, music and drama.
“We have coordinated with Kabwe groups, and other colleagues from the Copperbelt and Lusaka to celebrate the finale of the World Theatre Day in Kabwe. We are set, and everything is going on accordingly,” Chibale said admitting that NATAAZ has thankfully, just come out of a planning workshop with the American-run Share II Project, and will soon release other activities lined up.
He added, “One additional major event on our NATAAZ scheme, is our annual national festival set for the tourist capital Livingstone’s Capitol theatre and the refurbished Maramba Cultural Centre from September 23 – 26, 2015.”
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Last year, I enjoyed and took lots of pleasure in what St Patrick Women Catholic Organisation (WCO) in Mufulira did! They organised a talk under the theme on Detour in Life, and Father Norbert Lesa who is based in Kazembe area, Luapula Province took us through.
The talk hinted on hindrances on faith and why most people including artists never made progress in their lives, and occupations.
This year, last week Fr Lesa came to St Patrick church again to give another awesomely inspiring talk under the theme, ‘Breaking from the Stronghold of your Past.’ Again, organized by the church’s WCO.
Fr Lesa exuded that most people were presently being influenced by their clan’s history, admitting that this has smeared dark sides to progress.
He said many people were pressured, controlled and swayed by the sad episodes, and adventures, and ended up growing up with heavy hearts, intimidated, coerced, terrorised, frightened and threatened feelings.
He said the wrong ends were more pronounced, and that people needed to cast away these ill-feelings in order to outgrow them and live their successful lives.
Again in my view, theatre artists can learn a lot from this.
Theatre artists need to forget about their unsuccessful past, and begin to work together in spite of their differences in opinions, ideas, views, colour creed and race.
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On 21 March 2015, while people across the globe celebrated World Poetry Day, PEN will be directing public attention to the imprisonment, murder and harassment of poets, writers and journalists around the world.
PEN, acronym for Poets, Essayists and Novelists, the focusing has been on five cases that highlighted the threats faced by writers who criticise those in power: Aron Atabek (Kazakhstan), Mohammed Ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami (Qatar), Enoh Meyomesse (Cameroon), Susana Chávez Castillo (Mexico) and Liu Xia (China). These cases are already well-known to PEN members, who have been campaigning on their behalf for years. Sadly, there has been little significant progress made towards justice in any of these cases.
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Last week the death of Greenfold Zgambo, 64 in Mufulira skipped my mind. Ntanga, the eldest of Greenfold’s children said his father had fallen ill over a couple of weeks ago, and died on 10th March 2015.
Remembered for his skittish folk and acting exploits at Mufulira Little Theatre in the early 80s alongside Titus Kakupa, Donald Mutumba, Ken Simmons, Donald Mutale, George Jere, Greenfold worked for the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines in the Support Services department, and was a highly controversial artist, whose death can be described as a loss realizing he had crossed the path of 60 years, and was considered greatly experienced and knowledgeable.
Interestingly, his family composed of 10 members, and that he lived at number 10th Street in Eastlea, and died on 10th March – he was buried at the highly valued fee-paying Chatulinga cemetery in Mufulira on Youth Day. MHSRIP.
John.kapesa818@yahoo.co.uk – 0955-0967-0977-710975