Host: Africa University (A united Methodist Related Institution)

This is Africa University's 6th Annual International Festival of the Arts & Culture


Brief Background

It is part of a tradition, now in its sixth year, designated to celebrate the university's uniquely pan-African and international outlook in collaboration with the community and residents of the City if Mutare and beyond. The festival, which is being organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, usually takes place over 3 to 5 days and this year is no exception.

Manica fest 2010

This year's festival will be held over 5 days in and around the city of Mutare, Zimbabwe. It will feature a variety of art forms, performances, academic seminars and practical skills workshops. Art forms to be featured at the festival will include the following: sculpture and ceramics, fine art, drama and theatre, comedy, music, song and dance, poetry and film. The academic activities will include literary readings, book launch, practical skills workshops and an academic seminar

Participants

The festival makes a special effort to invite and select participants from three groups:

Community and International artists - who play a key role in promoting connectedness among communities and internationally through displaying their creativity and promoting entrepreneurship.

Youth - whose creativity and energy must be channeled and harvested to promote their positive social integration; and

Educational and Training Institutions - which can have a major positive effect in building intellectual and practical artistic knowledge, skills and talent.

School and Community Arts programme

The 2010 festival will mark the launch of their ‘school and community arts programme' at Africa University. The programme will engage arts and humanities staff and students in community outreach projects such as - building or strengthening choral groups in schools, promoting community philanthropy support through the arts, strengthening inter-schools arts competitions (theatre, choral, poetry, creative writing, traditional dance, and so on), designing innovative fundraising activities by arts and for the arts and culture heritage programmes and the like.

Last year the event hosted the following:

Poetry slam and Book launch, Workshops on Choral Music and Adjudication, Script writing and Craft. There was a theatre night, also a peace parade through the centre of town and a closing gala, all this over and above each day's activities.

Open Invitation

The festival is attended by people all over the world and from all walks of life. It attracts all age groups depending on the different events being held. It's a casual and arty affair for the whole family.