A new arts centre, Tafara-Mabvuku Arts Association (Tamaa), was recently established in Tafara in Harare with the aim of nurturing untapped talent.
Joseph Murambiwa/Tatenda Kunaka
In a bid to unite all arts genres in the suburbs, artists from the local area united and formed Tamaa.
Speaking to NewsDay, Tamaa fundraising chairperson Willom Tight said their aim was to groom artists and unite people through art.
“Our dream as Tamaa is to see all youths from the suburbs being occupied through art. This will also reduce the crime rate as the youths will be spending most of their time at the centre honing their different skills,” Tight said.
“The arts centre will be open to everyone who is in the arts industry from Tafara and Mabvuku. This includes Nyau, theatre and many other art forms.”
Tight said the other objective of the arts centre was to promote self-sustenance and end the donor-dependency syndrome.
“We would like to promote self-sustenance at the centre and shun donor dependence syndrome.
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“As the fundraising chairperson, I have been running around sourcing funds from different organisations so that we realise our dream,” Tight said.
One of the oldest members Godfrey Mandibvenyi, who specialises in sculpture expressed optimism that Tamaa would be a big arts centre.
“As a senior member I am optimistic that the arts centre is going to be a major showcase because everyone is committed and works hard on their respective art pieces,” Mandibvenyi said.
He expressed gratitude to various stakeholders for coming on board and supporting them on a worthy cause.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to various stakeholders for chipping in and giving us a helping hand. The support they are offering will go a long way in boosting our morale.
“The Zimbabwe-Germany Society and National Arts Council of Zimbabwe have helped us a lot and as an association, we would like to encourage other stakeholders to chip in and help us wherever possible,” Mandibvenyi said.
The association is facing many challenges in its endeavour to bring all artists together.
Transport is another problem as artists cannot afford to shift from their old places to the centre.
Although the centre is still in its infancy, it promises to be one of the best in the country as it is made up of some of the best sculptors. The fact that it caters for all arts genres makes it unique.
