THE annual Youth Festival Week kicks off on Monday and runs until next Saturday at the Harare Exhibition Park.
Report by Silence Charumbira Entertainment Reporter
A product of Daytime Entertainment, the festival is held every December targeting youths.
The main activities of the festival week are music, dance, youth-related exhibitions, fashion shows, fun and games, fireworks and youth counselling sessions, among others.
Daytime Entertainment marketing executive Archibold Ngwerume said most youths prefer a hands-on approach and the festival would promote that.
“The youth will be involved in planning and executing the programme of the festival,” said Ngwerume.
“This will be done through a survey and by incorporating some youngsters of both genders in the festival planning committee.”
The Youth Festival Week is a private sector product that is intended to generate income from various activities.
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Its major income comes from selling exhibition space, vendors’ charges, corporate, governmental and non-governmental organisations’ sponsorship and gate takings.
Ngwerume said the Youth Festival Week idea was inspired by the premier exhibitions in Zimbabwe, namely the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and the Harare Agricultural Show.
“Although these premier shows are intended for specific adult groups, statistics indicate that 52% of attendance at both shows is children under 12 years.
“This is despite the fact that the exhibitions are not specifically for the youths. So the logical thing would be to have a premier show targeted at the youth.”
The festival will feature a wide range of musicians who include local and international artistes.
“To avoid monotony, days shall have themes, for example traditional music, dancehall, rhumba, kwaito and urban grooves,” he said.
Some of the artistes who will perform at the festival include Maskiri, Jah Prayzah, Dino Mudondo, Taurai Mandebvu and Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, among others.
