TWENTY young women from around Bulawayo recently attended the first ever Women in Theatre (WIT) Lab session at Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo.
Report by Tinashe Sibanda
The event marked the beginning of a mentorship programme for female theatre voices in play writing, directing and producing. The WIT Lab came as a result of a partnership between the Woman in Theatre Programme and Amakhosi Arts Academy.
The two parties sealed a collaboration deal recently.
“This partnership came after Nhimbe Trust responded to a call from management at Amakhosi Cultural Centre for arts organisations to assist female theatre practitioners,” said WIT Labs project co-ordinator Nonhlalo Dube.
“The call was for organisations to intervene and help address the challenge of missing women voices in the Zimbabwean theatre industry. The ongoing Plays On Sunday programme at Amakhosi Cultural Centre reflected that women’s participation in theatre is low.”
Dube said the aim of the partnership was to establish WIT Labs within the Amakhosi Arts Academy and capacitate those women who bring themselves forward to either write, direct or produce plays.
She said participants would present their work during Plays On Sunday and take them to other venues across the country and even regionally and internationally.
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“The project (WIT Labs) meets objectives of both the Women in Theatre Programme and Plays On Sunday. Amakhosi has designed the capacity mentorship programme in a flexible way.”
The next WIT Lab will be held on the February 9 at Amakhosi Cultural Centre.
