FINANCIAL service group Old Mutual will continue bankrolling financial literacy workshops for artistes at this year’s Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa).
WINSTONE ANTONIO
Old Mutual, will for the second year, conduct the training workshops that will benefit artistes participating at the annual six-day festival which is now in its 15th edition.
Speaking to Newsday, Old Mutual group marketing executive Lillian Mbayiwa said they would continue supporting local artistes and exploring ways to support the entertainment sector.
“We will continuously explore ways of promoting sustainable development for the arts sector as a tool for development.
“We have seen Hifa as a platform to reach the artistes,” Mbayiwa said. “As a follow-up to last year’s programme, more intense financial literacy workshops have been lined up for our local artistes to be imparted with knowledge about financial management principles for them to be able to manage and grow their earnings.”
According to Mbayiwa, between 60 and 100 artistes are expected to participate in the intensive workshops.
“As Old Mutual and Hifa, we are responding to the great need to protect and increase the income of artistes by equipping them with the relevant knowhow.”
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This year, Old Mutual has taken the ownership of the final day at Hifa which will culminate with the closing act on the main stage.
As a way of supporting the local arts sector, last year, through Old Mutual Zimbabwe Foundation, the organisation availed $75 000 towards the conversion of the old arts facility at Alliance Française into a multi-purpose theatre known as the Old Mutual Theatre.
The facility has the capacity to cater for at least 100 people, offers free facilities to members of the arts, cultural and educational community in Zimbabwe.
Hifa is a festival and workshop programme that showcases the very best of local, regional and international arts and culture in comprehensive programmes of theatre, dance, music, circus, street performance, spoken word and visual arts.
The festival has come to be seen as an important symbol of the country, unifying socially and culturally different groups of citizens locally and internationally, and bringing huge audiences together.
Since its inception in 1999, Hifa has received recognition for its support of arts and culture in the country as the largest cultural event in Zimbabwe among the eight major festivals in Africa.
