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NewsDay

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New creative hub opens in Newlands

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A NEW creative hub has opened at Newlands Shopping Centre to provide interaction space for creative individuals.

A NEW creative hub has opened at Newlands Shopping Centre to provide interaction space for creative individuals. Entertainment Reporter

The place, Koovha Creative Hub, caters for a wide range of artistes including musicians, photographers, visual artists, graphic designers and even brewers.

In an interview with NewsDay, Koovha director Jimmy Saruchera said the space would provide artistes with an interactive platform. “We want the best of Zimbabwean leading talents to come together, engage and express themselves through collaborative work,” he said. So far they have worked with various artists in designing the hub.

“Everything in our hub is handmade by us. This includes seats, designs, painting and decorations,” Saruchera said. The hub is adorned with beautiful paintings by Option Nyahunzvi.

The furniture comprises of large exquisite purple round seats, the kind you find in the country’s top furniture shops. A few velvet cocktail tables are strategically placed near the beer pumps. Half the floor is splashed with oil paint dominated by purple with other colours coming in to complement.

Motivational statements such as “It’s easy to imagine, but easier to just do. If you can’t do what you imagine then what is imagination to you” are boldly erected to greet you when you walk in.

“We also have a recording studio here so we encourage musicians to engage us — to together we can produce quality products. We have already worked with MMT who did a song called Koovha which is topping the charts on ZiFM Stereo,” said Saruchera.

One of their artistes has also developed the Koovha Craft Beer and a cider which are already on the market. “The other creative aspect of the hub is the craft beer. We took more than a year developing it at our brewery in Tynwald,” said Saruchera.

The beer, whose name was adapted from urban vernacular for a cold drink, is brewed giving special attention to every millilitre so as to make it perfect.

“We give Koovha special attention, something that lacks in large breweries as they only focus on producing large volumes not quality.”

Koovha Craft Beer is found in Maestro, Meikles Hotel and Vhukani Café.

It is a 100% locally-brewed from natural products such as hops and barley with no added preservatives or flavouring.

Meanwhile, visual artist Option Nyahunzvi will showcase his debut solo show at the hub this Friday. “I’m very excited to be the one to first showcase my work at the hub not to mention that this will be my first solo exhibition,” he said.