PREPARATIONS for Culture Week commemorations that will run from May 16 to 23 are on course in all provinces. The official launch of the national event inaugurated in 2002 by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) will be hosted by Mashonaland West province at Chinhoyi Stadium.
By Entertainment Reporter
This year’s edition will run under the theme ‘Celebrating Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship’ unveiling a rich package of diverse activities that depict varied cultural aspects in portrayal of local practices.
This was in line with the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity by Unesco in 2001 which proclaims May 21 of each year the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
A host of activities including street marching by artists and cultural activists, fashion show, music and dance performances, art and craft exhibition and herbal medicine exhibitions will characterize the multifaceted occasion. The activities were based on the idea of ensuring that the culture sector does not remain a vehicle for others to build their wealth only, but that varied artistic skills were able to improve livelihoods across the board.
Cultural diversity was a defining characteristic of humanity that when cultivated and respected could create a well-developed nation nurturing diverse human capacities and values as well as fostering unity and identity. Countries were encouraged to celebrate the uniqueness of diverse cultures found in them as part of world culture while flaunting various cultural heritages that need to be preserved for posterity.
Ever since its inception locally, cognisant of the phenomenal growth in popularity this World Day has enjoyed hitherto, NACZ decided to make the event weeklong hence the existence of the Culture Week every year. The increase in time was strategically done to increase impact it has on local people and also to award artistes adequate time to display their works to the public.
