THE 2015 edition of the Intwasa Arts Festival set for next week in Bulawayo has been hit hard by the current liquidity crunch with organisers saying traditional corporate sponsors are experiencing “tough times”.
BY SHARON SIBINDI/LUYANDUHLOBO MAKWATI The week-long event runs under the theme My Intwasa, Your Intwasa, Our Intwasa from September 21-27 in various venues dotted around the city.
However, Intwasa Arts Festival director Raisedon Baya said they are geared for a big event and preparations are at an advanced stage.
“As the Intwasa organisers we are happy to tell Bulawayo that our preparations are at an advanced stage, even those who will travel from different places to share the week-long event with us will be guaranteed of a good week as we have done all we are supposed to do for arts consumers in this region and beyond,” he said.
“We are almost ready and we are tying up on registration and last-minute preparations. We are targeting 50 events like last year.”
“It’s not just Intwasa is experiencing financial challenges. It is the whole country, which is going through a dry patch. This, however, affects the festival in two ways: Corporates experiencing tough times are finding it difficult to fund or support activities outside their core activities. Secondly, the general public might have no spending cash to attend festivals,” he added.
Intwasa Festival ko Bulawayo partners this year with Plan Zimbabwe, British Council, Alliance Francaise, Zimbabwe-German Society, Pro Helvetia, City of Bulawayo, Chibuku, Pamberi Trust, Afdis, Ingwebu, Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association and Transparency International, The Music, Edgars, Bulawayo Polytechnic and Hunnar.
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Intwasa Festival is a multi-disciplinary event that seeks to proudly showcase African and cultural expressions.
The festival is held every September as the month marks the beginning of spring, a season of regeneration and rebirth.
Since its inception in 2005, Intwasa has hosted regional and international artistes from Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Wales and Zambia.
