LAFARGE Cement Zimbabwe in partnership with Intwasa will host a poetry competition dubbed The Lafarge Poetry Slam at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo on April 25. The Lafarge Poetry Slam, running under the theme Building on our Strengths for Growth is a platform where poets are offered an opportunity to showcase their talent and will see the top three winners pocketing $500, $200 and $100 respectively.
BY SHARON SIBINDI
Lafarge Cement communications manager Tsungai Manyeza said the poetry slam brings together spoken word artists and helps them refine their art on a competitive platform. “Poetry is a highly intellectual and contemplative form of art through which individuals show off their uniqueness and this ultimately reflects on the diversity of society as a whole,” she said.
“This Poetry Slam brings together diverse people and enables them to refine their spoken art on a competitive platform. This resonates with Lafarge’s strong thrust for diversity and inclusion.”
Manyeza said poetry is also one of the least supported art forms in the country.
“Furthermore, this platform offers Lafarge a unique interface with the Bulawayo community. This is a first for Lafarge, to support spoken word art, and it is potentially the beginning of a bigger arts support thrust,” she said.
She said the theme encouraged team members to appreciate and develop their skills, adding that Lafarge chose to host the initiative in Bulawayo because it was the country’s artistic capital with a huge thrust in supporting home-grown talent.
“We are hosting it during the ZITF period in the hope of exposing the rich poetic talent in the city to a diverse audience as this is a time when the rest of the country converges in Bulawayo for ZITF. The competition is open to all poets and will begin with a pre-Slam selection process,” she said.
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“This is the initial screening of poets based on video submissions made by the poets via WhatsApp. A total of 20 poets will be selected to proceed to perform at the Poetry Slam. On the event day, 20 poets will perform poetry based on the theme Building on our strengths for Growth. Ten poets will proceed to the second round where they will present poems on a subject of their own choice. In the final round, dubbed as the Grand Slam, six poets will perform themed poems and top three will emerge the winners,” she said.
