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Culture Week preps gather momentum

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LOCAL arts governing body, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), yesterday said preparations for this year’s edition of Culture Week commemorations that will run from May 19 to 25 are on course in all provinces.

LOCAL arts governing body, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), yesterday said preparations for this year’s edition of Culture Week commemorations that will run from May 19 to 25 are on course in all provinces.

BY ARTS & LIFESTYLE REPORTER

In a statement, NACZ spokesperson, Catherine Mthombeni said the week-long event would be commemorated under the theme Culture: A Tool for Building Communities, Signifying Identity and a True Sense of Belonging.

“Culture Week will be punctuated by varied activities that express cultural heritage of humanity, augment and transmit through the different cultural expressions by using diverse modes of creation,” she said.

“This event (Culture Week) involves the sharing, performance and display of Zimbabwe’s diverse culture.

“This year’s theme is a call for Zimbabweans in general and artists in particular to regard the culture sector as having immense potential to contribute to livelihoods and the national income.”

Culture Week is commemorated as part of the universal declaration on cultural diversity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which declared May 21 as the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Mthombeni said the national Culture Week launch would be held on May 19 at Harare Gardens.

“The national launch marks the beginning of the celebration of the importance of cultural diversity across the country through various cultural and artistic expressions,” she said.

“Some of the activities at the official launch will include an art and craft fair, traditional dances, contemporary performances, praise poetry, music and herbal medicine exhibitions.

“This year, a programme is also scheduled for children to celebrate by playing games that include jumping castles and painting.”

Mthombeni said the week-long programme would be full of diverse activities depicting various local cultural aspects that give Zimbabweans their identity as a people.

“Culture binds communities, binds nations and ultimately binds the entire world though diverse in nature and practice,” she said.

“It is culture that rightly defines a people, a community and ultimately an entire nation.

“Zimbabweans are known in a community of nations primarily because of cultural traits.”

The week-long programme of diverse cultural activities will draw the attention of the public to the importance of celebrating the Unesco World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.