BY DEMETRIA MANYONGA
ARTS Hub Zimbabwe is set to mentor a number of disabled players in the industry during a workshop scheduled for May 20 to 24 at the Music Crossroads Academy in Harare.
The hub’s manager, Christensen Mapuranga, said the aim of the project was to promote disabled artistes and give them traction in the industry.
“The aims of the project include promoting increased access to the arts for the disabled artistes and audience, embedding disabled artistes in the mainstream venues, festivals and other cultural institutions,” he said.
Mapuranga said participants at the workshop would include young creatives such as award-winning musician Prudence Mabhena.
“The workshop will help singers, producers, DJ’s, instrumentalists, music promoters as well as videographers,” he said, adding that they were also hoping to have some of the artistes strike collaborations.
Mapuranga said they hoped to get these artistes to collaborate with their peers in the mainstream industry and create opportunities.
“The project’s desire is to create, produce and manage opportunities to enable people living with disabilities to have positive experiences of the arts through involvement and to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge, sharing about best practices and lessons learnt from local arts as well as major opportunities and challenges for moving disabled persons arts agenda forward,” he said.
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This year’s edition of the Disability Arts Culture workshop, she said, was bringing in some new ideas because it was more practical than theoretical.
“This time the participants are actually going to create and record a couple of songs,” he said.
“There will also be a policy discussion on how to promote inclusivity in the music industry and this includes making spaces accessible to disabled audience. The policy meet forum is in partnership with the Zimbabwe Musicians Associations and the Music Crossroads Academy.”
Mapuranga founded the Arts Hub in 2017 alongside Chipo Mawarire, Mhle Nzima, Tandoyenkosi Moyo, Thembi Moyo, Robson Murambiwa and Butho Nyathi.
The hub has been supported by Enthuse Africa, the British Council, Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies, HIVOS and Electric South.
