HURUNGWE Arts Festival (HAF) last week failed to send a delegation of theatre practitioners and crew to the second edition of the Kenya International Arts Festival (KIAF) which ended yesterday, NewsDay has learnt.
By NHAU MANGIRAZI
Participants from Zimbabwe were expected to join their counterparts from Uganda, South Africa and Kenya for the annual showcase of Africa’s finest theatre and performing arts, which opened on Thursday last week before the curtain came down yesterday.
HAF director, Joel Zilala, said they were heartbroken by the turn of events as they had prepared to wow theatre lovers converging in Kenya where they had been scheduled to stage their play, Wedding Day.
“Accommodation, food and travel insurance was secured for our 12-member delegation. However, transport money was elusive. By last weekend we had trimmed the delegates to eight and we were planning to go by road, unfortunately, we could not get enough money to take us to and from Kenya, hence, leaving us with no option but to shelve the journey,” he said.
The fiesta was a partnership between Kenya International Theatre Festival and Kenyatta University.
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In his invitation letter, festival chairperson, John Mugubi, said the fête was meant to celebrate eminent theatrical productions from around the globe, while promoting and showcasing the diverse cultural practices.
“The Festival offers an opportunity to various theatre artists, practitioners and professionals to interact and share their skills and experiences in the industry,” he said.
He said the four-day festival offered a platform for various theatre groups, companies and institutions of learning to showcase their theatre production skills and talent, interact and share experiences with theatre professionals from all over the globe.
Last year, the play was performed at Charles Austin theatre in Masvingo after it had also been showcased at Intwasa Festival Ko’ Bulawayo, the now defunct Mannenberg Theatre in Harare, the old Theatre in the Park in the Harare Gardens, Wits University in South Africa and Harare International Festival of The Arts.