THE call for submissions for the inaugural Bulawayo Arts Awards, which closed on May 15, attracted 400 prospective nominees whose fate will, however, be sealed on June 30 when the list of finalists is released.
BY SINDISO DUBE
The final list will be released at a party scheduled for Glen Lodge which, according to one of the organisers, Vusa Dube, will mark the beginning of big things in the arts scene in Bulawayo.
“Entry is free for everyone to come and witness one of the biggest events in Bulawayo arts. We will have fun, laughter, music and lots of drinks on offer. The awards are meant to celebrate our arts and cement Bulawayo as the arts and cultural hub of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“For long, Bulawayo has been the source of talent in the country and we believe we are the backbone of Zimbabwe’s arts and we have to celebrate our own before they are celebrated by others out there.”
Dube said the awards were overdue, given the overwhelming response by stakeholders.
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“Most interesting was the variety of submissions in terms of genre and age. As expected, music had the most nominations and entries, followed by special category fashion, schools and dance,” he said.
Bulawayo Arts Awards are the latest addition to provincial arts awards in the country after the Kwekwe Music Awards, Midlands Music Awards, Masvingo Music Awards and Marondera Music Awards.
“The awards are not to counter any national awards, but to complement what’s already on the ground, other provinces have their own awards to celebrate their own — like they say charity begins at home,” Dube said.