Background info of BWACA

~Promoting an Art of Development~

Background Information

Bwaca arts Promotions is a non-governmental organisation run by and for young people. Its formation sprung from the need to promote self-value and socio- economic empowerment for young people in the community of Chinotimba Township in Victoria Falls .

The glitters of Victoria Falls’ massive tourism industry attracts many young people who perceive bright economic opportunities in the resort town. A lack of suitable educational facilities coupled with the low employment- creating capacity of the economy systematically isolates most of these unskilled young people. As a consequence of their inability to take part in socio-economic activities, many lose the sense of self value. The exposure to the easy life that the tourism industry exposes, has forced some of these young people into the activities of prostitution, crime, alcoholism and drug trafficking in order to satisfy their need to live the lives that they perceive. These anti-social activities have continued to manifest themselves in life threatening hazards such as Aids.

In order to counteract the flow of events, a group of young people came together in 1996 to experiment in their artistic talents of drama, music, traditional dances and crafts making. What started as a mere music and dance performance at the Victoria Falls Catholic Church in 1993, led to the conception of Bwaca Arts Promotions.

The founding aims were to address,through theatre and art, the linguistic problems that exist between the various tribes in the church. The success in implementing religious theatre to disseminate information marked the beginning of a semi-commercial way of fundraising money to attend national youth congresses.
This alternative success among a few young people, some of whom had been on the streets,stimulated the expansion of Bwaca’ s aims to try to redress the course of these changes through the arts for both the local community and the tourist market. Fluctuations in the tourist market however continued to throw some people back into the streets.
Bwaca concentrated on the few committed members and as a way of promoting art education, incorporated old women to pass their skills to the young women whose participation on stage was barred.
Despite the current lack of local facilities such as an arts centre, Bwaca continues to prioritise, on its agenda, the pursuit to revolutionalize the cultural and socio-economic vitality of local life through the arts.