Projects and Activities
Proposed Project and Realisation:
We believe that an ideal opportunity to bring the beauty of African culture, music and dance to an ever-increasing audience should prioritise an effective mechanism for promoting culture and the arts in general. Bwaca seeks to establish a cultural center to make this vision a reality. To realise this vision, Bwaca shall rise through projects carried out in short and long term phases.
Current Activities:
Identifying the status of the Tonga Art in order to improve the once well knit socio-economic and cultural systems subject to the changing character of the environment.
Liasing with non-Tonga Artists in securing group contracts for fair trade craft sales, organising for performances in the development of the Zimbabwean culture.
A group of home trained women are engaged in Tonga arts and crafts such as bead making, basketry, and embroidery. This is on a very small scale as there are problems to raise the financial capability for expansion
Young artists have continued to perform in local hotels and there are currently ten young artists that are on an employment contract to perform and entertain tourists in the resort town of Kariba in Zimbabwe.
Currently the director is working on running drumming and arts workshops at schools around the United States.
Having won a national scholarship to study for an International Baccalaureate Diploma in Wales, the director has been able to teach African drumming and dance to College students at Atlantic College and to school children who come to St Donats Arts Centre in Wales.
He has gained two- year practical experience as a Box office Assistant, Artist Liaison personnel for Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival and various other skills such as theatre lighting, lantern making and theatre games at St Donats Arts Centre in Wales.
Short Term Projects:
Reviving Storytelling, Music, Dance and Drama in schools:
This proposed project to work with local youths in reviving storytelling, music, dance and drama in schools is a rescue initiative geared towards promoting a sense of self- value, dignity and ethnic identity of local people. It is part of a long- term plan to establish a cultural center in Victoria Falls. The town of Victoria Falls is endowed with, not only a large number of knowledgeable elders, but professional artists who hold the keys to the various forms of knowledge. The challenge that exists for all these people is to find a forum in which all their energies can be brought together to facilitate communication and cultural continuity in the community. This project is set to commence in September 2001. It is the inception of that ground breaking step toward engaging young people in cultural values and skills that they have so often searched for. This project will use the arts as a means of building confidence, intellectual capacities and the knowledge of our fine heritage.
what will happen?
The inception phase shall run parallel to the school year calender. It shall consist of field activities involving young people. A group of artists that will work with school children in arts activities such as storytelling, choreography, drama, music, drums and marimba playing. Workshops will be carried out at the local school in conjunction with the formal education. These workshops will be made available to various age groups depending on their level of competence. Various themes including Aids education shall be covered. We shall use the arts to educate and boost creativity among the youths. The consolidation of various arts forms from different tribes will enable a cultural exchange in which the wisdom and strengths of these tribes can be openly shared to find better ways of artistic expression.
Drum Classes Will begin with emphasis in three different regions of Africa, West, Central and Southern Africa. Students will learn the Tonga tribal repertoire which includes over a hundred rhythms. Local Marimba and Mbira players will teach classes on the Shona style of Marimba. Both traditional and contemporary styles will be taught. National songs will be taught and played on these instruments.
Dance classes Will be based on the rhythms learned in drum class and the music learned on Marimba and Mbira. Dance will also cover other contemporary Southern African traditional styles from which some of the local dances are derived. Local instrument makers shall be brought in to demonstrate the procedures of making traditional music instruments. At the end of this class, materials shall be provided to encourage the students to create their own instruments.
Making an International Cultural Tour to take us through Zambia, Namibia, North America and Wales in July 2001, to participate in various cultural activities and raise the financial capacity to be more self-sufficient.
Long Term Projects:
The development of a Community Arts Centre to realise and promote the equality of opportunity among the young, old, poor and rich.
Facilitating exhibitions and festivals in Zimbabwe of works of all kinds by artists from Africa and other countries to promote access to multi-cultural arts projects for the local youths, schools and the community at large.
Proper documentation of works of Tonga artists and training projects in unique African designs and symbols for textiles in batik, wax printing, traditional weaving, basketry, sculpture, visual and performing arts, story telling, dance and drumming.
Target Groups and Project Beneficiaries:
Young artists, craftsmen vulnerable members of society such as women and school children shall form the target groups, which the promotion shall prioritise.
The beneficiaries shall be performing artists entering into contract with the promotion for performances locally and internationally.
The community at large shall benefit from cultural awareness, entertainment and a vast pool of opportunity created by the centre.
Duration and Evolution of the Project:
The project's viability is aimed at lasting long and the implementation of new ideas shall form the basis of enabling the livelihood of the project. Bwaca promotions shall respond to social and economic changes by integrating new forms of thought into developing vocational skills and new art forms.
Home
| Background Info| Aims & Objectives
Financial Expenditure &
Genration| Organisational
Structure &Management
Contact Address
Project Maine|
Download the entire Community
Project Proposal