Call for applications: Jibilika Festival Zimbabwe

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The organisers are looking for group or solo artists with "unique, original and captivating music".

Interested artists should send a short biography and a song/link to a track to jibilikafestival@gmail.com. The deadline for applications is 20 September.

Requirements

• Artists are required to send one video or two songs.
• Only Zimbabwean artists should send applications.
• Artists whose submissions do not have a song or video will be disqualified.
• Late applications will be rejected.  

“The festival is intended for young and emerging voices in the country and will run under the theme Renewow, which is a combination of 'renewal' and 'wow,” Jibilika Festival organiser Plot Mhako told Music In Africa. “Our theme speaks to the future of Zimbabwe. The festival brings more new elements, venues and audiences and seeks to challenge young people to reimagine a new Zimbabwe with more positivity, creativity and innovation.

“This year's festival will have music, dance theatre, beatboxing, dance battles, urban fashion, graffiti and skateboarding.”

Mhako said the organisers wanted to give hope to young artists in Zimbabwe.

“This year we intend to paint a new brighter picture for the young Zimbabweans who have been hopeless for a long time and to let them freely speak and express themselves through their most preferred art forms.

"The festival has introduced more venues to enable more people to access the events and we have expanded from two days to a three-day festival. Seventy percent of the events are free because we understand the economic challenges people face, but the hardships should not be a barrier for culture to thrive. We have our traditional community programme, which will speak to young people about substance abuse, a scourge that is affecting our youth.”

Mhako said the festival had employed various strategies to give the festival a youthful feel.

“This edition is different and special in that it is being run by young people for young people. It’s the first edition where I will not be the festival director. We have expanded our programme from just dance at inception to become a fully fledged festival of youth culture. The festival will entertain, engage and inform,” Mhako said.