Zim: Stephen Chifunyise International Festival to go digital

The festival, which is in its first edition, will – as previously scheduled – be held at Theatre in the Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 25 to 28 March. The event seeks to pay tribute to the late playwright and cultural enthusiast Stephen Chipfunyise. The festival is organised by Rooftop Promotions and is intended to celebrate plays written by Chipfunyise, which feature tribute performances through music, drama, poetry and dance.

“In these trying times, it’s incumbent upon the creative and cultural industries to provide relief to an otherwise potentially depressed human race,” Rooftop Promotions producer Daves Guzha said in a statement. “Without theatre, film, music, dance and many other art forms, humanity would find itself in an abyss. Covid 19, demands us creatives to be dynamic and outward thinking in ensuring we do our bit. To that end, the much-expected Stephen Chifunyise Festival will be shared on varied digital platforms.

“A new and overdue nexus between creativity and tech begins for this iconic venue Theatre in the Park as we take heed of the statement issued by the President recently which restricts gatherings of more than 100 people due to the spread of COVID-19. Facebook and YouTube become the carriers of choice for the next two months.”

Guzha implored the public and various institutions to contribute towards sustaining the festival.

“Whilst the content itself will be accessed freely or be on open source, the festival is appealing for contributions from well-wishers, friends of Theatre in the Park, Harare to allow us to maintain the platforms and ensure fair remuneration of our creatives,” he said. “Advertisers are highly encouraged to partner with us as we move toward strengthening our digital reach which ultimately knows no borders.”

Speaking to Music In Africa, Guzha said they hoped viewers would appreciate the effort made by the organisers “and pay or donate if pleased with what you have seen or consumed. We can populate these contributions and make something out of the creatives input. We know we have a good product which pleases the eye.

“Also, we are appealing and encouraging corporates to make use of the artists we have by assigning their brand to specific artists. Unlike Europe and the US, sadly, we have no unemployment insurance nor does our government have resources to cushion the loss of income necessitated by this global pandemic. Thus, this alternative platform for content distribution and consumption must be supported in any way.”

The festival will feature participants from South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.