Small town, big time festival dream

Garbed with a grand sounding theme Big Art, Small Town, the Beitbridge International Festival will saunter on to the growing festivals arena in Zimbabwe  from today up to Saturday in the border town. “The theme is direct reference to what we want to do. People always relate big things with major towns like Bulawayo but there is a lot going on in the small towns. For example, 75 percent of all cars imported into Zimbabwe come through Beitbridge. So we want to do more than showcase the arts, we want the spotlight on the town and its opportunities,” said the festival’s director and founder Nkululeko Nkala who is a veteran artist and organiser with experience garnered through years of active involvement in outfits such as Siyaya Arts, Umdumo we Sizwe, X-Mo Squad, Intwasa  and Ibumba Arts Festivals.

“The relevant authorities are all on board. The town council here is on board and graciously supplied the venue Dulibandzimu Stadium free of charge. The council’s gesture is wonderful and to be highly commended. The private sector for example has come on board through Pagomba, a recently constructed venue who are bringing in the headline act. I do hope that my years of experience will help unearth new talent in the town so that maybe we discover the next Tuku from this small town,” added Nkala.

 Incidentally a few months back, Nhimbe Trust invited about 30 festivals out of the 35 in Zimbabwe to a workshop which gave rise to the formation of the Festivals Network of Zimbabwe, a platform for sharing experiences and knowledge. A committee made up of Intwasa (Bulawayo), Chimanimani (Manicaland), Rainbow (from Gwanda) Protest Arts and Dzimbabwe (from Masvingo) was formed to steer the recruitment process inter alia. To date, five members have formally joined the network since the invitation letter was dispatched last week, according to Intwasa’s Raisedon Baya. In a telecon, Baya expressed guarded optimism at the proliferation of festivals:  “I think that it’s probably the trend at the moment. Festivals are the means to see Zimbabwean artistes. But we do have to make sure that the ones that are there are strengthened. What’s happening with the Beitbridge Festival is in line with the National Arts Council policy which is encouraging the establishment of provincial festivals. The hope is that the smaller festivals feed into the bigger festivals.”
Festivals can indeed be breeding grounds for new talent. More than this however, they are genuine vehicles for the promotion of towns and communities as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is famously doing. Festivals have potential to catalyse tourism ventures in the self same communities where they are hosted. Especially when they showcase the distinct cultural art forms.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is every promoter’s dream to make a profit from the business of the arts. So it is with the Beitbridge International Festival. The festival is poised to host Alick Macheso as the headline act Other billed acts are  Professor and Dr Malinga from South Africa.