The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
The International Theatre Institute Zimbabwe Centre, under the stewardship of co-ordinator Lloyd Nyikadzino, starts theatre training classes this August.
“If we are to ensure the future and growth of local theatre in Zimbabwe, we will have to train and boost a new generation of young and talented theatre creators and performers,” said Nyikadzino.
He said the status of theatre in Zimbabwe was appalling and needed lots of attention, especially in skills training and development of new players.
“The amount of talent and creativity visible in young Zimbabweans is astonishing. However, most of these talented young people have no access to the high-quality training needed to turn their talent into a means of participation in the workforce for their own and others’ sustainability.
“Over the years, Zimbabwe has failed to train and recruit adequate professional theatre practitioner’s due to these factors,” said Nyikadzino.
To address these shortcomings, the International Theatre Institute and Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre have introduced the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy.
“August of this year will see Lauren M. Wilson, the current director of Dell’Arte visiting Zimbabwe to run workshops under the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy, on how to teach physical theatre and have an induction with the chosen students.
“The primary focus of this academy training project is to identify talent with true potential and provide specialised training and experience for them, consequently strengthening the skills of young theatre professionals and to generate new contemporary Zimbabwean theatre makers.
“The auditions of candidates to be part of this first class has not been done yet, as the academy is still in the process of compiling all the applications they got and reaching out to those communities that have interested candidates but who do not have the means to apply through email,” revealed Nyikadzino.
The Zimbabwe Theatre Academy will focus on investigating and exploring the techniques and dynamics around the world of acting.
Continued Nyikadzino: “The academy will focus on re-establishing professional performance skills and play creation training in the local industry, therefore, providing fresh impetus for creativity and the creation of young actor/creators.
“This will create an easy channel for employment creation and churning out new talent into the Zimbabwe theatre industry thus contributing to the long-term development of the Zimbabwean arts and culture.”
Nyikadzino says the academy will also focus on offering an outstanding accessible practical and theoretical training to the next generation of young actor/creators in Zimbabwe.
“The training will assist these young actor/creators to find their own path in theatre by devising and performing relevant and entertaining quality original pieces of theatre.”
The physical theatre training will equip actors training in using the body as a universal tool for expression that can communicate across cultures and verbal language without any restrictions.
“The actors training is about provoking the student to take risks, aesthetically and physically, and communicating thoughts and feelings clearly and naturally through their bodies, movements or gestures, and not constantly rely on words,” said Nyikadzino.
