The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
PROMINENT actor Teddy Mangava was last week elected chairperson of the Zimbabwe Theatre Association at the second edition of the Zimbabwe Theatre Indaba at Theatre in the Park in Harare.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Society after assuming his new role, Mangava said: “I am really honoured to have been elected as the chairperson of the new ZITA board and am not taking the task at hand lightly. “I am pretty excited with the composition of the board as it consists mainly of young theatre practitioners who are energetic and passionate about theatre. This is a team ready to push the sector to greater levels.
“We are going to be guided by our seniors who are also in the committee, the likes of Uncle Steve Chifunyise, who has expert knowledge on how best we can achieve our set goals. “One of my desires is to close the gap between educated practitioners and those that do it out of passion. For instance, there are folks in the rural areas that practice theatre and those that gather huge crowds in the CBD with their street theatre shows, these were all not represented at this Indaba and that is an area that concerns me.
“I believe for the sector to make an impact we need to ensure that we work as a single unit, bringing all these practitioners regardless of their backgrounds to agree on the same principles. “This will help grow the sector and make it a force to reckon with within the arts sector.”
Mangava added that the board was ambitious and ready try new strategies. Outgoing ZITA chairperson Daniel Maphosa said, “The one term I had was good for me and am not seeking re-election, we want to thank everyone we worked with and I hope the incoming board will ensure that there is someone who is focusing on the association and that individuals will not get snowed under by their individual workloads.”
The annual gathering of thespians saw the Indaba hail the establishment of a new National Arts Council Board, which was unveiled on Wednesday. But the Indaba suggested that Government move fast to review the National Arts Council Act of 1985 as it was “outdated”. The Indaba welcomed the new education curriculum, particularly in the areas of arts and culture.
However, delegates said there was need to have a proper platform for engagement with Government to facilitate development of this aspect of the curriculum.
