The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
Artistes are calling for the introduction of policies that will support and promote growth in the industry.
Intwasa Festival director, Raisedon Baya, claimed that current policies actually suffocate business ideas.
Baya’s remarks come just a few days before Intwasa, Bulawayo’s biggest arts festival, roars to life for its 13th edition this Wednesday.
Sadly, just as was the case with Hifa, the once prestigious festival is struggling to maintain the standards that it is known for.
Among other constraints like availability of financial resources, problems afflicting festivals in Zimbabwe include poor operating models, which caused the collapse of famous arts hubs like Book Café.
Said Baya: “A lot of festivals have shut down. The struggle is real. Our models need to be changed as they are unsustainable. We need to run festivals like trade fairs. Exhibitors need to come to the platform for business and not for hand outs. Money for artistes should come from their fans, by selling their products.
“Intwasa currently uses the common model of promoting artistes. The model should change to a partnership model. It should be more about collaborating. We made a call for artistes who are prepared to invest and meet some of the costs of doing a show at the festival. Artistes said they have no money and expect to be paid by the festival. But where do festivals get money to pay artistes?”
Baya also said the environment is not conducive for holding such events.
“Artistes are not producing. The environment is not favourable to import artistes and their acts. There is donor fatigue and donor flight from the country. All these are working against having world class festivals in Zimbabwe,” said Baya.
He highlighted that business is constrained in the industry due to a lot of legal obligations.
“Look how difficult and expensive it is to bring an artiste into the country; one has to pay Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Censorship Board and Immigration, it’s just too much.”
Players in the culture and creative industries are calling on Government, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, to form an arts fund. Could this be the way to cushion such key platforms that promote and preserve Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage via various artistic expressions?
“Government, at national level, has never supported the festival. We wait for the day when that will happen. However, at local level, the City of Bulawayo recognises the festival and sometimes provide venues and other resources.”
