The Media Training Programme has selected six Zimbabwean arts and culture journalists drawn from print media, television and radio. The journalists contributed to a blog that you can read at the site of HIFA
http://www.artsinitiates.co.zw/
The six are Sandra Mandizvidza (Standard), Stanley Kwenda (Financial Gazette), Thomas Chidamba (Kwayedza), Trust Khosa (The Herald), Godwin Muzari (The Sunday Mail), Yvonne Gawe (SpotFM) and Tinashe Masi (Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings TV).
The programme is being organised by Arts Initiates in conjunction with Hifa organisers and funded by the Prince Claus Fund.
The participants dealt with theatre, sculpture, dance, music and spoken word as well as writing on and about arts issues deriving from events during the festival.
A one-day training workshop was held on April 29 at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. From April 29, the participants with the assistance of their resource persons observed productions and reviewed them or wrote about them according to what their mentors have instructed.
There also were open sessions everyday for two hours where visiting and local artists and journalists were invited to give a talk on various issues. The open sessions were meant to accommodate those who were not selected to be part of the workshop.
The programme organiser journalist Wonder Guchu says the training programme is part of the Imagine Africa project that seeks to involve all people within the arts sector in order to develop and promote the industry.
“Imagine Africa is a project that was built around a conference held on Goree Island in Senegal last year where donor organisations, arts lobbyists and activists. The idea came from the South African-born poet and writer Breyten Breytenbach’s opening remarks. Part of this project or concept is to involve the media as a partner in arts and culture development," Guchu said.
He also said the training programme was unique because it involves a practical approach to writing about arts and culture issues as well as discussions on various art genres.
“We have seen journalists undergoing training on how to report on crime, HIV and Aids, elections, environment and politics but there has never been training programmes meant for arts and culture yet every publication now has an arts desk and staff. This programme fills in the void,” Guchu who attended the Goree Island conference on vitalising African cultural assets said.
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe have expressed their support for the training programme.
Contact Wonder Guchu on 023356012 or Martin Makoni on 0912421070 or samakonim@yahoo.com for more information.
The Media Training Programme is being organised as part of the Harare International Festival of Arts
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