BULAWAYO-BASED actress and visual artist Nomvuyiso Mabi says perfoming in a theatre play helps in improving memory spans and enabling speech and intelligent expressions.
Mabi is a BAA award winner in Theatre and a National Arts Merit Awards nominee for both film and theatre.
The artist told NewsDay Life & Style at the just-ended European Film Festival that theatre has helped her to build confidence, have courage to stand in front of people and the drive to speak out on what she wishes to do.
“In theatre, you are given a script that you have to cram it once and for all. In film, one is given an opportunity to restart while in theatre, everything has to be on point,” Mabi said.
“Theatre is more demanding than film. In film, one is given a script and the next thing is acting under the strict guidance of a director.
“In theatre, one has to get a script and rehearse for two or three months. In theatre, one can cram an eighty page script. Theatre demands more study to make it authentic.”
Speaking about her appearance at the Resonance in Silence-Bulawayo speaks Exhibition, which was launched recently at the Bulawayo National Arts Gallery, Mabi said the exhibition was well received by the audience.
And it was a night to remember for everyone, which brought back nolstagic memories to many people with its 1960s dress code theme.
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“Resonance in Silence Bulawayo speaks was an exhibition by some of Bulawayo senior visual artists. It was from 18 different artists working from different disciplines. It was a great experience for me to be part of this because I managed to produce art pieces after a long time and also managed to have a collaboration with another artist within the group,” Mabi said.
“I took this exhibition as a call to all artists to come together and collaborate on mapping the way forward in the industry and how to tackle any challenges we face as artists.
“Beautiful pieces were produced in the exhibition. I loved Nonhlanhla’s artwork. To me, it was outstanding. (She is) a female artist who has always been working and never gave up nomatter what difficulties she came across. She really inspires me as a woman. The attendance was massive.”
Mabi had three images on display, including a theatre solo which captivated the audience.
“Sikhangelane Ngezkhondo Zamehlo is an artwork that says we have been silent and expecting things to happen magically. We are complaining and not uniting to make it, looking at each other and blaming us or them or we,” she said.
“Confusion and so much silence is now louder, stitched and patched thinking it is the way to go. When shall we be heard? Is it that we are silent or we are being ignored by the viewers of our works? Silokhe Sikhangelane Ngezkhondo Zamehlo is my art work posing a question to you and me. Kuze Kubenini Silokhu Sinje (until when will we be like this?).”
Added Mabi: “On the City of Bulawayo issue, we as newly-born arts group are working through the logistics. So we are willing to engage the city as so that we work hand in hand.
“Well, life is full of challenges. With no challenges, there is no life to talk about. Challenges bring their own benefits, so it becomes a blessing in disguise. I feel very honoured to be part of the exhibition, it’s a chance to exhibit with well renowned artists like Voti There. Indeed, it was a great honour.”
