THE National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) in partnership with the Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation ministry will on Friday host the closing ceremony of the culture month.
The closing ceremony will be held at Marega Primary School in Chipinge, Manicaland province, under the theme Our Culture: Building Zimbabwe Brick by Brick.
The culture month, celebrated the entire month of May, was introduced in 2002 by the NACZ working closely with diverse stakeholders and partners in the culture and creative industries.
Since then, culture month celebrations have become an effective way of showcasing the country’s culture, encouraging consumption of traditional food at home, hotels and restaurants, wearing of cultural attire and storytelling through folklores, a traditional practice that shaped children into responsible adults endowed with the spirit of Ubuntu/Unhu.
The culture month celebrations kicked off with the promotion of indigenous languages from May 1 to 6, while May 7 to 13 focused on traditional farming practices and increasing consumption of indigenous foods.
From May 14 to 20, culture month celebrations showcased the national dress and African attire.
Last week, the culture month celebrations revolved around African languages and creative expressions, including community discussions on cultural heritage, Ubuntu, societal values and creative presentations in music, dance, theatre, film, fashion, poetry and visual arts, among others.
NACZ assistant director arts promotion and development Barbara Gotore told NewsDay Life & Style that the culture month national commemorations would be officiated by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, adding that the event was expected to draw thousands of Zimbabweans from all corners of the country.
- Chashe Band seeks fame via Chibuku
- Zanu PF bigwigs thrown under the bus
- In the groove: Did hicc concert mark end of sungura?
- Curtain finally comes down on Chibuku Road to Fame
Keep Reading
Gotore added that people should look forward to various activities and entertainment.
“As a cultural commemorative day, the people of Zimbabwe shall witness and experience the richness and diversity rooted in our culture. There shall be showcasing of Zimbabwean pride through African cultural wear, especially the national fabric to enhance a sense of patriotism and our identity through fashion which is an element of culture,” she said.
“More to that, exhibitions on the day will provide for the consumption of traditional herbs, fruits as well as traditional cuisines that lead to a healthy life bearing in mind that food is an integral part of our culture and ubuntu as we say in shona that ‘Ukama igasva hunozadzikiswa nekudya’,”
Artistes like Sulumani Chimbetu, Dorcas Moyo, Killer T and Blessing Shumba, among others, as well as poets have been roped in for Friday’s celebrations.
