The Zimbabwe International Theatre Festival for Women (ZITFW), a brainchild of the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy Trust is calling for women theatre artistes to submit their work for a fete to be held on May 22-25.
Influenced by the academy’s years of theatre education and production, the festival is the first-ever women-centred theatre festival in Zimbabwe.
The fete will be launched this year and will become an annual feature and the initial festival is planned to be staged in four provinces in Zimbabwe.
Deadline for submission is March 1 and the festival will have a school program and also a professional program to cater to all ages.
In an interview with Standard Style, festival administrator, Amanda Mupezani said the ground-breaking creative event aims to create a safe and empowering platform for women theatre artistes to showcase their artistic voices, promote freedom of expression, and amplify women’s voices on issues that affect their lives.
“Some of the activities will include, but are not limited to engaging and thought-provoking women-led theatre performances. The theatrical performances are exclusively created and performed by women artists,” she said.
“The performances will take place at the selected urban and rural venues, providing a platform for women to share their work with audiences.
“Furthermore, there will also be panel discussions and dialogues that focus on women's empowerment, gender equality, and challenges faced by women in the arts.”
Mupezani said workshops and skill-building sessions will enhance the professional development of women in the arts.
“Community outreach programmes will involve performances, workshops, and dialogues tailored to address the specific challenges and needs of these communities,” she said.
“By engaging directly with marginalised communities, the festival aims to raise awareness, promote dialogue, and empower women in these areas.
“Most importantly, the cultural exchanges part will provide artists from different backgrounds with time to share their artistic practices, learn from one another, and foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation."
Mupezani said since there are a lot of festivals that happen at the end of the year, the academy decided to adopt May as the month for staging the festival and away from many summer programs.
"This festival will be launched this year and will become an annual feature,” she said.
“The initial festival is planned to be staged in four provinces in Zimbabwe.
“As a dedicated platform for amplifying women's voices, the festival will further contribute towards a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable society and artistic landscape.
“It will catalyse transformation, inspiring future generations of women to pursue careers in the arts and empowering them to overcome the barriers they may face.”