Nhimbe Trust
| Headquarters | Bluez Cafe, 97A King Lobengula St/8th Ave |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Website | https://www.nhimbe.org/ |
Nhimbe Trust is a Zimbabwean arts advocacy organisation that works at the intersection of culture and development to foster local socio-economic development. Based in the city of Bulawayo it is an arts education organisation and a leader in cultural policy research, training, advocacy and defending freedom of creative expression.
Background
Nhimbe Trust, based in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is a Pan African creative civil society organisation working in three core areas; creative education, development cooperation and cultural policy. The mission of the organisation is to advocate for Pan African culture-sensitive political and socio-economic development policies, in countries at risk of conflict, in conflict, engaged in post-conflict reconstruction and affected by natural disasters.
Nhimbe plays an active role in global cultural governance and Fairtrade for culture through involvement with the African Union Pan African Cultural Congress, 2005 UNESCO Convention Civil Society Forum, Global CSO Coordination, Africa Tech and Creative Group and UNCTAD Ad Hoc Expert Meetings on Creative Economy. Nhimbe’s global work is profiled on the Cultural Economy Outlook online portal. All Nhimbe’s programming revolves around the 2003 UNESCO Convention and 2005 UNESCO Convention.[1]
Mission
To advocate for Pan African culture-sensitive political and socio-economic development policies.
Organisational Vision
To have in place a vibrant and resilient Pan African cultural economy – well resourced, competently regulated, and supporting the political and socio-economic status of artists and cultural workers.
Nhimbe Global Affairs Programs
- Cultural Hubs and Cultural Ambassadors Program
- Fellowship Program
- Specialised Internships
- Creative and Cultural Industries Think Tank
Nhimbe Programs
- U40 Cultural Leadership Program
- Schools Playwright and Actors Academy (SPAA)
- Women in Theatre (WIT)
Initiatives
Nhimbe Trust runs 3 major initiatives supported by Africalia:
Bluez Café
At the beginning of 2017, Nhimbe managed to redeem a new home via a partnership with the Youth Contact Centre. Nhimbe now has a permanent place with rehearsal spaces and a stage in the heart of Bulawayo.
Children in Theatre and Television (CITT)
This school provides vocational training in theatre for young people (ages 15-25). It is a weekend school where a group of 30 young people from 6 schools around Bulawayo learn performing arts skills and make theatre in a training programme over 3 years.
Women in Theatre and Television (WITT)
This project provides vocational training and resources to emerging women writers, actresses, directors and producers. WITT regularly presents the work of these women and empowers women’s voices on stage. The project takes them to other venues across the country and looks for regional and international opportunities.
Zim, SA collaboration on the Amavuso Project
Nhimbe Trust have launched a collaborative project that highlights the “Blesser/ Blessee” phenomenon. They partnered South Africa’s Sibikwa Arts Centre to come up with the project titled The Amavuso Project that fosters an online discussion on the exchange of money in relationships between men and women. Sibikwa is a visionary arts centre that promotes quality arts education, performance, vocational training and job creation in South Africa. Nhimbe Trust is a Zimbabwean arts advocacy organisation that works at the intersection of culture and development to foster local socio-economic development.
According to a Press release, The Amavuso Project is a multimedia performance initiative which aims to portray authentic and diverse perspectives on what’s widely known as the “blesser” phenomenon, as an increasingly accepted popular culture. The performance will aim to give audiences a sense and feel of the interactions between “blessers” and “blessees”, exploring the pervasiveness and impact of social media.”
Blessers have slowly come to be accepted in society as mainly men who date mostly young girls and in exchange, they “bless” them with money. Questions arise whether mavuso or girlfriend allowance is a must. Mavuso, (a Zulu word derived from vuka meaning “wake-up”) is money paid to a woman after spending the night with a man who is in some cases a total stranger and it’s not classified as prostitution as there is no fixed price.
The project, supported by an ANT Mobility Grant from Pro Helvetia Johannesburg financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), will be created and performed by an all-female creative team from the two countries, South African actresses Dineo Komane and Eutychia Rakaki, and from Zimbabwe are Donna Ncube and Charmaine Mudau. These actresses were selected after online auditions were undertaken.
It is integrated by video footage and other digital elements, built from engagements and discussions on the Facebook page which was set up to gather society’s overall view on the subject. The thought-provoking project poses various questions that set the tone for discussions on the page and these include ‘What is the number one rule of Amavuso?’ ‘What is the ultimate Mavuso Package?’[2] [3]
Picture Gallery
