Zimbabwe Culture Week

The Zimbabwe culture Week is a seven day event that celebrates the importance of cultural diversity in the country, through various cultural and artistic expressions. Corodinated by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the event is panctuated by top drawer performances by different cultural music groups such as Jikinya Dance group, Iyasa, Mbira Dzenharira and Nyandoro Primary School among others. The 2014th edition of the Culture Week will run from Saturday, May 17 to Sunday May 25. The national launch was held at the at Amphitheatre in Bulawayo.

Motive

The main idea behind the week is to promote cultural practices and improve understanding and cooperation among people from different cultures. The commemorations emphasises the need for preservation, appreciation and promotion of all arts and cultural initiatives. It also instil pride in local cultures hat depict Zimbabwe's varied unhu/ubuntu as well as cultivate in us a sense of belonging.^[1] The week also runs in sync with UNESCO's World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrated on May 1.

2014

The event which was national launched in Bulawayo, ran under the theme Promoting Cultural Diversity and Inclusion. The aim was to encourage people and organisations to support diversity and inclusion with the target to Promote cultural practices and improve understanding and cooperation among people from different cultures.^[2] Various music groups like 2013 Jikinya Dance Festival Champions Nyandoro Primary School from Mashonaland Central, Black Umfolosi, and Umkhathi Theatre Works. This edition was unique in that it saw various celebrations held at different ares. Oliver Mtukudzi's Pakare Paye Arts Center hosted a show they dubbed Zimbabwean Cultural Fiesta. The event saw Mbira guru's such Ambuya Stella Chiweshe and Mbira Dzenharira sharing the stage on the 20th of May.^[3] There was also a show at the Book Cafe that featured Jah Prayzah and Victor Kunonga celebrating the Culture Week.^[4]

2013

The 2013 edition ran under the theme Celebrating our Traditions, Pride and Identity. The latter was based on the premise that artistes should be professional in their work ethics so that the arts can take their rightful place as one of the major contributors to Zimbabwe’s GDP.^[5] The event was successfully held between the 18th and 22 May in all the country's ten provnces. The national launch was held at Murewa Cultural Centre.