Arts Views with Thabani H Moyo
CENTRE FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENT has revived its popular and in demand performance based workshops for literature learners. The project has faced challenges in the past which were compounded by the advent of COVID-19 that saw the project dissolve as it was not possible for members to meet and rehearse like they used to in the past.
However with the relaxation of Covid-19 regulations and re-opening of schools C.T.D also has revived its trademark workshops. The first workshop was on the 1st of October in Bulawayo for A Level Literature learners.
The event was held successfully.
Learners and teachers who attended the event gave a standing ovation to the performers and the facilitators. Carol had opened the stage with the poem “Babuthiwe”. The attendees seem to have fallen in love with the performance and the discussions that followed. However the outstanding performance was a 15 minute one man show by seasoned Gift Chakuvinga as he performed Shibasa Mfulamfula’s ritual from ‘’Izwi Nesithunzi”.
The performance was so powerful as it gave the learners pictures of Shibasa and his cat engaged in hair raising witchcraft activities. The moderator Mr Alexius Mangoro, an experienced educationist from Mpopoma, led the discussions with precision as he probed learners on various issues around the presented texts.
The A Level Literature in Ndebele performance based workshop is yet to reach Plumtree and Gwanda Districts in Matabeleland South where learners and teachers have had to endure a series of postponements.
In the first week of November C.T.D has lined up two workshops at Bulawayo Theatre for O Level Literature in Ndebele and Literature in English. Following a South African model where a similar project is in use, C.T.D has this time around collaborated with Jahunda Community Arts to do Harvest of Thorns. This approach will help in covering ground that needs to be covered in the area of helping learners across the country access these performances. Harvest of Thorns is set to be performed twice at Bulawayo Theatre on the 4th of November 2021.
On the 5th of November C.T.D will present performances for O Level Literature in Ndebele. The performances will include extracts from Wangenza Mntanami by Sitsha, Wangithembisa Lami by I.N Mpofu, Indabikhona and poems from Imbongi Zalamuhla Layizolo by Longman.
The performances are a rapid response to the gaps that have been created by long lockdowns that have upset the school calendar. The workshops are therefore a means by which literature students can close the gap by watching the shows and becoming involved in the after performance discussions. Learners, teachers, parents, schools and administrators are encouraged to embrace this refreshing learning process which is relevant to the 21st Century systems.
