COMMUNITY theatre is indeed still alive in the country. Edzai ISU Theatre Arts Project, under the banner of TISU.COM has since September, with support from Culture Fund in partnership with SIDA and DANIDA, successfully executed eight community theatre activities in Highfield.
The activities promote social cohesion, peace and poverty reduction by increasing creative free expression platforms, promoting dialogue on peace at community level and encouraging citizen participation in national development.
The eight activities are: Transformative Theatre Training Workshop, International Day of Peace, International Day for the Elimination of Poverty, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Community Theatre Outreach, Community Theatre Opening Show, World Day of Social Justice and World Theatre Day.
These monthly commemorations themed along UN International Days have not only been an artistic expression platform for the plays presented on a range of issues but also a crucial individual and communal free expression platform in which women and youth took up the microphone after a play to freely express their views to their peers, other community members and stakeholders thus enabling community engagement and empowerment in Highfield.
TISU.COM at Zimbabwe Hall has played host to plays like Burn Mukwerekwere Burn, Half Empty Half Full, You Too, Demolishing Democracy and Hanya Nani? 3 as well as several community theatre plays by Shooting Stars Theatre Productions, Code 04 Arts Company, Ngoma Huru Theatre Productions, Isheanesu Support Group, Sungano Conflict Management Club, Highfield Anti Domestic Violence Club, Cabal Christian College, Free Grace College, Academics College, CBZ Holdings, Freda Rebecca Mine, Delta Sparkling Beverages and Rainbow Towers Hotel.
“TISU.COM has also established spin offs with relevant organisations where our activities have created or increased demand for their services among women and youths in Highfield thus making TISU.COM a referral platform for organisations such as Heal Zimbabwe Trust, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Peace Project among many others,” said Tafadzwa Muzondo.
Synergies have also been established with Government and organisations like National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Organ for National Healing & Reconciliation, National Aids Council, Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation & Empowerment, Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender & Community Development, CBZ Holdings, PSI Zimbabwe and ZimTalent Hunt all of whom have ongoing programmes, which address particular needs of the community of Highfield.
During the monthly programmes at Zimbabwe Hall and the community outreach around Highfield, people have not only spoken freely but have also been free to be captured on camera for the monthly DVD package, which is duplicated and freely distributed in the Highfield community and outside. In this sense, the message and impact has had a multiplier effect, which encouraged continued free discussion of issues in the community as it also informed relevant organisations of the community ideas, issues and recommendations.
EDZAI ISU Theatre Arts Project and Heal Zimbabwe Trust successfully launched their brand new collaborative play entitled “After Flashbacks and Setbacks” at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield on Thursday 26 May as part of the TISU.COM Africa Day commemoration and on the 27 and 28th of May at Theatre in the Park in Harare.
EDZAI ISU Theatre Arts Project staged the show then Heal Zimbabwe Trust conducted post performance discussions on what healing and reconciliation meant to the audiences after the performances.
The Zimbabwe Hall performances attracted over 200 young people, women and men of Highfield who converged at Zimbabwe Hall to witness the launch of this powerful fusion of drama, dance, poetry and music looking beyond the flashbacks and setbacks, emotions and frustrations, individual interests and political resistance.
