Siyabonga Sayi
GWERU – The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and a Gweru-based performing arts group, High Voltage Poetry, are set to introduce poetry slams events that will see poets from all over the Midlands province coming together to perform and exchange notes.
The poetry slams, that would be a new feature in Gweru, are a mechanism by the two stakeholders to develop poetry and arts as well as to cultivate talent among people.
NACZ provincial arts promotions officer, Honor Muvango said the initiative was meant to revive poetry in the Midlands as well as to encourage the community to embrace that type of art by giving potential performers the necessary support.
“We came up with this initiative as a means to revive poetry in the province and to encourage the community to support local poets. We are inviting people of all age groups from across the province to participate in this programme,” said Muvango.
High Voltage Poets leader, Dumisani Ndlovu said the initiative would cultivate the culture of performing arts and harness the vast artistic talent particularly among young people.
He said prospective performers would be taught by renowned poets how to write effective poems.
“We have realised that poetry is not being promoted in the province yet poetry expresses the pulse of life. We have then decided to call people who are interested in poetry to come and share ideas and learn how to become the best.
“We will also afford participants the opportunity to learn from renowned poets that we are going to invite to these poetry slams. Poets like Mbizo Chirasha will be invited to teach prospective poets,” said Ndlovu.
The NACZ and High Voltage Poets recently marked World Poetry Day through massive commemorations that attracted local poets and students from the Midlands State University (MSU).
If all things go according to plan, the poetry slams would be held every month at the Gweru Theatre starting this April.entertainment
