The Arts

So much to report on the whole Arts side of things. It is my main focus and reason for being here this time around, so I figure it's about time I write about it! Reconnecting with people has been the essential thing to do first so that's been my goal this week and last. Catching up and chatting to existing friends and contacts has been great. Inspiring to hear what projects they've been up to and I've been sure to ask after anything in the pipeline. Thus I've heard of some exciting ideas. However it is tough in the current climate, that is also clear. But people refuse to give in and continue with immense resourcefulness, determination and commitment to artistic expression and communication. It's awesome!

Two of my friends, resident artists at the national gallery, share a cheesy moment in the studio!

I had particular conversations in mind to have with certain people and these have gone well and have led to ideas for future collaboration with possible involvement from me. Earlier in the week I caught up with Styx. He's a prolific and respected director and one of his latest initiatives is a theatre programme for young people in his home community a few kilometres away from town in a more rural setting. He started the programme in August and so far has introduced componants of mask, mime and movement and worked with the students on these, fitting it in around the lesson hours of those in school. The 45 students are now starting to look at text. Styx is passionate about preserving the local language and creating theatre that reflects life as it is in local communities. He has recently chosen to write in Ndebele.

Next week I hope to accompany him to see this project in action and possibly contribute to a session myself. I'm wondering about using ideas and games from clown work and look forward to having a lot of fun with that...more on that anon. On Thursday I visited possibly one of my favourite places in the world!

10minutes drive from the city centre, at the start of the western suburbs - the high-density (township) communities of Bulawayo - is the district of Makokoba, home to Siyaya Arts. I first met Desmond, the administrative director of Siyaya, through my previous role with the Angican church. I overheard him in conversation talking about Siyaya and introduced myself and we started chatting. From there, he's become a good friend and great contact to have. Des not only runs an arts outfit that produces, directs, commissions and sends on international tours, talented companies performing various and numerous shows, but his background includes NGO, reconciliation and trauma-related programmes. At his invitation I first visited Siyaya last year and was blown away by the vibe of the place.

A Siyaya company in rehears for the next production, Zambezi Express

Right in the heart of the community companies rehearse outdoors while kids watch, immitate and play nearby. Their work is a fusion of acting, singing, dance & drumming accompanied by various instruments - some made on-site. People continuously stop by and drop in, getting introduced by their particular discipline: rap, spoken word, performance poetry, dance choreography, writing, drums, Mbira... it's a broad range.

Des was out when I first arrived but had left a message for me to wait for him, so I hung out chatting to some guys i'd not met before. They introduced me to the directors, performers and admin guys for the show currently in rehearsal, Zambezi Express, due to tour to Europe later on this year.

Inherent creativity, dedication, hard work and commitment is in evidence from the rehearsal in front of me, to the guys in the office behind who are fixing tour dates and overseeing logistics and liaising with overseas bookers.

I felt I'd come home.

The largest denomination note I currently have, I hear there's even a 100 Billion Dollar note now!

Week 1 back in Zim

The adjustment process has taken a bit of time, but I guess that is to be expected. In some ways I don't feel I've been away, picking up where I left off is fairly straightforward in terms of daily life, but things have also changed within the past 6 months. Most noticable is the legalisation of foreign currency in many places to pay for commodities and purchase goods. It's commonplace now to use USD or Rand in most outlets whereas before, though it was practiced, it was illegal.

I learnt today that only 2% of employed Zimbabweans get paid in forex, so the vast majority are still dependent on this rampantly inflating currency. An example of the affects of this from the past couple of days is that we wish to send a document by DHL courier to Harare. DHL doesn't accept forex and yesterday quoted a cost of $308 trillion Zim dollars for the job. By the afternoon it was $380 trillion and then this morning on arrival at the office the quote had increased to over $700 trillion. Seven. Hundred. Trillion. Dollars. Getting hold of that cash is difficult and time-consuming.

To add to the mind-boggling nature of the current Z economy, I hear that during the time I was away 10 zeros were chopped from the end of the numbers in an attempt to curb the inflation. So for a very short time numbers went back down to single digits ($2 for a loaf of bread etc) From this, the rate has already climbed back into the trillions...

Exhausting.

Introductory Post

I’ve always meant to keep in touch while I’m in Zimbabwe, though I find writing long, newsy emails hasn't come very easily. Possibly, this is because I hate the thought of clogging up inboxes, especially of people aren't particularly interested in reading self-indulgent ramblings about my life! However, as several people now have asked to be put on any mailing list to receive news updates, I've decided to start a blog, so you can (if you want) see a little of what I'm up to and I can share snippets of life in Zimbabwe, as I see it from my perspective day-to-day.

Been back in Zim for just over a week now. The journey out was fairly lively, mostly due to being with 3 kids aged 4 and under. I had next to no sleep during the overnight journey but they slept and had a good journey and we all bonded again!

Arriving back at Bulawayo Airport (a big shed divided up) was good because of the familiarity. This is so different to the first time I arrived when I knew no-one and next to nothing about the place. This time even the guys who work at the airport recognised me and struck up conversation!

Arriving from a very cold January London into mid-summer and the rainy season was a bit of a shock to the system. The change has hit me more this time and I've felt quite tired from the humidity. It's very lush and green at the moment - in stark contrast to how it was last June when I left for the UK. Then it was winter and trees were bare and vegetation the colour of straw due to to such dry conditions and lack of water.