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Sanganisai
Children's Festival
Following
the enormous success of
Grassroots' Sanganisai Children’s Festival (SCF) in
March 2007, which attracted around 3000 people and included workshops
and performances by students from four schools from the Masvingo
region and a group of international musicians from the UK. There
are plans for another festival in 2008.
The
festival aims to bring together various schools and communities
from the rural areas of Masvingo to share through performances,
workshops and discussions about issues relating to tuberculous
(TB) and HIV/AIDS. The dates for SCF
will be published shortly.
For
further information about SCF, please contact the Festival Director,
Ephson Ngadya, at:
ephson@grassrootstheatre.com
To download
a PDF report of the festival, click here:
SCF
March 2007 Report
(4Mb)
BACKGROUND
TO GTC
In 1987, a group of young college graduates from the Youth Contact
Centre (YCC) in Bulawayo, decided to set up a series of theatre
workshops called Grassroots Performing Arts Project (GPAP). The
aim of GPAP was to teach students at the YCC about their indigenous
background through the performing arts, a medium that has traditionally
been used in Zimbabwe to disseminate local customs and culture.
Following the success of GPAP, the group decided to establish Grassroots
as an independent theatre company in 1990 and have since been working
as a professional Theatre for Development (TfD) organisation using
dance, music and drama as means of educating and empowering urban
and rural communities throughout Zimbabwe and abroad.
AIMS
• To educate local communities to identify the root causes
of their predicaments and limitations
• To stimulate community action to break the poverty circle
that dictates the social economic vulnerability of the poor
• To foster international understanding about global development
issues embracing poverty
CORE ACTIVITIES
• Workshops & Performances
• TfD Consultancy & Training
• National & International Touring Programmes
PARTNERS
Since it was established, Grassroots has collaborated with
a number of local and international bodies working in Zimbabwe,
ranging from the corporate sector to Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs). Some of our partners over the years have included:
• The National Railways of Zimbabwe
• Women Action Group
• World Vision (HIV/AIDS)
• Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe
• Plan International (HIV/AIDS)
• German Development Services (DED)
• Christian Aid (Third World Debt)
• Dabane Trust (Environment)
• Save the Children UK (HIV/AIDS)
• Methodist Relief Development Fund
• Study Circle Alliance of Zimbabwe
• Shangani Mine (HIV/AIDS)
• Salvation Army (HIV/AIDS)
We are always eager to develop our knowledge about issues relating
to poverty, working closely with our partners to help inform and
support us in disseminating relevant and up-to-date information.
We have focused on many issues ranging from: Reproductive health;
HIV/AIDS; gender & sexuality; children & human rights; development
education; communication skills /literacy; interculturalism; international
development; third world debt etc.
GTC also works closely with schools and colleges training young
people and teachers in TfD/Performing Arts. |
