Dzuwa Liwale Arts Festival born
Lilongwe-based theatre group has announced the creation of what it calls Dzuwa Liwale Arts Festival set to start in October this year.
Dzuwa Arts Director Ignatious Kaphinde said Thursday that Dzuwa Liwale Arts Festival will bring together arts groups and individuals who will offer poetry, drama, music and dances.
“We plan to launch this festival in October at Kamuzu Institute in Lilongwe. Groups and individual artists who are willing to be part of the festival should come forward not later than August 5 2021,” Kaphinde said.
He said they were serious with the festival, describing it as unique and different from other festivals.
“The other performances that we have been having have only had us performing but we want to involve other groups. We are still in the planning stage and our budget is K2 million,” Kaphinde said.
He said this would be the first arts festival of its kind in Lilongwe targeting theatre.
“The other festivals we have had have been targeting schools but we are looking at the bigger picture by targeting theatre groups,” Kaphinde said.
He said they were talking to potential sponsors and that come October they will launch the festival.
With other festivals dying a natural death, Kaphinde insisted that the festival was here to stay.
“At Dzuwa Arts, we have a history of organising events and we never fail. We have maintained this trend all these years. It is only that this time, we are organising an event which is bigger,” he said.
Kaphinde said they are driven by the vision of taking Malawian arts to the mainstream of international standards.
“This vision is what will always give us the strength to continue with the festival on yearly basis until the vision has been achieved. Again, the positive response from companies is giving us strength,” the actor and playwright, said.
