Nasfest on despite inadequate funding
National Schools Youth Arts Festival (Nasfest) which is now Nasfest International Youth Arts Festival will be held at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe on February 7-8 2020.
The festival is driven by Light of Youth Creative Organisation (Lyco).
Lyco Executive Director, James Kitchen, said Wednesday that despite experiencing funding problems just like other events, their event will go on as planned.
The festival already held its regional finals last year where winners were selected.
“You cannot run away from the fact that a lot of event organisers are struggling, funding is a challenge and we have not been spared. But we are going ahead with our event. The little we have we will manage,” Kitchen said.
He revealed that this year they have a number of activities including an art exhibition by Zambian artist Maclaudy Munanzwa.
“Let me also announce that our headliner this year is musician Wikise. A lot of young people have fallen in love with his music and this is why last year he was voted Artist of the Year. On top of that, we also have poets Raphael Sitima, Hudson Chamasowa, Yusuf Abubakar and Harmony Theatre,” Kitchen said.
He also said that Kasama Arts and Mtsinje Trust Theatre from Zambia will also be part of this year’s festival.
“We will also have a film screening and training. We are also having awards which will go to 10 young theatre makers and 15 young achievers in theatre and film,” Kitchen said.
He said they launched the recognition awards for students, youth, artists, institutions and other players in 2012 as part of their contribution towards promotion of arts and culture in the country.
He also said that Lyco will during the festival present awards in form of printers to 10 schools which made it during the regional finals among them Marymount Girls, Lilongwe Girls, Darlo Girls, Robert Blake, Michiru Girls, Joyce Banda Foundation, Zingwangwa Secondary School, Zomba Catholic, Divine Mercy and Rainbow Private.
Kitchen said since 2009, Lyco has managed to reach out to 92 secondary schools and over 9,000 youths in the country with the initiative.
“We are here not only to offer entertainment but our main objective is to transform and educate youth through arts and culture thereby exposing talents of students and youth as one way of disseminating information and promoting them and sustaining their future career,” he said.
