By Style Correspondent
Dzimbanhete Arts and Culture Interactions Trust (DACIT) continues to make its contribution to fostering creativity, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage while engaging tourism through new programming.
DACIT recently secured a grant to implement an intense cultural festival, Sounds of the Sacred Web (SoSaWeF), inspired by spirituality, tradition and culture as well as their impact on social cohesion and tolerance.
Chikonzero Chazunguza, DACIT’s creative director, confirmed the developments to Standard Style on Friday.
“The grant was awarded to us by Culture at Work co-founded and supported by the European Union. Of the 232 applications submitted for consideration, our project SoSaWeF made it to the 112 eligible proposals and it was one of the 20 projects selected for funding,” Chazunguza said.
“The grant will enable us and our Nigerian partner Oja Cultural Development Initiative to launch a festival that is built around the thematic All Afrika Village [AAV], which celebrates African architecture and its role in indigenous cultures and knowledge systems that define a people, by putting emphasis on identity and humanity [ubuntu/hunhu].”
AAV is a one-stop African village that will feature indigenous architecture from all the 54 African countries. Each country will be represented by at least three to four structures, which will be adorned with material culture from the respective regions.
“AAV will be a platform for cultural events that provide exceptional experiences for artists and audiences through encouraging participation and accessibility to social, cultural, recreational and educational experiences that strengthen artistic capabilities and enjoyment,” Chazunguza said.
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Oja Cultural Development Initiative, whose mandate is to celebrate young people’s culture, social identity and inclusion of marginalised cultures by reawakening, promoting and showcasing Nigerian cultural heritage to the world, will contribute to programming.
DACIT arts projects manager Laura Ganda said the festival and its associated programmes throughout the year were intended to build bridges that foster inter-cultural interactions and appreciation that enable progressive discourse about African identity, values, norms, indigenous culture and knowledge systems.
“It is a neutral platform to heal, promote peace and understand different traditions and rituals by digging deep into sacred traditions that contribute to the oneness of a people despite diverse cultures and belief systems,” Ganda said.
She said DACIT was very grateful to the Culture at Work Africa project, supported by the European Union, for supporting such unifying cultural projects.
