The functionality of the arts in the ‘developing’ world, including Africa has been subject to intense debate. The debates surround issues of development, cultural regeneration and agency. One of the issues that have captured the imagination of scholars, artists and cultural activities has been the transformative possibilities embedded within artistic productions. The arts have been touted as providing transformative possibilities within social, cultural, developmental and religious arenas. In an environment that is fast changing, dynamic and quick shrinking, the arts have been assumed as one of the instruments for influencing positive change within different spheres of society.
However, what is evident is the need for the intensification of systematic intellectual and cultural engagements with the possibilities and limits of the arts as transformative agents. It is against this background that the University of Zimbabwe is hosting this inaugural international arts festival to provide a platform for intellectual and cultural engagement with the theme. The festival is a realisation that Universities can play an integral role in providing productive and fertile space for empowerment, interaction and synergy between cultural activists, intellectual, civil society and arts practitioners. The University of Zimbabwe realises this role and seeks to challenge and inspire other local, regional and international institutions of higher learning to engage attitudes and ideological inclinations that perpetuate various forms of chauvinisms and hegemonies relating to issues of class, economy, ethnicities, race, religion and politics.
The University of Zimbabwe International Arts Festival is therefore inviting academics, cultural activists and arts practitioners to take part in paper presentations, workshops, exhibitions and performances along the theme of the Festival: Transformative Arts. Below are some of the sub-themes of the festival.
a) Arts, democracy, citizenship and human rights
b) Arts, tourism and economic development
c) Engaging the politics of land in development through the arts and culture.
d) Cross-cultural national healing, reconciliation and integration: artistic constructions
e) Global inequalities: Artistic constructions
f) Sexuality, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS: Artistic Innovation for transformation
g) Arts education: the arts and/ as transformative discourses
h) Artistic constructions of modernization theories and practices.
i) The media, arts and social transformation
• All authors interested in presenting papers are invited to submit an abstract as an e-mail attachment.
• Abstracts should be between 250 and 300 words including keywords or phrases
• Full contact details and institutional affiliation must be given.
Submission of abstracts:
Abstracts can be submitted electronically to Mr N. Muwonwa at nmuwonwa@gmail.com
Submission of workshop proposals include but are not limited to:
• Performance (e.g. theatre, poetry, music etc),
• Literary works, (e.g. public readings)
• Visual display (e.g. sculpture, pictorial art etc)
Proposals can be submitted electronically to Ms Bridget Chinouriri at bchinouriri@arts.uz.ac.zw or bridgetchinos@yahoo.com
Important dates
Final dates for submission of abstracts and proposals 30 June 2011
Notification of acceptance of abstracts 15 July 2011
