EU ambassador unveils Schools Bushfire
MBABANE – EU Ambassador to Eswatini Dessislava Choumelova stood before a crowd of eager listeners, her voice filled with passion and conviction, and spoke about the transformative power of the EU Schools Bushfire Festival.
This was during Choumelova’s remarks at the MTN Bushfire Festival launch on Friday, at House on Fire. The festival, she explained, had become a beacon of creativity and inspiration for the pupils of Eswatini, igniting their imaginations and nurturing their talents.
The European Union (EU) Bushfire Schools Festival works towards providing sustainable access to the arts and developing a unique platform of creative expression and dialogue for young people in the country.
Theme
Each year, the festival has a specific theme, chosen in collaboration with key stakeholders, that is used to impart positive social messaging around youth skills development and other pertinent social issues to learners and teachers, using the arts as a vehicle.
The fundamental aims of the EU Bushfire Schools Festival are to support, facilitate and develop arts education in Eswatini, support arts curriculum implementation in schools and increase the participation of local arts facilitators, allowing them to inspire and impart their skills to Eswatini’s youth.
MTN Bushfire strongly advocates for the youth’s early exposure to the arts, encouraging creative self-expression and active participation in their communities. In an exciting development, the EU became title sponsor of this youth empowerment festival space in 2023.
Occurring on the days preceding the main festival, the EU Bushfire Schools Festival’s two-day programme reinforces the national arts curriculum in Eswatini’s public schools by presenting creative performances, workshops and interactive outreach programmes in collaboration with local primary and high school learners and teachers.
Local arts facilitators inspire and share their skills with Eswatini’s aspiring young artists. Over 10 000 learners and teachers have taken part in the schools festival since its inception in 2010.
Ambassador Choumelova recounted heartwarming stories of how the festival had impacted the lives of young pupils over the years.
Film
She also highlighted a recent win for Eswatini, through a locally produced film, a dream ‘Liphupho’ which highlights the dreams and aspirations of young artists.
In her speech, she mentioned that this shows that artists can make a living out of their art.
The ambassador also spoke about 15 professionals that have been trained through a programme called Sound Connect Program where they trained DJs, podcasters and songwriters just to name a few.
The ambassador’s words resonated with the audience, painting a vivid picture of the festival’s profound influence on the pupils and the broader community.
She highlighted the EU’s unwavering support for the arts in the Kingdom of Eswatini, emphasising the importance of nurturing creativity and cultural expression as essential component of a thriving society.