Celebrating young people in theatre

TODAY is World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People, which is running under the theme “Take a Child to the Theatre”.

Zimbabwe will host the commemorations starting today with World Puppetry while tomorrow another celebratory workshop will be conducted in Mt Pleasant, with people who are involved in working with children in all forms of arts.

Facilitators of the two-day workshop include Bob Mutumbi, Dr Robert McLaren, Richard Ndlovu, Enock Majeza, among others.

The celebrations will conclude on March 30 at Theatre in the Park, Harare Gardens as the main event with children from various Children Performing Arts Workshop (CHIPAWO) centres in and outside Harare coming together for the celebrations.

Chipawo manager Chipo Basopo said on this day, children will show their love for theatre as well as how organisations, drama clubs are acquiring different theatre skills.

“Having children engage in theatre is a good way of enabling the children to communicate with each other to exchange views and experiences.

“The world theatre day for children and young people message by ASSITEJ President Yvette Hardie will be read on the day by young people. Chipawo as a member of ASSITEJ will be celebrating this day with two events organised,” she said.

She said the organisation with this year celebrating 30 years. In a speech to celebrate the day ASSITEJ president Yvette Hardie said the world is riven through with division and divisiveness.

“Around us on every side are leaders and strategies seeking to turn people against one another, on the basis of race, language, culture, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, loyalty to an idea, belonging or not belonging.

“Almost every aspect of our humanity has been used by someone to bring greater division and to build higher walls of suspicion and hatred. As a result, we seem to have turned our backs on Ubuntu, the African philosophy that says ‘I am because you are’ and ‘a person is a person through relationships with other people’.

“Children need to be able to enjoy moments in community where they are reminded of what we share, and where they are able to appreciate the multiple realities of what it means to be human,” she said.

She said ASSITEJ believes that theatre provides multiple doorways into feeling a greater sense of connectedness with others, and — importantly — with ourselves.