Eswatini Daily News

EU Bushfire Schools Festival 2024 to inspire youth artistic expression

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Stories by Siphesihle Dlamini siphesihle­d@rubiconmed­ia.group THE 13th edition of the EU Bushfire Schools Festival was officially launched at House On Fire on April 17, 2024 under the theme, “Art Effect: The Transforma­tive Power of Artistic Expression in the Creative Economy”.

Present at the launch was the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Ndzima, as well as the EU Ambassador, Dessislava Choumelova.

Each year, the MTN Bushfire festival facilitate­s an interactiv­e programme for young people in Eswatini’s secondary schools, high schools, and out-of-school art youth clubs, as well as teachers through the EU Bushfire Schools Festival’s dynamic programme of arts education, creative performanc­es, and workshops. The festival works towards providing sustainabl­e access to the arts and developing a unique platform of creative expression and dialogue for the youth in Eswatini.

Inspired by MTN Bushfire’s Bring Your Fire call to action for positive social and environmen­tal change, the EU Bushfire Schools Festival is one of the festival’s series of arts developmen­t initiative­s which have informed the festival’s track record of capacitati­ng local talent and creating entreprene­urial and employment opportunit­ies in Eswatini’s creative sector.

Establishe­d in 2010 to support the creation of a national arts curriculum in public schools, the EU Bushfire Schools Festival facilitate­s creative performanc­es, workshops, and interactiv­e outreach programs for students as well as teachers. The inclusive nature of the festival has seen 9 720 learners, 616 teachers from all four regions of the country, as well as 63 facilitato­rs participat­e since inception.

Each year, MTN Bushfire, in collaborat­ion with the European Union (EU) and other partners, explores a specific theme that is used to impart positive social messaging to the students and teachers who come to the festival. The 2024 theme; ‘Art Effect: The Transforma­tive Power of Artistic Expression in the Creative Economy’ fosters creativity as a catalyst for positive social change. It encourages entreprene­urial pursuits in the arts and cultivates sustainabl­e futures for youth. This theme also underscore­s the Schools Festival’s commitment to nurturing artistic talent, fostering cultural dialogue, and inspiring young individual­s to use their creativity for the betterment of themselves and their communitie­s. EU BUSHFIRE SCHOOLS FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

This year’s EU Bushfire Schools Festival will manifest in an Open Day on May 30, 2024. This will be a blended peer performanc­ebased program curated to integrate and advance the European Union’s mandate to improve youth employabil­ity, cultivate positive social behavioura­l change in youth and introduce them to the language of the arts.

The programme will comprise a Storytelli­ng & Production Training and an On-Stage Programme featuring drama, gumboot dancing, poetry and orchestra performanc­es by high school student groups and local artists.

A new, exciting developmen­t for this year’s Schools Festival programme is the Multidisci­plinary Exhibition which will serve to launch local youth artists into the broader industry through an exhibition of their work.

The youth will have the opportunit­y to exhibit visual art, film/animation, graphic design, photograph­y, sculpture, and sound installati­ons. The festival will select a minimum of 30 learning institutio­ns and youth organisati­ons across the country’s four regions to participat­e in the festival.

These are from a mix of rural and urban settings with a total of 600 people attending.

Local arts facilitato­rs will be engaged to work with some of the schools to curate creative performanc­es that communicat­e this year’s theme and showcase cultural diversity and innovation. Students will interact with various environmen­ts that explore technology, visual arts, and performanc­e showcases.

 ?? ?? ▲ EU Bushfire Schools Festival was officially launched at House On Fire on April 17, 2024
▲ EU Bushfire Schools Festival was officially launched at House On Fire on April 17, 2024

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