Addressing social ills by offering cool activities
ZIYAWAMO Arts and Culture, a nonprofit organisation, offers an array of activities in the townships in a bid to address social ills such as gangsterism, crime and substance abuse.
The organisation was established in 2015 by Mzukisi Khuse after he saw a gap in the Gugulethu, Nyanga and Langa communities, where there was no proper development of young artists.
Ziyawamo was well known for sharpening young people’s musical skills and organising workshops for them. Khuse said such workshops were designed to create a platform for the young artists and create an opportunity for them to learn more about the craft and its business side.
He said it was critical that young artists were equipped with skills and information in the early years of their careers so that they did not make mistakes which could easily have been avoided. He hoped to see those who attended their workshops releasing their own albums and using the knowledge they had gained.
Khuse said in understanding that those young creatives were either not working or still looking for a breakthrough in the music business, the organisation did not charge them.
He said that was why they depended on partnerships to ease some of the costs which were not covered by main funders, including hiring a venue and catering for them.
During those workshops, Khuse said industry professionals from different organisations were invited to be guest speakers in a form of master class, and offered valuable information and knowledge which those young creatives were not exposed to or could not access due to financial difficulties. These included music publishing information, recording contracts and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“The purpose of these workshops is to steer young people in the right direction. We want to take their craft to another level,” said Khuse.
He said the workshops had been growing since their inception in 2015 and the response had been positive.