Arts council confirms Nama awards submissions
ORGANISERS of the country’s premier arts awards National Arts Merit Awards (Nama), National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) yesterday said submission of entries for the 20th edition of the awards would open from September 1 to November 30.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continued to choke the creative sector, the arts motherbody was forced to postpone the edition of the awards ceremony until February 27, 2022.
The Nama awards, established through an Act of Parliament in 1985 by NACZ recognises and rewards excellence in creativity and talent within the creative sector.
NACZ’s spokesperson Rodney Ruwende in a statement said artworks to be considered for selection should have been published in the past two years between December 1, 2019 and November 30, 2021.
“The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe would like to advise stakeholders in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) including production houses, studios, stables, galleries, organisations, associations, groups, artists and monitors that the period for the submission of entries for the 20th National Arts Merit Awards will be open from September 1 to November 30, 2021,” he said.
Ruwende said only Zimbabwean citizens or those with Zimbabwean resident status could enter their work, adding that entry forms could also be obtained from any of the NACZ offices, registered arts associations and organisations in Zimbabwe.
“Practitioners that have outstanding works published during the stated period can submit them at the NACZ head office in Mount Pleasant, Harare, NACZ provincial offices (Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, Masvingo Lupane, Gwanda, Bindura, Chinhoyi and Marondera), Murewa Culture Centre, National Gallery of Zimbabwe (Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare,” he said.
Ruwende said for online submissions, supporting materials may still need to be submitted in person at the above-mentioned places for use in adjudication.
“Entry forms can be accessed through the NACZ website.
“All entries must be accompanied by the artist’s product(s). These could be in the form of videotapes, cassettes, flash drives, CDs, pictures or books.”
He said individuals submitting works for the awards were encouraged to supply three sets of their works/production for adjudication, except where the product is in the visual arts category.
The disciplines to be adjudicated are dance, film, literary arts, theatre, music, visual arts, media and spoken word.