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Lifestyle Correspondent
It’s a new dawn to Zimbabwe. The new political dispensation has given optimism to Zimbabweans across the divide. Hope is that the ailing arts fraternity also wakes up from the deep slumber. Just like every other sector in Zimbabwe, the arts are replete with talent. However, we do not have an industry to talk about. There is need to have functional entities across the width and breadth of the industry’s value chain. One way we could do that is to build from the legacy of our country’s past administration. Zimbabweans are an educated lot. It is just unfortunate that we did not have an enabling environment to let our knowledges contribute to the growth of the industry.

Late last year the Director of Savanna Trust Mr Daniel Maposa graduated with a Master’s of Arts degree in Culture Management from Wits University. Together with Florence MukangaMachakanja and Michael Mabwe they become the only three people from Zimbabwe

I am aware of who have graduated with this prestigious qualification in arts management. I also understand the Director Music Crossroads is also pursuing a Master’s degree in the same field. Resources permitting, I would love to join this crew. The temptation came after reading Ngara’s dissertation titled In Pursuit of Sustainability of Not-For-Profit Theatre Organisations: A Case Study of Savanna Trust in Zimbabwe.

I urge arts industry captains to read this work and engage with its submissions. While, I found Ngara’s writing to be very accessible, that is the least of the reasons why I am encouraging every arts manager and artist at which ever level with their career to read this dissertation.

As the topic suggests his work focuses on arguably, the biggest challenge facing most arts entities in Zimbabwe. Just to put things into perspective, I have been fortunate enough to work for Patsime Trust and for Jibilika Dance Trust in the few years that I was still active as an artist. I have also done consultancy work for the Midlands Arts and Culture Festival (MACFEST). These three organisations were and still are at different levels of their growth, but they all faced sustainability challenges. I hope that my discussion is not going to irk either Jason, Joe Wailer, and Plot or the organisations they lead.

Maposa forwards that for “a theatre organisation [by extension all arts entities] to achieve sustainability, it must be guided by four pillars. These pillars are artistic vibrancy, community relevance, capitalisation and good governance”. What follows this assertion is an honesty and critical reflection of his journey with Savanna Trust. Most of the leading arts organisations in Zimbabwe are donor funded. Their financial sustainability is dependent on what the funder offers.

One year, its Christmas everyday and the next year the very same entity struggles to buy thread, let alone the needle.

Maposa highlights that this has been almost the case with Savannah Trust. I had similar experiences during my time at the three organisations, I mentioned earlier. Maposa observes that reliance on any one stream of revenue is problematic and hence calls for income diversification. Of course, he mentions how the economic situation in Zimbabwe has prohibited many to visit theatres and the other avenues which they have tried to pursue for financial sustainability as Savanna. I understand, Patsime did the same they have set up a recording studio.

This was actually done just before the Zim Dancehall craze, in anticipation that the genre will grow. And indeed, it grew but I don’t the studio grew. Maposa also mentions that his organisation has the capacity to explore the internet market but again they haven’t. Definitely, there is some comfort in knowing that money will eventually come from traditional funders, however small.

Here, I think these entities need to take a cue from Jah Prayzah and Luckie Aaroni and the BUSTOP TV team. These institutions do not dilly around profit. They are inspiringly aggressive. They think dollars, while the donor funded crew limit their profit to public good whose impact they at times fail to account.

We know Plot Mhako as the face of Jibilika but of late he has introduced interactive commentaries on his Facebook Platform. I understand he has plans to spruce up and grow the platform. In my view,chances are that in no time he will be attracting a lot of advertising revenue. Online streams have potential to make huge monies only the custodians of the arts industry stop wannabes from abusing the platforms.

Some comedians are endorsing brands on poorly made on phones. Imagine, who will line up to have their products on a skit featuring Teddy Mangawa of Savanna, Jiggaz of Patsime, or Muchaneta and Bhaureni. All, I am saying here,is the new Zimbabwe demands that we respect our craft and work towards exploiting all financial streams.

The life and growth of every arts entity depends on artistic vibrancy that is, its liveliness, refreshing and continuously re-imagined programming. This applies to solo artists as well. Anyone who has observed Patsime, Jibilika and Savanna Trust will testify that these three organisations have this quality in abundance. They continuously remodel and reinvigorate the donor funded projects they run.

Challenge now is those of us who are leading for profit organisations to catch up and perfect this level of order. The time for rudderless and thoughtless exploits is over. Let’s embrace the new dawn and perhaps demand that we have a separate arts ministry superintendent by arts policy expects, names like Josh Nyapimbi, Davies Guzha, Tsitsi Dangarembgwa and Maria Wilson easily come to mind.