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Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo Arts Correspondent
Following the completion of the city auditions last month, Dreamstar Talent show organisers embarked on a new programme called “Dream Star University Tour” which was concluded over the weekend.

Universities that benefited from the programme were Midlands State University, Chinhoyi University of Technology and University of Zimbabwe. Event spokesperson Eddie Sanyanga said expanding the talent show to university students was a way of promoting arts and culture.

“The objective of the university tour was to expand the reach of Dreamstar to students. “It is a way of directly promoting arts and culture and economic development, while also promoting the Dreamstar Scholarship Foundation in the process,” he said.

Sanyanga said more schools will be incorporated in the future and top three students from each university won $300 and automatically entered into the semi-finals.

“More colleges will join the biggest talent search show in the future. For each university, a winner and two runner ups were identified. “The winners were granted USD $300 each towards their education, while the runners up were also granted automatic qualification to the Dreamstar Semi-finals,” said Sanyanga.

The national semi-finals will be held this Saturday at Longcheng Plaza and admission is free while the grand finale will be held on October 7 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).

A total number of 36 participants have entered into the semi-finals and only 10 will make it to the grand finale. Cities and universities represented are Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Masvingo, Mutare, University of Zimbabwe, Chinhoyi University of Technology and Midlands State University.

The ultimate winner will get grand prize of US$3 000, a signed recording deal with Dreamstar’s recording label, JCMC Studios, opportunities to travel to China, among many other prizes.

The first runner-up will get $1 500 whilst second runner-up walks away with $500. Dreamstar Talent Show is an entertainment platform that seeks to empower local talented youths aged between 12 and 40, who are in the arts and culture, to help them rise from the backstage to the official stage.

Their aim is to provide young and talented youths with the opportunity to transit from using their talent recreationally and informally to become recognised as world stars while earning a living at the same time.

Dreamstar is one of Zimbabwe’s biggest talent search shows and it sponsored by the Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe, The Embassy of China, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation.