JUST IN: Poets challenged to create performance spaces Robson ‘Shoes’ Lambada

Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
POPULAR poet Robson ‘Shoes’ Lambada has urged fellow artists to create performance platforms that will contribute towards growth of the sector.

This comes at a time when many performing poets continuously bemoan the closure of one of the art venue, Book Café, in 2015 and the subsequent death of their flagship event, House of Hunger Poetry Slam.

Lambada said it is up to artists to create new art spaces.

“We cannot run away or hide from the fact that the Book Cafe was a poetry incubation hub but we should not hold that as an excuse for lack of poetry performance spaces.

“It is the prerogative of arts organisations and individual poets to create such spaces,” he said.

“As poets and arts organisations, we need to be aggressive enough and create poetry performance spaces.”

Since the closure of Book Café, many platforms have sprung up in Harare, most of which died down because of financial constraints.

“There is need to explore venues in our suburbs. Venues in our residential areas attract the local artists and local audiences.

“We have community halls that were specifically created for recreational purposes but these days they are being utilised mostly by churches.

“Artists need to claim those spaces and make them creative spaces,” he said.

Lambada is the founder of Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights, an organisation that vastly used open spaces as performance platforms for poetry between 2010 and 2014.

Mainly funded by donors, the organisation would constantly stage at various shopping centres in Mbare, Zengeza, Mabvuku, Mufakose and Rimuka in Kadoma

“Because of the costs involved and dwindling in creative donor funding, artistes need to be more creative,” he said.

Another prominent poet Madzitatiguru, real name Tendekai Tati, said poets can seek support from commercial entities.

“Poets may have to divide their art in two types, first create art for art’s sake and then create art for commercial sake.

“These two are different and the difference should be intentional. Tap into the idea of content creation, find an audience and seek sponsorship from commercial entities looking to speak to that audience, then use that money to develop art for art’s sake,” he said.

“We have a tendency of seeking sponsorship for what we already have and yet it has no significant benefit to those whom we seek financial support from.”

Rising poet, Afro-Poetic Mind, said the available platforms do not value artists.

“I have become more of an artist whose passion sustains her as opposed to me being available for any poetry platform simply because I love poetry.

“There are no available platforms valuing artists and giving them what their art is worth.

“There are more people out there to exploit artistes rather than build them, not just their brands, but their pockets too. Their way of thinking, thinking beyond just being an artist.

“Nights of writing poems on a hungry stomach will make you realise it is not the platform you need. You already have the gift, how do you sustain the gift when you cannot sustain yourself?

“It is only sad that in this country arts is not really given its place unlike European countries. In other countries we speak beyond sustainability, we speak of legacies, of inheritance, of dynasties, because of this gift,” she said.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey