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Kundai Marunya

Arts Correspondent

Organisers of a sculpture competition at Chitungwiza Arts Centre (CAC) to mark the beginning of Harare Province’s Culture Month celebrations have given artists another month to polish up their work before final adjudication.

This comes after some of the work entered in the competition, which has been on display since Monday, were deemed not to be in sync with the theme ‘United in Diversity’.

The competition is being held by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) in conjunction with the European Union.

NACZ Harare province director William Ndinde said the extension necessitated more artists to align their work with the theme.

“Some of the work was not really in line with the theme ‘United in Diversity’ so we decided to hold on from holding the prize giving ceremony, but instead have the EU Ambassador launch the competition,” said Ndinde.

There were some artists who well understood the requirements and went on to produce some creative presentations around unity and diversity.

Award-wining sculptor Shelton Mubayi presented a sculpture of children playing ‘maflawu’, a childhood ball game that is played across Zimbabwe.

Mubayi said the game unites children of different backgrounds.

“Maflawu unites children from different backgrounds, religion, culture and ethnicity,” he said. “In fun, all differences do not matter, there is no segregation.”

Another sculptor Cleopas Moyo carved tourists surveying an eagle’s nest, a significant attempt in showing the unity between humanity and nature.

Moyo said tourism brings in a unity in diversity.

“We unite different nature lovers of different origins and nationalities in our beautiful country,” he said. “These are the same tourists who usually buy our art work.”

Launching the event, EU ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann said the theme resonated well with the EU agenda and Zimbabwe’s constitution.

“Unity in Diversity is the motto of the EU, because we are 27 different countries, we speak 24 different languages, we dress differently, we eat differently but we find our way together, united in that diversity,” said Ambassador von Kirchmann.

“Europe has been at peace for over 70 years. When I saw the theme for this year’s Culture Month, promoting diversity, unity and peace, it resonated with me immediately.

“When I look at the Zimbabwe constitution, in the preamble the first sentence says we Zimbabweans united in diversity.”

Ambassador von Kirchmann encouraged sculptors to participate in the competition portraying in their creativity the theme that encourages unity in diversity.

The competition is open to all sculptors.

It is part of the Culture Month celebrations to be held across the country being funded by a 63 000-euro grant availed by the EU in support of local artists.