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International Theatre Institute and the international theatre community.
The celebrations are held to recognise the critical contribution of theatre to the socio-cultural and economic development of nations as well as to pay tribute to the various theatre professions and their contributions to its development, practice and its transmission to future generations.
On World Theatre Day various national and international theatre events are organised to mark the day. Each year the International Theatre Institute invites a “personality well known for his or her goodwill and intellectual merits to share thoughts on the theme of theatre and the culture of peace”.
The statement of the chosen theatre personality becomes the international message for World Theatre Day which is translated to more than 20 languages of the world and read at all the events to celebrate the day. Last year the theatre personality who wrote the international message was Jessica Kaahwa – a playwright, director, actress and academic in the Department of Drama and Literature at the Makerere University in Uganda.
World Theatre Day celebrations in Harare, which will be held at the Alliance Francaise Centre, will comprise a theatre colloquium in the morning and a programme of theatre performances in the afternoon.
The theatre colloquium will be devoted to a series of dialogues that will include a presentation by a theatre a academic on media coverage and review of theatre in Zimbabwe, a panel discussion by theatre critics and arts journalists on challenges they face in reporting on theatre in Zimbabwe and a presentation by a representative of a theatre house on challenges theatre houses face in promoting theatre in Zimbabwe.
The colloquium is aimed at examining theatre industry issues and challenges being facing in building viable theatre audiences, and in attracting viable investment into the theatre.
Also to be examined is relationships between theatre houses and theatre practitioners they employ or engage. It is expected that the colloquium will provide indications on the burning issues in the theatre industry that should be pursued at different levels and fora.
The Steering Committee of the ITI (Zimbabwe Centre) identified theatre practitioners who will be expected to present papers and to constitute various panels as well as who will be expected to suggest other topics for discussion on the day.
The afternoon programme of the Harare celebrations of the World Theatre Day will be devoted to the presentation of short plays that were performed in 2011 and which illustrate innovations taking place in Zimbabwe theatre.
The companies whose plays have been identified are invited to make their performances available for the day free of charge as their contribution to the celebrations. Already some producers have offered their productions which the organising committee hopes will be suitable for the occasion.
Theatre practitioners and companies wishing to participate in the colloquium and to offer plays for performance on the World Theatre Day should contact members of the Steering Committee of ITI (Zimbabwe Centre) who include: Daniel Maposa, Eunice Tava, Zane Lucas, James Makwiringwindo, Jasen Mphepo, Stephen Chifunyise, Elizabeth Muchemwa, Joanna Powell and Leeroy Gono.
Indications have been made that Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo is also organising an event to commemorate the World Theatre Day.
Other planned events are theatre performances organised in different parts of country by Zimbabwe Theatre Association’s provincial clusters.
Last year the Zimbabwe Theatre Association held on World Theatre Day its inaugural Zimbabwe Theatre Awards ceremony where 15 individuals and theatre institutions were honoured.
This year’s World Theatre Day commemorations will be enhanced by public lectures and talks on theatre organised by various universities which have theatre arts programmes. Also being planned are discussions on radio and television on the state and status of theatre in Zimbabwe as well as on the content of the international message.
It is hoped that members of the newly established Arts Journalists Network will also access the international message for World Theatre Day in time for them to use it in their features that are expected to appear in their newspapers on the day.
The subject of theatre and the culture of peace in Zimbabwe is could also be explored in the dialogue that should be promoted on various media on the day. Performances of plays that deal with this subject would be the most suitable events to commemorate World Theatre Day 2012.