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to contribute to the production of a national plan to deal with challenges being faced and to exploit opportunities, which favour the growth of a viable and vibrant theatre industry in Zimbabwe.
The first action taken in this regard was by ZiTA’s cluster one, which comprises Masvingo, Manicaland and Midlands provinces.

On February 18, representatives of theatre groups in the three provinces met in Mutare to brainstorm on challenges being faced by theatre groups in the cluster; to receive and discuss reports on theatre activities undertaken as initiatives of ZiTA; to adopt a programme of action for the cluster and to facilitate the election of new cluster leadership.

The main objective of this meeting was to explore ways of ensuring that each cluster of ZiTA has theatre activities firmly rooted in the consolidation of a viable and vibrant theatre industry that sustains the livelihood of all those involved in full time theatre in Zimbabwe.

The cluster meeting observed that with regards to membership to ZiTA, there was confusion among theatre groups on the issue of registering with the National Arts Council and the association. There were submissions by theatre groups that had not registered with the association due to lack of knowledge about the existence of the association and the benefits of belonging to national theatre association.

Other observations were that the history of national arts association in Zimbabwe had shown that national association in the culture sector in Zimbabwe, did not work and that ZiTA was being challenged to prove that the idea a national association works and that it is beneficial for theatre practitioners to belong to a national theatre association.

In the presentation on the importance of association of cultural operators and practitioners by Cont Mhlanga it was not only the necessity of belonging to a national theatre association such as ZiTA that was eloquently illustrated but also the existence of many international performing arts associations to which Zimbabwean theatre practitioners may seek membership as individuals or as centres of international theatre association.

In this regard, cluster one members appreciated that associations are excellent platforms for creating and strengthening professional and industrial relationships and networks for lobbying and advocacy on common concerns. It was also pointed out that national association facilitates the visibility of the theatre industry; the promotion of opportunities for collaborations that produce viable theatre products and platforms for fundraising of resources for skills development and viable marketing of theatre products.

Also agreed was the idea that associations were a vital base for exchange of ideas, experiences and approaches to effective growing of a viable theatre industry and the adoption of professional and industrial codes of conduct and practices that regulate theatre practice.

The brainstorming session on challenges being faced by theatre practitioners in the three provinces the following cited as critical challenges:

• Venues for theatre performances in the three provinces were not easily accessible to theatre groups while many venues, such as community halls, were in such a poor state that they cannot be used to accommodate theatre productions and audiences.

• In the three provinces theatre groups were not able to access production finance, thereby reducing drastically the number of good quality theatre productions.

• Efforts at attracting and building paying audiences were difficult and unrewarding.

• Theatre practitioners are failing to access advanced theatre training as well as opportunities for attaining business management skills needed in creating viable theatre companies.

• Content of most of the plays being presented was inappropriate for adult audiences.

• Many theatre groups are finding it difficult to access published plays with appropriate content.

• Groups that present performing arts shows that are not theatre confuse audiences when the “real” theatre products are presented.

Theatre groups in rural parts of the country are failing to access information about participation in local, national, regional and international arts festivals.

The meeting agreed that a national action plan to deal with these challenges was itself a theatre industry plan to which each cluster should contribute.

Each cluster was therefore expected to contribute to the formulation of a national theatre programme that takes advantage of the existence of playhouses and spaces for regular presentation of theatre from all parts of the country.

Each group in the three provinces was assigned a task of identifying such spaces for theatre performance and of recommending them to a cluster co-ordinator who will be responsible for a producing a list of venues ZiTA executive will use in negotiation space for regular theatre performances by its members.

ZiTA executive will endeavour to raise funds for securing such venues for regular theatre performance.

The interim chairman of ZiTA, Mr Josh Nyapimbi, will take up the challenge of procuring and promoting a pool of published plays which theatre groups will be encouraged to include in their repertoires. As a theatre industry strategy theatre groups were encouraged to explain to communities why they are sometimes not asked to pay to watch theatre shows so that there is no confusion between development shows commissioned by development agencies for edutainment purposes and commercial shows.

Theatre groups were encouraged to avoid taking free commissioned plays to other venues other than those where they should be shown free of charge and that if such shows are taken to different venues audiences should pay to watch them.

It was agreed that that theatre practitioners should make efforts to retain ownership and copyrights of all their works, even those commissioned by development agencies and funded by donors so that they can continue to benefit from showcasing them without seeking permission from the funders to use their theatre works.

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