Zimbabwe’s biggest arts festival, Harare International Festival of Arts is back after a one year absence with the organizers promising new and exciting activities, cementing its position as the country’s premier arts fiesta.
By Munashe Chokodza
Addressing a press conference in Harare on Wednesday, HIFA Executive Director, Maria Wilson said the 2017 edition of the prestigious arts festival running under the theme ‘Staging an Intervention’ will have new and exciting activities including reality shows, youths zones and health sessions among a catalogue of activities that have not been part of the festival before.
“This year we have so many new acts like DJs with new techniques’, reality shows, fantastic youth zones, children making their own food and many other acts that we were not doing in the past” said Wilson.
She explained the reason behind their chosen them saying that there is a drop in people’s energy at the moment due to biting economic challenges.
“We feel that they are cheerless and joyless so this is the correct time to give them something that they will enjoy,” said Wilson.
The opening act under the theme ‘Let our songs be sung’ will be headlined by performances from music superstar, Oliver Mtukudzi and other top acts from across the world.
United States Embassy in Zimbabwe through the Presidential Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR) will host a health and well being session which is new HIFA, according to Wilson adding that they have invited local and international festival directors to come and scout for artists for their own events.
The 2017 edition of HIFA will run from the 2nd to 7th of May 2017.
