Opening up Creative Spaces for the Girl Child
Culture - Inside Art
Monday, 13 June 2011 10:50
6Share

A new organisation focusing on nurturing creative talent in girl children has been launched. Named Girl Child Creativity, the group will focus on spotting and developing artistic ability in girls between the ages of 12 and 19 from all over Zimbabwe.
Co-ordinated by poet Mbizo Chirasha, the Girl Child Creativity and Motivational project is aimed at reducing female under-representation in the literary arts, creative writing poetry and performance arts.
^ Mbizo Chirasha addresses guests at the Girl Child Creativity launch. To the left is US Embassy spokesperson, Sharon Hudson-Dean.
Speaking at the launch held in Harare this week, the opulently vocal Chirasha said, “We want to teach the girls how to find opportunities with their talents and develop them. We want to avoid the syndrome in the country currently where people want to fly yet they can only crawl.”
The launch was attended by US Embassy spokes person Sharon Hudson Dean, Ambassador Hotel General Manager Gary Webstock, journalists and other invited guests.
The organisation will start its operations by hosting an all female motivational workshop to be held at the Chiedza Childcare Centre on June 15 and 16 and this will coincide with the Day of the African Child celebrations.
^ Guests at the launch which was held at the New Ambasador Hotel. The hotel’s general manager, Gary Webstock, gave the venue and refreshments at no cost as part of their support for the initiative.
Chirasha said, “The uniqueness of this activity is that twenty-five female students will attend a workshop which will be moderated by four female new generation poets and writers. This will help the girls to interrogate issues of self identification, talent realization, creative motivation and inspiration.”
The Girl Child Creativity team is made up of Mbizo Chirasha (Girl Child Creativity producer, coordinator), Agnes Gudza (Press Focal person), Rebbecca Zeggler-Mano (workshop participants Advisor), Rutendo Tapiwa Chigudu (guest poet, workshop facilitator), Thando Sibanda (Content editor), Primrose Dzenga (Advisor, facilitator), Eve Nyemba (guest reader, poet, girl child creativity motivator), Cynthia FlowChild Marangwanda (Guest poet, workshop facilitator)and Black Heat Deshanti (guest poet, workshop facilitator).
- Trevor Makonyonga for Zimbo Jam