Jibilika Dance Festival report, 8th edition 2015

In Partnership with:

FESTIVAL REPORT

CONTENTS

Jibilika Dance Festival 2015 | Report

Page 1 Contents Word from Festival DirectorPage 3 Meet the TeamPage 4 Festival HistoryPage 5 Jibilika - Year By Year Page 6 2015 Festival In Numbers Page 7 Provincial PreliminariesPage 8 ThemePage 9 Day 1Page 10 Day 2Page 11 Cultural ExchangePage 12 Media CoveragePage 13 Social MediaPage 14 Festival OnlinePage 15 Word From ParticipantsPage 16 Festival Partners

Report by: Plot Mhako

"This is our dream come true, being winners for the third time. Dancing is a career that needs to be taken seriously as it will also sustain livelihoods. I thank Jibilika for the exposure they are giving to the youths as it is

promoting our culture. Dance is a tool that can be used to communicate," said Magesh crew. (The Herald)

Images: Mgcini Nyoni / Plot Mhako

1

Design: Plot Mhako / JIBILIKA CREATIVE

Magesh anked by Bulawayo National Arts Council Provincial Manager Mrs Nyathi

Jibilika Dance Fest 2015 was one of a kind probably the best since Jibilika started. Dancers had

“a great time the service was superb. Each dancer got a chance to explore other dance styles

and despite our differences in where we came from and our dance styles, everyone got along.

Jibilika gave us a chance to showcase our Talents and i greatly appreciate. Thanks To the Jibilika

Team. Hopefully the next Jibilika will be as great and Thanks To the All Mighty for giving the

Jibilika Team the strength to make such an Event possible.” Bruce Mugozhi Province Masvingo,

Crew-Prototypes

Jibilika Dance Festival 2015 | Report2

WORD FROM FESTIVAL FOUNDER / DIRECTOR

Jibilika spelt Tjibilika is native Kalanga meaning dance, move, act, in essence express yourself.

Jibilika shares the idea of art in its different forms is a universal language transcending all communication boundaries, hence the use of dance to engage, inform, empower, transform and entertain.

The 8th Jibilika Dance Festival is testimony of this transformative power. The power of positive youth energy which has sustained the festival

for years despite the harsh economic situation and a lot of challenges in building the brand. Iam delighted and thankful to the dancers, dance enthusiasts, our funding partners and the media for supporting the dream.

Each year young people look up to Jibilika Festival for entertainment and creative engagement. Its these expectations that keep us running and aiming to improve our programming and enhancing the impact in the hope of creating a self sustainable festival that is always connected to the roots of our culture and the people.

Thank you for a wonderful festival. Keep Dancing

Plot Mhako

FESTIVAL TEAM

Kudakwashe Charwadza - Festival Manager

"Excited to have been part of a ground breaking Jibilika 2015 festival that brought together 100s of dancers for dialogue, exchance and expression” through dance.”

The 8th edition of Jibilika Dance Festival was made possible through a collective effort from dedicated youthful provincial coordinators and key festival team.

Each preliminary had a coordinator based in that respective province which gave the local community ownership of the grassroots process.

The same team was instrumental in ensuring transportation, welfare and participation of their respective teams.

Several Bulawayo practitioners were engaged for the grand nale, i.e Sound Technicians, Lighting Engineers, lming, photographers, Caterers, festival runners

This was part of a goal to give equal opportunities to the local community and empower them.

Jibilika Dance Festival Team


HISTORY

Jibilika Dance Festival was founded in March 2007 as an eclectic national dance

festival and has remained an annual event since then. It has become 'Zimbabwe's

premier annual youth dance festival. The festival celebrates both urban and

cultural dances and runs in competition format.

The platform seeking to herald Zimbabwe's hidden artistic talent and use the energy

to express, engage and empower the youths. The festival aims to promote dance

as a vehicle for youth, talent development and a platform for recreation. The

festival carnival encompasses mentorship on a wide range of youth related issues,

offering training and development workshops, exhibitions and performances.

Over the years the initiative has exposed and promoted a number of dancers and

groups that are now established, reputable and living off dance as a career.

Years of JIBILIKA

8 Exposing, nurturing and promoting dancing talent.Zimbabwe’s


Festival History

JIBILIKA DANCE FESTIVAL YEAR BY YEAR

2007Jibilika is founded. 42 dance groups from around the country converged at 7 Arts Theatre to showcase and compete for prizes in various categories, Hip Hop, Pantsula, Rhumba/Sungura, Traditional.Magesh of Bulawayo won the overall title with K-Otics also of Bulawayo taking second place. The festival is propelled to national acclaim and becomes an annual event.

2008The year marks the second edition of the festival. Preliminaries are held in 7 provinces. Finalists meet in Harare at the Harare International Conference Centre for the nale. Magesh of Bulawayo clinched the title for the second time. Harmony of Mutare came second.

2009Jibilika Festival bought the licence for the international breakdance championships Battle of the Year. Flip Floppers won the title at 7 Arts Theatre and went on to team up with other dancers in an all star crew that represented Zimbabwe in Cape Town at the African Championships. Zimbabwe took third position.

2010The festival ran for the second year under the banner Battle Of The Year. Flip Floppers went on to scoop the championship for the second time at the event held at HICC in Harare.

2011Zimbabwe hosted the African chamiponships at the HICC which saw an all star House of Stone crew winning the title.

2012This year saw the dropping of the Battle of the Year component. The festival instead introduced a social element and ran under the theme Step Up 2 HIV as it sought to raise awareness on HIV among the youth through dance. The response was overwhelming. Antivirus of Bulawayo won the contest. The event was held at Harare Gardens. The theme Step Up 2 HIV became a stand alone initiative with support from the and has reached at least 40 000 youths in schools US Embassy and communities in Harare, Masvingo, Mutare, Bulawayo over three years and has won an award.

2013Zimbabwe College of Music played host to the 2013 edition which was a resounding success. The contest was won by Street Madness dance group from Harare. 21 groups from around the country took part in the festival.

2014Jibilika returned to the Harare Gardens under theme Urban Rootz which saw the fusion of traditional and urban dance styles. Explosion Crew from Bulawayo won the national title followed by Break Equation also from the same city and Prototypes from Masvingo coming third.


2015 FESTIVAL IN NUMBERS

Provincial

Grand Finale

Preliminaries

Audience : On average each provincial preliminary attracted an audience of at least 150 people thus in total we reached out to about 2000 people. Artists: Each event gave a platform to local upcoming musicians to showcase their talent. More than forty (40) musicians participated during the process. Dancers: Gweru had the highest number (15 groups) of groups taking part in a preliminary and Harare had the lowest of (7) seven. Each group had an average of 5 dancers. Tens of solo dancers also participated. More than 400 dancers took part in the provincial nals. Team: Each province had a local coordinator who assembled a local team and helped organize the provincials. In other areas we partnered with local arts groups, venues and promoters to host the preliminary.

Venues: Founders High School, Bulawayo City Centre, Bulawayo Theater

Day 1: BreakDance Workshop, - Alma Manyika, Founders High School Jit Dance Workshop - Haleem Stringz (USA) Jibilika Street Cypher, Bulawayo City Centre, free (Outreach) - at least 300 people - audience 25 dancers participated (19 male, 6 female) Documentary Screening (Shake The Dust) and Discussion Founders High School 119 participantsDay 2 Jit Workshop - Haleem Stringz (USA) - 10 participants New School Hip hop dance workshop - Tanaka Roki 16 participants Afro-house dances - Miriam Kabongo (24 participants) Arts and Gender Discussion - Isheanesu Dzvairo (46 participants)

Festival Team: Plot Mhako, Kudakwashe Charwadza, Milicent Tshuma, Tendai Mushonga, Heather Mlingo, Rose Sadomba, Kudzai Kunaka, Dennis Madyira, Sandra Nyamukachi, Isheanesu Dzvairo, Beverly Mukunyadze, Tanya Charingira, Deborah Kabongo, Delroy Scara, Miriam Kabongo, Sean Ace, Sly Shonhiwa, Noni Madzinga, Jeff Warara Judges: Ricco Andrews (Byo), Mbo Mahocs (Byo), Alma Manyika (Hre),

Haleem Stringz Rasul (USA)

Musical Acts; Our line-up of musicians was entirely from Bulawayo. We had Awa (African Women Arise), Cal_vin, Nashie, Teeko, Psycho

Dancers: 110 dancers took part in the grand festival.Audience: 410 people attended the nale

Post Festival - Cultures Impact Workshops: Haleem Stringz (US)Mutare - Courtauld Theatre, 33 participantsHarare - Mufakose, 10 participantsChitungwiza- Unit K, Mhodzi Centre, 17 participants


PROVINCIAL PRELIMINARIES

Mutare

Masvingo

Harare

Masvingo

Bulawayo

Gweru

Twelve dance groups competed in the national nal following the completion of

provincial preliminaries. This years nalists were, the defending champions Explosion

from Bulawayo, the 2007-8 champions Magesh also from the host city, Flying Angels

from Harare, B Street crew of Bindura, Juveniles of Mutare, Extreme of Gweru, Jr Fox of

Kadoma, Ghetto Clarks Zone of Chitungwiza, Super Geeks of Bulawayo, 3rd Wave of

Norton, Ebony Arts of Gwanda, Zvaazvinhu of Masvingo.

SNIPPETS

PROVINCIAL FINALS

10

PR

OV

INC

IAL

PR

ELI

MIN

AR

IES

12

FIN

ALI

STS

>


Festival THEME

“The festival allowed young people to freely express themselves through dance,

celebrating their uniqueness whilst embracing their cultural diversity, displaying

high standards of choreography and professionalism as a way of making

dance entertaining, engaging and economically empowering.”

#FREESTYLEFreedom and Style

“Ebony Arts would love to thank u for yo appreciation, support and

platform...We are proud 2nd runner ups and we look forward to working with u

more from now than before...Thanks to Jibilika, yo team and yo tireless efforts to

see us grow.May God Richly Bless You” Manue Luyanda Nyika (Group Leader, Ebony

Arts - Gwanda)

Social Media

Comments

EBONY ARTS - from Gwanda (3rd Place)


THE FESTIVAL

DAY 1/2 WORKSHOPS / STREET CYPHER

COMMUNITY OUTREACH FILM SCREENING INSPIRATION > > >

ENGAGEMENT

WO

RK

SHO

PS

CY

PH

ER

The festival encompassed several artistic development workshops which are conducted by professional choreographers during the preliminaries and on the grand nale.


GENDER STEREOTYPE ARTS PATRIARCHY> > > > DISCUSSION

WO

RK

SH

OP

S/

TALK

/ D

OC

UM

EN

TAR

Y S

CR

EEN

ING

/ S

TREET

CY

PH

ER

We had a documentary screening, conducted a series of workshops and a discussion

focusing on gender inequalities in the arts.

9

THE FESTIVAL DAY2 - IN PICTURES


RESULTS> Dance Groups

1st > Magesh (Bulawayo)2nd> Explosion Dance Crew (Bulawayo)3rd> Ebony Arts (Gwanda)

SOLO DANCE CATEGORY RESULTS: B-boy :1. Sylvester Shonhiwa aka Silva (Harare)2. Biliard Kambona (Bindura) Krump: 1. McDonald Jonasi aka Hurricane (Harare)2. Bright Monga Dhlamini (Bulawayo)New School Hip Hop Dance 1. TK Madaka (Bulawayo)2. Clarence Tendai Koga (Chitungwiza

10

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

The Knight Foundation, USA and the Zimbabwe Cultural Centre of Detroit supported the

festival through facilitation of an exchange that saw dance choreographer and hip hop

organiser Haleem Stringz Rasul from Detroit, USA spending a month in the country where

he conducted workshops, master classes and exhanges with local dancers as part of the

festival program. Haleem jointly created the opening act with dancers at the Jibilika

Centre, Higheld in Harare.

JIT / JITI DANCE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

“Understanding other cultures can prevent prejudice and hate. It contributes to mutual

understanding between societies and people. Cultural exchange also enriches our own lives

by inspiring new forms of artistic expression and providing fresh insights that broaden our

horizons.” Plot Mhako, Festival Director

Cu

ltu

re n

ee

ds

dia

log

ue

an

d d

ialo

gu

e n

ee

ds

cu

ltu

re!

PEACE BUILDING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Mutare

Arts Management

Chitungwiza Mufakose

Belgravia

Jibilika Centre, HarareBulawayo


The exchange centered around our taditional dance style of Jiti and a similar US dance

form called Jit which is found in Detroit, Michigan. The program involved a multi-faceted

cultural interaction with traditional dance experts such as Zimbabwe National Trditional

Dancers Association, Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions, famed sungura dancer Franco Slomo,

Warriors Dance ensemble of Mufakose, a youth urban cultural organisation Mhodzi Centre.

Bulawayo

Dzimbanhete ArtsFranco Slomo

HICC

11

MEDIA COVERAGE


SOCIAL MEDIA

“Jibilika festival is an amazin one coz it brings dancers together to exchange

culture and showcase talents at many cyphers and festivals ...... and that

actually improves and make the talents more competitive.

Jibilika has been an inspiration to many different kinda genres.” Munya - DNA


“The Festival was great but for next time I think

if you're to do a festival movement like a power

walk in the city just to create awareness then a

cypher after as well as more workshops but overally

the festival was great” Ralph Simbarashe Bote aka

RageFurie, Harare

"A smart,distinctive

extraordinary

festival full of fun

and activities engaging

youths of all ages around

Zim through music and

dance. #never to be

missed” Rose Sadoma

13

OFFICIAL WEBSITES

Jibilika dance festival has not only elevated the dance industry in Zimbabwe but has also

“uplifted societies norms and values so as to create social cohesion and integrating people...it

has also managed to employ globilization which unites people of different cultural

backgrounds and hence the art of dance being used as tool to enlighten people and instill

knowledge....“ Tk jr Krumpkid Madaka, Bulawayo - Salt and light dance crew


ww

w.jib

ilik

afe

stiv

al.c

om

/

ww

w.jib

ilik

ad

an

ce

.org

14

WORD FROM PARTICIPANTS!

The Jibilika Dance Festival

“2015 did not only give Bulawayo artists a chance to

showcase their skills but it also made dreams come true.It made a positive impact not only to the dancers but the audience as well.It was inspiring, young people came together for a good cause.We all learnt that dance can go beyond a hobby to a profession would like to see the festival growing even bigger” Awakhiwe Sibanda aka AWA, female Hip Hop MC, Bulawayo

iJibilika Festival yakobulawayo ibe

“yigcitshi ekuhlanganiseni lokubuthanisa abasakhulayo

bekhuluma ulimi elulodwa lokugida okwehlukileyo....Abasakhulayo bathole ithuba lokufunda okutshiyatshiyeneyo mayelana ngokugida befundiswa zicitshi ezihlukileyo kodwa bencintisana umanqoba wejibilika festival bejika jika izinyawo lomzimba lowu okumangalisayo sibili....Kubonakala iziphiwo zokugida ezitshiyeneyo okujabulisa kakhulu sibili” Millicent Tshuma, Festival Coordinator, Bulawayo

Iam grateful to Jibilika for embracing other forms of

“arts like gratti. As part of the Still Using Pressure (SUP) crew we are excited to get a chance to mirror the

essence of the festival and its theme through visual art. Spinx Brittan, Gatti artist, Bulawayo - Stage Designer


Chiedza Heather Mlingo - Provincial Coordinator, Masvingo

“Startled to have been part of the

2015 jibilika festival an edition that inspired the rebirth of culture diversity, love for dance through the attraction of an all age audience and dancers from all corners of Zimbabwe”

From One day to a Two Day Festival + More elementsFirst Time for the nals to be hosted outside of Harare

15

Festival Partners

In Partnership with:

Cultural Impact

“The overall project objective is to foster social cohesion, peace and poverty reduction within Zimbabwean communities by harnessing the transformative power of the arts and culture with particular focus on free expression, gender

equality, improved human rights and cultural diversity,” Farai Mupfunya, Culture Fund Director, (Newsday)

Cultural Exchange

The Jit project was initiated by the Zimbabwe Cultural Centre of Detroit (ZCCD)

and Jibilika Dance Trust through a Knight Foundation USA grant.

Workshops were held in Harare, Mutare, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo.

The festival was organized by Jibilika Dance Trust in partnership with the Culture

Fund Zimbabwe in partnership with Embassy of Sweden and Danida.


JIBILIKA DANCE TRUST 6A Fernleigh Road, Borrowdale

Harare

www.jibilikadance.org / www.jibilikafestival.com Email: jibilika@gmail,com

Graphic Illustration : Manue Luyanda Nyika

Jibilika Dance Festival report, 8th edition 2015

Documents

Transcript of Jibilika Dance Festival report, 8th edition 2015