By Lerato Ndlovu
Preparations for the annual Shoko Festival which be held in September are now underway.
The event will this year run under the theme “The Phoenix Edition” from the 21st to the 27th of September 2020.
Shoko is set to have some changes in regards to its operations due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, this years festival will be four days longer than the usual that had three.
All the provinces in the country will be represented.
“This year’s festival will have some physical and mainly virtual elements for all the seven days featuring a number of artists and urban culture genres representing all the 10 Provinces in Zimbabwe,” the statement reads.
The culture festivals theme sets to use the arts to pass a message that Zimbabwe will rise from the ashes in these uncertain times just as the phoenix does.
“Zimbabwe’s premier urban culture festival’s theme “The Phoenix Edition” is about using arts for Zimbabwe to rise from the ashes in these uncertain times of Covid and Lockdown.
“It comes as a revelation for people to rise uniquely above Coronavirus like the Phoenix does through creating an inspirational artistic space in the trying times of Zimbabwe today,” read the statement.
Shoko Festival Director, comedian Comrade Fatso said the theme is set to inspire and give hope to the Zimbabwean citizenry and encourage them to be creative.
“With Covid-19 and the Lockdown we’ve been through a crazy, challenging time as Zimbabweans.
“We decided on the theme of The Phoenix Edition so we can use arts to inspire and rise like the proverbial bird after a time of chaos. On the positive side, Lockdown has pushed us to be even more creative than before and this year’s Shoko will feature some really amazing, trailblazing virtual innovations in terms of dope digital programming!”
The festival aims at giving upcoming artists in different urban culture genres an opportunity to perform, including Mash Up nights and retaining the diverse programming including the Hub Unconference, Zimbabwe’s premier digital media conference, and the Shoko Comedy Night.
Other brand new curated events will also be announced soon for the 2020 edition.
Shoko Festival is a product of Magamba Network, Zimbabwe’s trailblazing creative organisation.
Artists; musicians, poets, comedians and dancer who wish to perform apply by clicking on the link attached and filling out the form
https://forms.gle/G3QwDnUVvWmo21EbA
For more information email [email protected]
The deadline for applications is 24 July 2020.
