Achievements

The work of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in fulfilling its role of promoting and developing the industry can only be best captured by events that have been happening in the industry. The highlights of the growth and importance of the arts and culture sector has been shown by the following;

1. Awarded the artists for excellence and creativity - NAMA. 35 Awards were given to artists for the eight (8) categories representing the genres in the sector.

2. Mobilised communities and resources to celebrate the diversity of their cultures under the Culture Week Programme. All Provinces held Provincial Festivals to celebrate culture guided by their Chiefs in rural provinces.

3. Trained about 100 Music Adjudicators for all the provinces. These will service both NACZ programmes and sector competitive music programmes.

4. Supported in the funding of the recording and launch of a debut album for an upcoming music group in Bindura.

5. Two sector consultative meetings with stakeholders and Opinion Leaders in the sector were held to review the previous year and to plan this year. The meetings are critical to guide NACZ operations and interventions in the sector. Four other provincial engagements have been done.

6. The Board has been meeting as scheduled in compliance with corporate governance requirement.

7. External Audit by Auditor General Office was carried out as scheduled and the Council an unqualified record.

8. Participated in the research into the contribution of Arts and Culture to GDP together with Zimstat using the UNESCO Culture for Development Indicators (CDIS). A comprehensive report published by Zimstat gives that the creative industries may contribute 6,96% to the GDP.

i.  In 2001, NACZ was the founding member of International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) in Canada. This has helped the Council remain connected to the international community through link with IFACCA. Zimbabwe assisted in the  formation of all the Arts Councils in SADC countries and recently in the formation of the IFACCA African Chapter with the inaugural  meeting of the Chapter hosted by NACZ in April 2010.

ii. In 2001/2 NACZ created programmes like National Arts Merit Awards, Jikinya Dance Festival, Culture Week among many  programmes to promote the arts in Zimbabwe. These programmes have encouraged corporates, bi-lateral and multi-lateral partners  to  invest more funds into the arts and culture sector in Zimbabwe and helped in the Council audience building agenda.

iii. In 2003, NACZ successfully lobbied government to gazette Statutory Instrument 136 of 2003 that allows artists to import musical, broadcasting, recording and PA Systems duty free. This has over the years changed the face of the arts and culture in Zimbabwe  as it has led to growth of theatre, films television and music sectors. However, there are still two arts and culture sectors that NACZ  would like to ensure they enjoy the same privileges namely visual and literary arts.

iv. In 2003, NACZ with the support of the captains in the arts and culture sector caused the creation of the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, a funding body created supported by funds from SIDA.

v. In 2003, NACZ came up with the policy of Provincial Arts Festival in all the 10 many such festivals have now been established in all the provinces of Zimbabwe. To provinces of Zimbabwe. The first provincial arts festival created as a result of this policy by NACZ was Intwasa  Arts Festival koBulawayo in 2004 and subsequently date there are over 35 arts festivals in Zimbabwe.

vi. NACZ lobbied Government to come up with Act that protects the works of the artists in Zimbabwe leading to the passing of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act (Chapter 26:05) in 2004. This has improved the protection of artists from piracy.What is remaining is the establishment of the Copyright Tribunal that will efficiently and quickly deal with copyright infringement and thereby reduce the piracy that is rampant in the Zimbabwe.

vii. National Arts Council of Zimbabwe coordinated the successful proclamation of Jerusarema/Mbende Traditional Dance as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the Director General of UNESCO in November 2005.Murewa Culture House was declared the centre of the dance. This has allowed Jerusarema/Mbende dancers to get world recognition and UNESCO will support financially and technically efforts by Zimbabwe to preserve its costume, form and style. In addition, NACZ has since established a successful annual Jerusarema Mbende Dance Festival that is hosted at Murewa Culture Centre and attracting school children and the public in performance and audience. This has helped in bring goodwill and economic benefits to Murewa and UMP Communities.

viii. In 2005, NACZ published A User’s Guide to Copyright Law in Zimbabwe as a way to ensure artists enforce the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act (Chapter 26:05) that had been passed in 2004. This handbook was distributed free to artists and arts organisations/institutions.

ix. NACZ successfully took over the running of Murewa Culture Centre with effect from 1st January 2006. This decision has allowed artists to effectively use the centre more productively as the centre has become more accessible to the artists and community.

x. After many submissions to the Minister, Statutory Instrument 87 of 2006 read together with Statutory Instrument 166 of 2009 were gazetted and empowered NACZ to charge certain fees and make certain regulations enforceable at law. These SI have become one of the major tools in creating meaningful income for the Council enabling to implement development and promotion programmes for the benefit of the artists in Zimbabwe.

xi. In 2006, NACZ was supported by UNESCO to carry-out a survey on the contribution of the creative industry to Gross Domestic Product entitles, RESEARCH REPORT: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF ARTS AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE. The research report created debate and led to Culture Fund of Zimbabwe commissioning another one and we hope a thorough study will be done leading to the sector getting the attention it deserves.

xii. In 2006, NACZ published the first ever Zimbabwe Arts Directory with another one in 2011 with funding from Embassy of Spain and Culture Fund of Zimbabwe. These directories have helped in professionalizing the sector by ensuring that arts partners have easy access to the artists in Zimbabwe.

xiii. In 2010, The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in partnership with Cell Funeral Assurance Company established a Cell-ebrity Funeral Cover which provides decent and affordable funeral cover and services to the artistes of Zimbabwe.

xiv. In 2013 NACZ signed a memorandum of agreement on strengthening cooperation with Beijing Opera Art’s College. NACZ also signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cultural exchange and cooperation with Culture, Sports and Tourism Administration of Shenzhen. This has allowed more support to the sector from China.

xv. In 2013, NACZ through it Annual Arts and Culture Indaba caused the establishment of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Creative Industries that is set to professionalise and industrialize the sector.

xvi. In 2014 NACZ intervene on behalf of the arts and culture sector to negotiate with the department of Immigration so that it could waive the requirement for police clearance on foreign artists wanting to perform in Zimbabwe. Having noticed the challenges that the police clearance issue was causing in the sector, NACZ engaged Immigration to revert to the usual arrangement where Immigration did its own security checks on international artists.

xvii. In 2015, Culture Week National Launch held in Chinhoyi, the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Hon. Phekezela Mphoko officiated. This was a major statement in the sector on government’s view of the creative sector. Such an endorsement from the presidency was long overdue.

xviii. In 2015 from March to October NACZ was kingpin in the preparation of Milano Expo and instrumental in the creation of products both visual and performing for the premier international showcase.

xix. Zimbabwe submitted its first quadrennial report to UNESCO in 2016. NACZ was the link organization that collected the information and did the report of behalf of the Ministry of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of Nation Culture
and Heritage.

xx. The first official meeting by management towards partnership with the National Arts Council of Zambia was held in Kariba in July 2016. The two Arts Councils have developed a MOU to be signed by the Boards once approved, this will unlock a lot of opportunities for both arts administrators and practitioners alike.

xxi. In 2017 a total of 1350 artists and teachers were trained in Muchongoyo Dance in preparation for this year's Jikinya Dance Festival. Muchongoyo is the common Dance for the Festival for 2017 and 2018.

xxii. NACZ has succeeded to consistently invite the Comptroller and Auditor General to carry out audit of the organization. Even in the very difficult macro economic times, the Council has received clean audit reports.